GJelina on Abbot Kinney

My hand chopped lamb burger was grilled to one’s liking, sandwiched between arugula, a slightly spicy herbal seasoned red sauce, and pain rustic was to die for. The skinny fries are lightly seasoned with herbal sea salt cooked to perfection, my standard, of course. I have visited Gjelina twice so far, the service is consistently impeccable yet very friendly and casual cool. The décor is arty Italian country modern with lots of aged wood, table and floor. We love the clear light bulb chandelier above the bar! The space is airy, comfortable, and it just always offers a delightful dining experience.

GJelina
1429 Abbot Kinney Blvd
Venice, CA 90291
(310) 450-1429

Cafe Ugo in Culver City

What I love about this place is the tasting room with automatic wine tasting stations. You can taste as many or as little wine from the tasting station as you like. The ambiance is cozy, relaxing and casual. The food was OK on the tasting room side. A great place to hang out, try some new flavors and you don't have to shout to have the conversation.

Perfect Herring

I am crazy about fish roes. These elegantly shaped herring roes can be found in most of Japanese markets in southern California. They are perfect when you feel the need to challenge your palate with an extraordinary crunchy texture.



Recipe

Roe Dressing
Caper, a few
Parsley, few leaves, finely chopped
Paprika, a dash
Olive oil, about 2 tablespoons or as desired
Zest of lemon

For Salad:
Micro greens, as desired

Salad Dressing:
Olive oil, about 2 tablespoons or as desired
Muscat vinegar, a few drops
Freshly ground sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Soak the roes in water for ½ day. The ones in the Japanese market will require at least ½ day of soaking.

Mix the roes and the salad dressing separately then set them aside.

Sauté the roes in butter and olive oil in a large pan until brown and fully cooked. Make sure not to over cook the roe or it will be tough.

Place the cooked roe in a serving plate. Drip the dressing over the roe for taste and presentation. Arrange salad next to the roe, pour over the salad dressing and serve.

Sexiest Carrot

Thanks to the local farmer's market and the heirloom culture, we now can get carrots in fun shapes, vibrant colors with uncompromising flavors. Not only they are sexy looking and fun to cook, once you bite into them, they will change your mind about how carrots shall taste.

Roasted Chestnut

Roasted chestnuts remind me of the flea market at Porte de Clignancourt in Paris. As a student living in Paris, going there on a Sunday morning to meet my fellow fashion classmates for extra dose of inspiration was a ritual. As you exit the metro station and walk toward to the flea market, you will smell the wonderful roasted chestnut aroma from the street vendors, the smell of streets of Paris, of Christmas.

At home, we set our campfire iron griddle on top of the stove and roast them until they turn browned to those lovely colors.

Black Truffle Omelette

One of the most precious findings at Santa Monica 3rd Street farmer’s market are those incredible black truffles. They are the best in all sizes at the beginning of the season. Pick only the larger ones toward to the end as the aroma becomes less intense.







1. Cut thin slices in desired amount.



2. Beat the eggs (with desired quantity) for a few seconds, add sliced truffle, pinch of salt and creme fraiche.

3. Gently mix in the latter two ingredients. Leave the cream lumps, they taste heavenly after they are cooked. They give the omelette a sweet and creamy texture when you have it in your mouth.



4. Heat up the frying pan with medium heat, when the pan starts to get hot, add butter. Make sure the butter is foamy yet the pan is not too hot or it will burn the butter.

5. Pour in the mixture.

6. Turn the heat to low until no liquid appears on the top surface.

7. Remove from pan and serve.

Grapely Piggy

I love autumn in Germany. During my first visit, my German husband introduced me to all the wonderful mouthwatering local dishes composed with ingredients from the harvest and hunting trophies. Wild boar is one of my favorites. Since wild boar is not easily accessible for the most of us, it is substituted here with farmed pig.






This dish takes about 20 minutes to prepare.



2 to 3 Small carrots, coarsely chopped.
I love different colored heirloom carrots from the local farmer’s market. They are fun to cook and have incredible flavors.

Green Onion, 1 stalk, coarsely chopped.
1 bay leaf
2 or 3 springs of thyme

1 cup chicken stock

Pork loin chop
Trim the excess fat off as shown above. Pound the filet to tenderize the meat.





1. Heat iron pan with high heat. When the pan is hot, add olive oil, once the oil is hot, put the pork filet in the pan.
2. Season Salt and pepper on both sides of pork filet. Cook until brown.
3. Remove pork filets from pan and keep them warm in the oven.
4. Put the trimmed pieces in the pan, add vegetable, bay leaf and thyme until the sauce reduce to almost dry.





5. Add chicken stock and bring to boil. Remove the trimmed fat pieces from pan.
6. Add crème fraiche and mixed in well.





7. Bring to boil once again and add grapes. Cook until the sauce is reduced and become thick.
8. Remove pork filet from oven to a clean plate, pour sauce over it and serve.