French Bistro Cooking!

A friend and I had been talking about taking a cooking class together for over a year, and last night, we finally did! I’ve immensely enjoyed the Sur La Table cooking classes I’ve taken and their French Bistro Cooking class didn’t disappoint.

Classes are always a mixture of learning to cook great recipes, getting to know the Chef, drinking wine (BYOB), eating far too much and swapping foodie adventures with your classmates. An excellent time!

Sur le menu pour la nuit: Soupe a l'Oignon au Fromage, Soufflé de Fromage, Boeuf Bourguignon & Crème Brûlée!

We started out making the Soupe a l'Oignon au Fromage, my favorite recipe of the class. Dan Burns, the Chef, had caramelized some onions earlier in the day, which smelled, and tasted, amazing. I don't get people that don't eat onions. They are heavenly!

Once we had made fresh croutons and the stock, it was time to prepare the bowls...

We added Provolone, Mozzarella and Gruyere cheeses...

And... ta da... heaven!

Since Crème Brûlée takes awhile to make, the custard had already been made, but we had the fun job of caramelizing the sugar!

Typically not a Crème Brûlée fan, since I had a part in making it, I had to try it... let's just say I'm now a fan.

We prepped the soufflé dishes with butter, parmesan cheese and bread crumbs for the Soufflé de Fromage.

And... voilà!

To accompany the Boeuf Bourguignon, Chef Dan baked some potatoes in way I'd never seen. We bathed the potatoes in egg whites and then drenched them in Kosher salt, before baking. If you are a salt connoisseur, leave the salt on after baking and eat as is. Otherwise, rub all, or most of it off. Tender with a nice salty taste!

So after seeing Julie & Julia, I thought Boeuf Bourguignon was an extremely difficult dish to make and it would take me multiple attempts to get it right. No, it's not. And no, it didn't. It's glorified beef stew. But who doesn't love beef stew?!?! It's delicious and impressive to make as I think most who saw that movie had the same takeaway. Add it to your next dinner party menu!

After enjoying a bottle of wine, good convo with new friends and exchanging our favorite Sur La Table cooking classes, it was time to whisk our full bellies back to the Westside. The dishes were done.

Check out all my French Bistro Class pics.

Learn about Sur La Table's Cooking Classes.

Bouchon... C'est Magnifique!

From the sun-drenched park we overlooked in the middle of Beverly Hills as we dined al fresco, to the excellent service, to the mouth-watering menu, to the exquisite food, Bouchon did not disappoint. Our afternoon on the terrace felt like a surreal moment out of a movie.

It’s always much more enjoyable to experience a dining experience like this with someone else who appreciates food as much you do. Who “oohs” and “aahs” over every bite and who gets lost in a daydream after a succulent bite of a sweet heirloom tomato. I am fortunate to have a few select foodie partners-in-crime and today, one accompanied me. We sipped sauvignon blanc in the sun and salivated over the day's specials. “Life. Is. Good.,” I think to myself. “This. Is. Heavenly.”

I am sucker for burrata. Nine times out of 10, if it’s on the menu, I order it. Try as I might to look away and choose something else, it beckons for me. I must indulge. Bouchon’s heirloom tomato and burrata salad arrived at our table like a work of art. The flavors were so fresh, so succulent, so deep. An exquisite and refreshing dish.

The salmon on the salmon salad was cooked to absolute perfection – slightly raw in the middle, excellent texture and crispy shell. The lettuce was crisp and fresh with dressing caressing every leaf.

We can never stop after just a salad. Oy. This is us… foodie partners-in-crime… we cannot leave the table unless we’re bursting at the seam! We needed something savory, something rich. The winner? Roast beef sandwich with blue cheese, caramelized onions and horseradish sauce. Wowee! So many rich flavors but none overpowered the other. Each complemented each other and reached new depths in my mouth.

Complementing the ethereal food and gorgeous scenery was excellent service. When my water glass was 1/2 full, it was refilled. When our dishes were finished, our dishes were whisked away. The staff was friendly, had great recommendations and were very attentive. All combined for a lovely weekend afternoon.

