Merci

Being a foreign student in college was not always the easiest thing. I was always the "kid" without family at all of our swim meets and functions. I always felt silly during our team's parents weekend when we did the whole stand-up-in-front-of-everyone-and-introduce-yourself-and-your-family bit. "I'm Nicolette, I'm from Singapore and I here alone."

That being said, I was always very fortunate to have many friends whose families "adopted" me and took me in, whether for a home-cooked meal, or hosting me over spring/Christmas break. As such, I am always on the search for the perfect hostess gift to show my gratitude to my "current" adoptive family. Flowers were great when it was a local dinner, but sometimes I had to board planes to get to my adoptive destination and flowers don't last. Household ware was always cute but hard to hit the nail on the head if you don't know the adoptive home's decoration theme. Cards after the fact were always a must, but I hated (and still do) showing up empty handed. So like I said, I am always on the hunt for the perfect hostess gift.

This set of vintage wooden blocks that spell out "Merci" are right on the money and a great way to say thanks! I love the mix of the shiny gilded letters and the bold pop of blue. The company that makes the blocks also offers personalized blocks, so you could also spell out the last name of your host family. Which ever route you choose, these charming wooden blocks would make a sweet addition to a desk, table or dresser of any hostess with the mostest.

Details:
Merci Set of Gilded Blocks
Cabin 7
$31.00

Father's Day Gift Ideas

1. steam punk FLYBACK OCTAGONE handmade watch, 2. Safe in my Father's hands sepia toned photograph, 3. Jatoba Inlay Cufflinks, 4. Softcover Warm Brown Leather Sketchbook.

Father's Day is a little under a month away and while some say it's too early for Father's Day to be on their radar, I beg to disagree. After all, I'm nothing if not prepared!

A Day in Malibu

Last Thursday was field trip day at work. As such, my entire office headed out to the Santa Monica Mountains in Malibu to visit the oft forgotten, if not ignored Malibu estates. Wines? Malibu? The Malibu that is home to movie stars, Bay Watch and gorgeous beaches? Yes, the very same Malibu. In fact, unbeknownst to me, Malibu is home to not 1 but 2 AVAs- Malibu Newton Canyon and and Saddle Rock.

Planned by the good people over at Malibu Family Wines, we spent the day tasting some fabulous wines and better still, got to meet the wonderful people behind the wines. It was such a treat to see the camaraderie between the small community of Malibu vintners, and I want to thank each and every one of them for making our office outing so enjoyable.

Left to Right: Allison, my immediate boss lady; Andy, Big Boss Man; Neil, Director of Rosenthal; Moi and Emily, our lovely office manager.

To begin the day, we were picked up from our office in a black fancy SUV Escalade, (yup, we received the rock star treatment). Our first stop was the Rosenthal Tasting Room situated right along the Pacific Coast Highway. There we met with Neil McNally, director of the company, and tasted some of their estate wines as well as their surfrider red. Despite the fact that I spat, it was wa-ay too early in the morning for my poor system to have any alcohol come near it.

From the Rosenthal Tasting Room, we headed to Church Estate Vineyards. Initially a substance abuse center, owner Bob Church Haggstrom completely transformed this property to look like something straight out of a Monet or Renoir painting. From the 500-foot-long running stream with waterfalls that culminate in a lake system, to the rustic boathouse that sits idyllically by the lake, to the imported sycamores and pepper trees that line winding stone pathways; the breath-taking estate has played host to some very beautiful weddings (including Fergie and Josh Duhamel).

Bridge under which sits the stream


The Lake-- Check out the Imported Black and White Swans!


The Lake side boathouse that houses it's own fireplace, plush lounging area, and patio seating with a romantic view of the lake.


Duckies!

The main house on the estate is a Normandy-style French Chateau that comes complete with a gorgeous 4,000 bottle cherry wood wine cellar with 2,000 year old flooring from 1st Century Cypress; a custom designed envy-evoking kitchen with a wood fire pizza oven, La Cornue rotisserie and La Cornue range; and a beautiful deck that overlooks the enchanting gardens and lake. While I appreciated the grandeur of the house, the whole French Chateau thing has a touch too much pomp for me and thus, you get no interior pictures. However, below are more pictures of the vines- the whole reason we where there in the first place.

