Meet My Meat

I think my bottle was laced with meat when I was a baby. I. Love. Meat. My Grandpa was in the meat business so t-bone steaks and corned beef were staples at our house and the whole laced bottle makes sense, right?!?!

A few years ago my Dad was introduced to a new way to prepare steaks - soak them in beer before grilling! The beer cooks off but the alcohol helps break down the sinew so the meat is extra tender. I've heard of people using bourbon for this too!

We started my marinating the steaks in beer (30 minutes each side). Type of beer doesn't matter that much, but I stay away from the American light beer (good enough for me to drink during football season but not good enough for my steaks!). This time I tried out a chili beer for something different.

Next we coated the steaks with this incredibly flavorful rub my parents brought back from Paris.

We cut up the chili that was in the beer and wedged slices into the meat for an extra kick.

Depending on the thickness of the steak, my Dad taught me to grill as follows:

- Step 1: Five minutes on each side on hot to sear the steaks
- Step 2: Turn one side of the grill off and move steaks to the side without heat and grill five more minutes on each side (steaks pictured were cooked 10 on each side since they were extra thick)

Enjoy!

Krazy for Kale

Lately I've been exploring healthier alternatives to some of the foods I love. I prefer savory over sweet and have a weakness for salt. I love chips... but they're not the healthiest thing to eat.

Enter... kale chips! Today I attempted my first batch for my Labor Day barbecue. Surprised how easy they were to make... and good! I've had them once, and thought I needed a dehydrator to make, but thanks to inspiration from a friend's Facebook post, I baked them!

I washed the kale leaves, ripped them into "potato chip" size pieces, removed the stalks, marinated with a bit of olive oil, sprinkled sea salt and laid them out over parchment paper. Baked them on 375 for about 15 minutes (or until they get crispy).

Pick a sauce to dunk them in, and while definitely not potato chips, they satisfy my salty snack craving and are pretty tasty!

Take a Bite Out of LudoBites 7.0

You’re not an LA foodie unless you claim one of the coveted seats at Chef Ludo Lefebvre's pop-up restaurant, LudoBites. Back for its seventh inning, Ludo took over Gram and Papa’s downtown for another whirlwind of a culinary evening. Reservations “sold out” within a few minutes and I was fortunate enough to grab a seat at dinner with some fellow foodies from work! We took an adventure through the *entire* menu and wow... what an experience!

Bouillabaise Milkshake

Jamaican Fried Chicken

Onion Tart, Bottarga

Prawn & Scallop Cerviche, Aji Amarillo, Red Berries

Squish, Ash Chorizo

Squish, Ash Chorizo

Raw Beef, Rainbow Carrots, Shallots, Red Wine Mayo

Plancha Tandoori Octopus, Yogurt, Cauliflower, Grapefruit

Pig's Head Compressed and Cheddar, Barbeque Gelee

Salt Cod Panna Cotta, Whipped Fingerling Potato, Smoked Tapioca

Egg, Sea Urchin, Caviar, Champagne Beurre Blanc

Duck, Cherry, Spicy Saucisse, Beets, Radish

Foie Gras "French Dim Sum," Crispy Kimchi, Black Truffle Cream

Epiosse Cheese Risotto, Hazelnut, Egg Yolk, Herb Salad

Salt Crust Pork Shoulder, Guiness Sabayon, Imaginary Choucroute, Green Cabbage, Curry

Lavender Tropezienne Tart, Aloe Vera, Strawberry

Chocolate Cake, Chipotle, Orange

Girls Gone Grillin'

Spent the weekend in Malibu at a condo overlooking the ocean that my friend is renting for the summer! Lucky girl, I know!!! Here's what happens when you mix some sun + girls + a grill!

Take a Peek at Picca

My only experience with Peruvian food is devouring the lomo saltado at El Pollo Inka on Hawthorne Blvd. in Torrance and drowning every perfectly marinated piece of beef in aji sauce. Ah... heaven.

Chef Ricardo Zarate takes it up a notch with his beautiful dishes full of bold flavors and textures at Picca, his new Peruvian Cantina in West Los Angeles.

pisco sour

seabass tiradito. thin slice sea bass, soy sauce, lemon dressing, sweet potato puree

choritos. steamed mussels, pancetta, aji amarillo butter

spicy tuna. tobiko, cucumbers

conchas a la parmesana. scallops, parmesan cheese, spinach, lemon sauce dressing

tomatoes. burrata, black mint pesto

Picca. Los Angeles, CA.