Bouchon. Beverly Hills, California.

The Origin of Good Food

It's food experiences like this that clock in at "top tastes of my life," will forever be remembered and make me wish I could write restaurant reviews like Ruth Reichl.

I'm an eater. Not a trendy buzz word "foodie." An eater. And I frickin' know good food. And Origin surpasses most.

In Toronto with my parents visiting family and my Mom has the keen ability to sniff out the hottest places in town before we even arrive. Where do we head straight from the airport? Origin. From the minute I walk in, I am intoxicated by the décor, the energy radiating from each table and the warmth of the waiters, dark wood and exposed kitchen. It beckons me. I am home.

Where do I even begin? No reservation on a Saturday night = a place at the bar = Best. Night. Ever. The décor is dark, elusive and creatively authentic. Painted barbed wire mangled around a light, wisps of white netting ensconced around hanging lights. I love it here and never want to leave.

Reading the menu made me feel like a kid in a candy store. I wanted it all. We put our trust in our phenomenal bartender/waiter, Waseem, who was exceptional and never led us astray. Per his recommendation we started out with tostones (huge, fried plantains) + homemade guacamole. This was a flavor adventure in my mouth. The lemon essence in the guacamole was so pungent, so complementary of the flavorful plantains. Could it get any better? Oh yes, it could.

We dove into deviled eggs + gemolata + smoked bacon next. The crisp saltiness of the bacon coupled with commanding deviled eggs danced in my mouth as if they were two lovers having an affair.

Our adventure continued with the Bangkok beef salad + peanut + mint + mango + fried shallot + nam jim dressing. The flavors and textures of this dish put me in a trance. I pondered whether it would have been rude if I sipped the remainder of the dressing in the bowl and opted not to. I now regret it.

Our tongues danced around the Buffalo mozzarella + herbs +olive oil + toasted seeds and spices. The combination of flavors were so fresh, so stark, so seductive.

We then dove head first into the wokked & fried calamari + caramelized peanut sauce + pineapple. The thick strips of fresh calamari were drenched in batter, fried to perfection and then drowned in an Asian-inspired sauce bath and paired with succulent pineapple; the perfect partners in an elusive tango.


Clearly in heaven at this point, my tastebuds were sky rocketed to whatever is better than heavean when I bit into the Chinois duck wrap + pickled cucumber + hoison + Sriracha + sour cream. The spiciness of the Sriracha hits you like a ball out of left field and before you can scream, wow, you are struck with the cool pickled cucumber and sour cream that melts away the kick and the duck remains at the forefront of every bite.

We had read about the miso glazed black cod + soba noodle salad + ginger vinaigrette + miso broth. We were steered elsewhere on the menu, but the Chef sent over an order on the house. This pushed me over the edge into a blissful foodie coma.

I felt as if I were vacationing in Spain when I bit into the chorizo + manchego rice + poached egg + salsa verde + dried black olive. Truth be told, my least favorite dish of them all, but still fantastic. The poached egg and dried black olives made the dish.


We capped the evening off with caramelized brioche + walnut praline + honey yogurt sorbet. I'm not a dessert person but wow, wow, wow. While delicious on its own, I don't think the honey yogurt sorbet was completely complementary of the brioche. I would have been more happy with vanilla bean.

Each dish was showcased like a masterpiece on a complementary white dish. We never saw the same shaped dish twice.

As if the décor and exquisite food weren't enough. Our bartender/waiter kept us entertained and shared some house specialty shots with us throughout our food journey. Infused vodka, fresh fruits and tequila whipped cream. Yes, please! Amuse bouche has nothing on these shots.

I could never capture how fantastic this evening was. I am left speechless and craving more. We left with spoiled bellies, huge grins and a list of Toronto restaurant recommendations from the bartenders, although I kind of wish I could eat here every night.


Chef de Cuisine Steve Gonzalez, you have outdone yourself. Executive Chef + Owner, Claudio Aprile, let's open an Origin in Los Angeles. I can't live without it.