About 9 acres of the estate are under vine, offering both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes.

Pinot Noir Vines


Chardonnay Vines


Horses, horse stables and a romantic carriage house retreat add to the charm of the property.

While at Church Estate, we also tasted their 2007 Pinot Noir, one of my favorite wines we tasted that day.

Up next, we headed to the Malibu Wines Tasting Room to meet, lunch and taste with the Semler Family, owners of Malibu Family Wines, and their winemaking team. The Malibu Wines Tasting Room is a beautiful outdoor facility located off of Mullholland Highway. With a gorgeous manicured lawn, picnic tables and the added bonus of live music during summer months, I can see myself packing a picnic basket and heading up there to enjoy some tunes and some Malibu wines one summer evening.

Malibu Wines Tasting Room




Chefs Kristine & Chris Bocchino of Cal-Fresco Food Truck.

A recent addition to the Tasting Room is the presence of the Cal-Fresco Food Truck, featuring chefs Chris and Kristine Bocchino's delicate but oh so delicious offerings. For lunch, we were served a roasted beet salad with honey goat cheese and candied walnuts, salmon topped with avocado puree, 3 cheese truffle mac and cheese and short rib tacos. The salmon, while simple, was seriously perfectly cooked and the flavors were clean and spot on. Meanwhile, that mac and cheese... oh that mac and cheese. I'm actually not a fan of mac and cheese but Cal-Fresco's version of the dish was just the perfect blend of cheeses and had the most beautiful crust on top... I went back for seconds. The short rib taco was just okay- a little dry and in need of some flavor.

Over lunch, we also tasted/drank some beautiful Semler and Saddlerock wines (part of the Malibu Family Wines), some of which were still barrel samples. Such a treat!

Turtle Rock- One of the many unusual rock formations found on the ranch.

After lunch, Ron Semler, head of the Semler household, took us around the 1,000 acre Saddlerock Ranch-- home to Malibu Family Wines. With planting starting in 1997, the vineyards at Saddlerock Ranch have grown from a mere 14 acres to about 65 acres and counting. Besides the vineyards, Saddlerock Ranch is also home to many unique animals, including zebras, camels, buffalo and emus; a fully restored 1950s themed trailer park; a buggy and car barn full of exotic antique buggies and cars; and the Semler family themselves. What I loved most about the Ranch is the balance between the Ranch being a place of "business" and a family residence. Peppered with life sized bronze statues of the Semler kids, sightings of a Semler kid or grandkid running around in all odd corners of the property is a daily occurrence.

A 1905 Darracq- There are only 3 in existence, the other two are in museums in Paris & Geneva.
If I knew cars, I guess this would be cool?

Buggy used in filming of the TV series Little House on the Prairie aka my favorite childhood book series of all time!


The original buggy used in Gone with the Wind- Best movie ever!!!


Ron's key collection wall inside the car barn


One of the trailers in the 1950s trailer park


Tami Semler with the 2 hr old baby Camel that was born while we were visiting the Ranch

From Saddlerock Ranch, we moved onto SIP Cielo Malibu Wine Bar to taste some of the Cielo wines with Bill Hirsh, director of Cielo wines. There, we did a vertical tasting of Cielo's Syrahs from 2005 to the current 2009 vintage. While I've set up many vertical tastings in my time, I've never really had the opportunity to sit down and actually taste through an entire flight. It was definitely interesting to see (well taste) how a wine changes from vintage to vintage. My favorite was the 2006.

