24 Jan 2012
by scolgin
in Eating Out, Observations
Tags: Chinatown, Chinese cuisine, Chinese New Year, dim sum, kung pao, los angeles, Peking duck, Superior Poultry, Topanga, Year of the Dragon
On Chinese New Year, I always wish that we had a Chinatown in our town. I don’t mean in Los Angeles, where there are several large and thriving Chinese communities — all an hour or more drive away. I mean in our little beachy, mountainy community of Topanga Canyon. The entire of our one-stoplight village is itself no bigger than the most modest 3rd-tier middle-American city’s Chinatown. But it would be cool to have a tea-and-dumpling house, a market and a crappy chotchke shop. I know a couple people in the canyon of Chinese descent, so I guess that’ll have to do.
Chinese immigrants in the New World
I like ethnic celebrations, and if I lived in New York or San Francisco on this Chinese New Year, I would hop a subway or cable car, go unwrap some sticky rice and watch a parade. More
17 Jan 2012
by scolgin
in Eating Out, Observations, On the Road
Tags: Camping, Cholada, Duke's, Joshua Tree, Leo Carillo, Malibu, Reel Inn, saltimbocca, Topanga
Willa breakfasting at the camp site
The other night I went camping.
My son belongs to a Cub Scouts troop who go camping with alarming regularity. I try to be a good scouting father, and make a few of the trips a year. Even though camping is not really in my DNA. I’m more of a hotel/resort guy. I’m overwhelmed by the amount of gear you need to bring, the logistics of set up and break down. I’m not crazy about dirt and dust, and I like warm showers and soft beds. More
10 Jan 2012
by scolgin
in Cooking Tips, Observations
Tags: Buddhism, el Bulli, Ferran Adria, hara hachi bunme, japanese, obesity, portions, sashimi, seasonal cooking
“When the crew at el Bulli sees a tree, it is only a tree. The Japanese, however, see more than just a tree. A very small part of that vision is what we try to incorporate at el Bulli. It is not science, but Japanese cuisine that has had the most influence on el Bulli…”
— Ferran Adria
I write a lot about the Japanese. And I cook a lot of Japanese food. The Japanese aesthetic in regard to food is in many ways the strongest influence in my own cooking, whether I’m doing Japanese or something else. But especially when I’m being creative and coming up with my own dishes, free of regional influences. It is then that the lessons of the Japanese are most obvious in my food. More
06 Jan 2012
by scolgin
in American Series, Good Gadget, Bad Gadget, Observations
Tags: Buffalo wings, corn, garlic, Guatemala, Kikkoman, kitchen gadgets, Korean fried chicken, Norwegian Seafood Council
Welcome to the third season of Skinny Girls & Mayonnaise!
(I like to think of my blog like a TV show, in the event that some enterprising producer out there decides to offer me a cooking show.)
“Brought to you by the good people at Kikkoman Soy Sauce. And by the Norwegian Seafood Council.” (I’m a PBS guy.)
We’ve got a great year ahead, folks, with all sorts of interesting things planned…
Corn butterer
Actually, I’ve got nothing in particular planned. I typically jot down ideas as they occur to me (much like this one, and I currently have no idea where this is going). More
03 Jan 2012
by scolgin
in Observations
Tags: 2011, caviar, duck, Hawaiian tuna, Kobe beef, langoustine, New Year's Eve, sea urchin, short rib, truffles
With the end of the year comes our annual New Year’s Eve dinner party. The guest list is small — the same handful of friends each year, going on a decade or so, with the occasional inclusion of new faces if anyone gets sick, moves or goes through a divorce.
Menu and mise en place.
We set the table with proper linens, light candles, print out menus and put out the champagne flutes. The kids get to stay up late. More
Previous Older Entries Next Newer Entries
skinny girls & mayonnaise 