Origin. Toronto, Canada.

ONE. Singular Sensation.

One. Singular sensation... every little bite she takes...

I travel across the country and over the border to find myself in one of Toronto's "see and be seen" power lunch hot spots that took me back to the glam of Los Angeles. While not my scene in tinsletown, I loved every minute of this Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) leisurely lunch hot spot. ONE Restaurant in the Hazelton Hotel is every bit as swanky as LA, with Toronto charm, Canadawood glamour and fab.u.lous fare.

I could have left completely satisfied and impressed with just the bread they served. The bread man, who I secretly wished would be my bff, glided around the restaurant with freshly baked sourdough, whole wheat and olive bread. The bread was so light, so fluffy, so warm. Heavenly. You can always tell a restaurant by the quality of their bread and I knew I was in for a real treat at ONE after devouring four pieces (blush).

A favorite of Torontonians, it seems, is black cod. The fish was so tender, so buttery, it melted in my mouth. It was complemented with enoki mushrooms and yuzu sauce, which were a perfectly refreshing pairing.

The fries with truffle oil and parmesan? Addicting. The best part was that the parmesan wasn't just sprinkled on top of the tall vase the fries were nestled in. It was drizzled throughout the layers of luscious fries so you got a little in every bite.

Our waitress was overly pleasant, had an incredible sense of humor and swooped in and out at the perfect times.

One of my favorite things? They have tiny stools at each table for women's purses so they can perch on there, not on the floor. Love it!

Once was not enough at ONE. Can't wait for trip number two!

ONE. Toronto, Canada.

The Center of Exquisiteness

I was whisked away on an upscale Italian dining experience oozing with understated elegance at Drago Centro in Downtown Los Angeles. Twice.

The restaurant thought about every microscopic detail to make both my experiences thus far… exquisite. My white napkin was changed out for a black one when I wore a black dress (some white napkins shed). When we boxed up leftovers they were left in a to go bag at the hostess stand and a ticket was given to redeem upon departure (a la coat check). Plates and utensils were seamlessly interchanged throughout the meal.

To kick off my second visit, I selected la burrata with endive, basil pesto and crostinis. The creamy burrata danced with the flavors on the plate and seduced me as I enjoyed every. last. bite.

Since my first visit to Drago Centro, I’d been dreaming about the Chef’s pasta special I had ordered: le pappardelle al fafiano. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Fantasizing about it. Salivating over it. True Italian pasta dishes are quite simple and usually only contain a few ingredients. As an American, I’ve been jaded by pastas overflowing with merchandise where tastes get muddled and overpowered by the plethora of flavors and textures (not that American pasta is bad). With le pappardelle al fafiano, each fresh ingredient was showcased and savored with every bite. After this dish I gained a new appreciation for pasta. Homemade pasta elevated the dish and made a tremendous difference over boxed pasta. I could taste the love and energy that went into making these thick ribbons of pasta. This mixed with roasted pheasant and morel mushrooms was then doused in a sauce that I wanted to slurp off my plate. The pheasant was moist, not too gamey and full of flavor.

I kept flirting with the fifteen foot enclosed wine tower that was hard to take my eyes off of. Stocked sexily with rich wines from Italy, France and California, I batted my eyes and beckoned the full-bodied liquid to entice me. While most of the wines are expensive, Drago Centro has a solid offering of reasonably priced wines that are fantastic. I was pleased with the Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon bottles I enjoyed.

While not normally a dessert person, I was enticed by the menu and devoured the pumpkin, persimmon, brown sugar caramel and brown butter gelato. This combination was like a warm Fall afternoon in my mouth. Full of deep flavors and rich textures, I was reminded of family feasts during Thanksgiving and wearing sweaters as I walked in the crisp Fall breeze down Wilshire Boulevard.

From every angle Drago Centro has nailed it. I continuously recommend this restaurant and cannot wait to go back.

Drago Centro. Los Angeles, California.