From Left to Right: Jim Palmer, Malibu Vineyards; Bob Haggestrom, Church Estate Vineyards; Emilio Estevez, Casa Dumetz; Sonja Magdevski, Casa Dumetz; Don Schmitz, Malibu Solstice Vineyards; Kathryn Hagopian, Stillpoint Vineyard; Anthony Dias Blue, Tasting Panel Magazine; Charles Schetter, Sanity Wines; Carol Hoyt, Hoyt Family Vineyards; Kevin Bening, Malibu Family Wines; Michael Barnes, Republic of Malibu; and Tim Skogstrom, Cornell Tasting Room.

And finally, already 2 hours behind schedule, we headed to the Cornell Tasting Room where we met with more Malibu vintners who do not have their own tasting rooms. Each vintner brought a bottle of their best for Andy to taste (ala Bottle Shock scene in Sonoma) and it was interesting to hear the stories behind each individual vintner and their respective vineyard.

After the formal tasting, it was time from some good grub and socializing. A beautiful way to end the day! And yes, your eyes do not deceive, that is Emilio Estevez. "QUACK!"

Comme Ça

As much as I have a love/hate relationship with my birthday, I do have a habit of prolonging my birthday celebrations (and apparently prolonging posting about them too ;D ). Although I already had a birthday dinner at The Little Owl while in New York, I wanted to do a dinner with my LA friends, my LA family.

After many rescheduled attempts and relocations (Thanks for putting up with my undecided-ness ladies!), my friends and I ended up at Comme Ça on a random Monday night in May!

Opened by famed chef/owner David Myers, this French brasserie has long been on my "To Eat At" list. With an "oh-la-la" palette of black and white, the dining room at Comme Ça is clean and modern. White tufted leather banquettes line the muted-grey walls, while framed mirrors of different shapes and sizes adorn them. Despite the sophisticated decor, Comme Ça still holds true to the relaxing atmosphere of a brasserie.

For my appetizer, I ordered the roasted beef bone marrow and oxtail jam with toast and fleur de sel. Gooey and smooth, the decadent bone marrow was entirely saturated with buttery richness, I could feel my arteries clogging up with each bite I took. While a small pile of fleur de sel sat at the edge of this plate, it was not needed; the oxtail jam was salty salty salty. Truth be told, while I wanted to like it, this dish was a little too heavy for my palate. I felt like I had basically ordered a heart attack on a plate to start my meal.

One of the reasons I have been dying to eat at Comme Ça is because I've heard great things about their burger. I mean back in 2007, Jonathan Gold claimed it was the best cheeseburger he's ever tasted!

Made with certified angus beef and topped with cheddar cheese, the burger comes dressed with a slaw-like sauce made with a combination of lettuce and onions. Despite the hype about the burger, I don't think it would make my top 5 burger list. It wasn't that it was bad, it's just that it wasn't great. The patty itself was not impressive, a little tough and over done in spite of my order of medium-rare. In addition to a massive patty, the burger was served with a fluffy bun, so it was tricky to get a uniform bite. The comme Ça burger's saving grace was really the slaw-stuff on the top, of which they served sparingly.

To keep with the birthday rhubarb theme (see Little Owl post), I thought I would order the same thing at Comme Ça. Now, this is how one treats the seasonal rhubarb! With the perfect balance of sweet and sour, Comme Ça's rhubarb tart ran laps around The Little Owl's. The tartness of the rhubarb in this tart was allowed to sing beautifully, while the pastry on this tart was crumbly and crisp at the same time. Although I cannot recall what kind of ice cream or sorbet topped this tart, it really was icing on the cake!

Details:
Comme Ça
8479 Melrose Avenue
West Hollywood, CA 90069
323-782-1104

The Little Owl

For my birthday...Okay, okay, I know that my birthday was um exactly a month ago and it's slightly untimely that I'm only now getting round to sharing... But hey, better late than never!

Anyhooo, where was I? Right...For my birthday, I made dinner reservations for my friends and I to dine at The Little Owl.

Nestled on a quiet corner in Greenwich Village, The Little Owl does a beautiful job of capturing the spirit of neighborhood dining in NYC- warm and welcoming. With wooden-paneled floors and a ceiling made from antique stamped tin, the restaurant's unassuming size (about 10 tables) could either be interpreted as cozy or suffocating, depending on what mood you're in.

Upon being seated in a cozy corner booth, we were served bubbly --compliments of the chef/owner Joey Campanaro (My boss knows Chef Campanaro and told him we were coming in). Because it was my birthday, I was in a joyous mood. But on the other hand, I was dealing with a wine-stuck-in-France-thank-you-very-much-Eyjafjallajokull situation, so I was very anxious. I guess you could say that the bubbly was much appreciated :)

For starters, I considered ordering The Little Owl's famed meatball sliders made from a variety of meats including pork, beef and veal. However, the guilt from the weekend of over-indulgence was overwhelming and I ended up with the lobster soup with lobster chunks and chives (how this is a healthier option I do not know). The lobster chunks were fresh and succulent, but the soup itself was a tad on the heavy side and almost overpowered the taste of the lobster chunks. I should know by now that I should always stick with my first instinct.

For my main course, I ordered the crispy chicken with asparagus home fries, lemon, sherry and dijon. Usually, I am not one to order chicken at a restaurant, but for some reason, fried chicken sounded amazingly comforting... and comfort was what I was seeking! My crispy chicken tasted like fine-dining's answer to fried chicken. The meat was juicy and flavorful, and the skin on top was perfectly salty and delectably crispy. Additionally, the accompanying asparagus and potatoes were well-cooked and seasoned. My one complaint about the dish is that it starts out strong but sort of peters out as you finish up -- I loved my first couple of bites but somehow wasn't wowed as I continued eating.

And for dessert, my friends and I split the chocolate tort cake with vanilla ice cream...

and the rhubarb crisp with mascarpone sorbet. The chocolate torte cake was more of a lava chocolate cake and I truly dislike false "advertising". Moreover, it was a little dry for my liking. As for the rhubard crisp, it was a great combination of hot and cold but in my opinion had too much sugar, which masked the sour taste of the rhubarb. I will say though that the mascarpone sorbet was delicious and added a lovely finishing touch to the plate.

Details:
The Little Owl
90 Bedford Street
New York, NY 10014
212-741-4695

The Way I Travel: New York

At the request of my dear sister-in-law Sarah, here are a few more shots from my trip to New York.

I was so captivated by the escape ladders on the outside of the buildings.

It really is a picturesque city.

We also walked by a random flower patch. I think it was the NYU something something garden?

The New York skyline, showing the Manhattan Bridge and Empire State Building.

Okay just kidding! Just wanted to check that you were paying attention! The last picture is not my own work, but rather the work of Irene Suchocki. Check out her store on Etsy, she has the most gorgeous fine art photography.

Happy Monday!

Chocolate Delights in New York

My original plan for my birthday in New York was to do a dessert crawl of some sort. However, things changed and I never got round to doing it. But, I did make up for the non-existent dessert crawl by making a couple of stops at 2 Chocolatier shops while in New York.

First up, Chocolate Pizza from Max Brenner. The first time I'd ever heard about this chocolate pizza was when Aaron Sanchez mentioned it in a pizza-themed The Best Thing I Ever Ate. There is something about watching a foodie/chef talk about their favorite food that mesmorizes me and get those salivary glands going. Yeah, I desperately wanted to try this pizza.

Made with white chocolate, milk chocolate and lightly-toasted marshmallows in place of cheese, this pizza is a real sugar rush. The chewy, fresh marshmallows were sprinkled generously over the sweet chocolate base, with chunks of slightly-melted chocolate dispersed throughout. While the toppings of this pizza sang sweetly to me, the pie itself was a sore spot. Although the pie was made with real pizza dough, I was not impressed with the hard piece of cardboard that supported the above sugar overload. It tasted like it had been made hours before and had a dense quality to it. Perhaps had this chocolate pizza been made fresh, I would not have to accuse Aaron Sanchez of tricking me! This was not the best pizza I ever had.

Up next, was a visit to Jacques Torres for some hot chocolate. Wicked Hot Chocolate to be more exact- hot chocolate with a hint of Ancho and Chipotle peppers. After a stressful day of touring NYC with French winemakers and producers, nothing sounded quite as lovely as a steaming cup of hot chocolate.

The combination of the Ancho and Chipotle peppers in the hot chocolate made for a feisty drink. The chocolate had a deep bitter quality to it and I adored the heat of the peppers hitting the back of my throat. I swoon. But as good as the Wicked Hot Chocolate was, I will say that I did get a chocolate overdose by the last drop of my small cup.

Oh! And did I mentioned that Mr. Torres, Mr. Chocolate himself was in his store while I was there? Cool beans huh? (Sorry, I apparently get star struck with chefs!?)


Details:
Max Brenner
841 Broadway
New York, NY 10003
212-388-0030

Jacques Torres Chocolates
350 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
212-414-2462

Public

While in New York, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to catch up with an old high school friend from Orange County whom I lost touch with after we went our separate ways for college. We made plans to brunch at Public.

Set along a tree-lined street in Nolita (North of Little Italy- look at me with my New Yorker lingo!!), Public comes complete with irreverent decor- public buildings are the inspiration for the industrial aesthetic. Raw exposed brick, sleek industrial lighting, and nook and cranny seating set the scene at this downtown industrial chic restaurant. Designed and branded by the James Beard Award winning team at AvroKO, Public was recently awarded a Michelin Star in 2010. And, if you are an avid fan of Iron Chef America, you might have recognize Public's Executive chef Brad Farmerie from "kitchen battle" "maple syrup" or as a Iron Chef hopeful from Next Iron Chef America.

Failing to make reservations, my dining party was ushered into Public's sister space and wine bar, Monday Room, to wait for our table. Sexy leather banquettes to perch my behind, free ice tea to quench my thirst and good conversation with my old high school friend made our wait go by swiftly.

Upon being seated, we were served small bites of apricot scones. Sweet and doughy, these scones were moist but a little too buttery for my liking. I would have preferred if the scones were warm out of the oven but since they were complimentary, who was I to complain.

The brunch menu at Public is interesting with a wide array of global choices ranging from lamingtons to Irish breakfast to ginger spiced lychee french toast. After a rave recommendation from our server, I ordered the Turkish Eggs-poached eggs a top Greek yogurt with kirmizi biber (a common Turkish spice made of crushed peppers that are rubbed in oil and often roasted) butter.

Now I know from the picture this dish looks a little weird maybe even questionable (I mean the French couple sitting at the next table could not help but stare incessantly at my meal when it arrived in front of me) but let me tell you, this was one of the most delightful and unusual dishes I've had in a while.

The poached eggs that come buried in a soupy mess of Greek yogurt and topped with the kirmizi biber sauce reminded me of good hummus, the way it’s served in middle eastern restaurants, with a sizeable well for olive oil and spices. On smell alone, the sweet aroma of the kirmizi biber is intoxicating, but the flavors... oh...The tartness of the yogurt balances the mild, smoky spice from the kirmizi biber, while the butter adds a sweetness that complements the richness of the runny yolks. For egg lovers, it’s a must-try. My only complaint is that my eggs were a little over-poached and the yolks could have been runnier.

Details:
Public
210 Elizabeth Street
New York, NY 10012
212-343-7011

Momofuku Noodle Bar & Milk Bar

Having already read David Chang and Peter Meehan's Momofuku cook book from cover to cover, my visit to the Momofuku chain of eateries was the gastronomical highlight of my New York trip.

After a long day out in the City, my friends and I were craving a hot soupy-type of a meal for dinner. Our initial thought was to cook our own bouillabaisse from scratch (what were we thinking? It was already 7pm and we thought we could make seafood stock from scratch?!?!), but after facing facts, we settled on getting some soupy Asian goodness in the form of Momofuku Noodle bar.

Arriving at the Noodle Bar past 9pm, we were told the wait would be an hour. *sigh* I hate waiting for food. However, I was determined to not be deterred by the hour long wait time, so I suggested that we pay the Milk Bar (which was a block or so away from the noodle bar) a visit and do dessert before dinner.

At the Milk Bar, we ordered a Carrot Cake soft serve and a Milk Cereal soft serve. The Carrot Cake soft serve really tasted like well... carrot cake with a hint of the warm spices. But as yummy as the Carrot Cake soft serve was, the Milk Cereal was by far my favorite flavor (they also had Red Velvet (too sweet) and Cream Cheese Frosting (too sweet again, but very authentic!)). The milk cereal reminded me of Horlicks, but obviously a more gourmet version of that. The one thing I will say is that the Milk Bar's soft serves were a little too rich for my liking. I guess I'm used to tart fruit flavors of frozen yogurt and the rich creamy soft serve was a tad overwhelming for my biased taste buds.

At the Milk Bar, we also ordered a Compost cookie made with pretzels, potato chips, coffee, oats, butterscotch and chocolate chips; a Blueberry cookie with dried blueberries and milk crumbs; and Cornflake Chocolate Chip Marshmallow cookie. The Blueberry cookie and the Cornflake Chocolate Chip Marshmallow cookie were good cookies, but nothing too extraordinary. The Compost cookie on the other hand, I have to take my hat off to. The saltiness of the potato chips and pretzels really played well with the sweetness of the chocolate chips. Meanwhile, the coffee grinds really were a spectacular and genius addition to the cookie, adding the right amount of smokiness to the flavor profile.

After pigging out on desserts, we headed back to the Noodle bar for our main meal. I have to first add that the hostess at the Noodle bar was exceptionally rude and grumpy with my friends and I. Trust me, we did nothing to deserve that treatment. But I was having such a good time with my friends that a grump-butt did nothing to spoil my mood.

Because we were at Momofuku, there was no way we could visit and not get the steamed pork buns. Even though Momofuku is sort of famous for their steamed pork buns, I did not have very high expectations of them. After all, the momofuku steam buns are not exactly an original idea, but just their version of a pretty common Asian food formula: steam buns + delicious meat = Mm-mm-good. The steam buns or mantous were lovely but for some reason, the pork belly seemed to be missing the unctuous, fall-off-the-bone lusciousness that I expected. However, I will say that the pickled cucumbers added a fresh snap to the steamed pork buns.

My friends and I also split an order of smoked chicken wings with pickled chili, garlic and scallions. While I appreciate that the process of making these smoked chicken wings is not exactly a throw-in-a-pan-and-fry type situation, I don't think these were particularly special. My favorite thing on this plate were the pickled chili- apparently I am a fan of the pickling process at Momofuku.

And lastly, for my main dish, I ordered the Momofuku ramen aka the whole reason we went to Momofuku Noodle Bar in the first place. A typical ramen usually consist of broth, noodles, meat, toppings and garnishes. Momofuku's ramen was no different, with pork belly, pork shoulder, a poached egg, bamboo shoots or menma, naruto or fishcakes and nori.

To me, what makes a kick ass bowl of ramen is the broth. It needs to be served at the right temperature (right under boiling), with the right amount of tare for depth, salt for roundness and mirin for sweetness. Unfortunately, the ramen broth at momofuku was a little too salty for me. I blame their addition of bacon to the usual pig bones and seaweed combination for this unnecessary saltiness.

Because ramen usually comes with a hard-boiled egg, I will give Momofuku's ramen bonus points for their poached egg. It was lovely to poke the egg with my chopsticks and watch as the yolk ozzed out into the broth. MMmmmm...

Despite the all too salty broth, Momofuku's Ramen was still rather tasty and comforting. However, nothing beats the original ramen roadside stands in Fukoka, Japan; where you are served steaming bowls of ramen noodles after a night out of partying. Ahhhh... good memories.

Details:
Momofuku Milk Bar
207 2nd Avenue
New York, NY 10003

Momofuku Noodle Bar
171 1st Avenue
New York, NY 10003