My work blog...

For all my peeps that are eagerly awaiting blogs on my foodie adventures, please read them on my work blog!

www.simple-gourmet.blogspot.com

I post there almost every day. And if it's not me that's posting, it's Taji or Mel but the blogs are always fabulous!

New York, New York

We're back. Exhausted, and back to a relatively normal life. We had the 3 most beautiful days ever - glorious sunny days, not too hot, not too cold. I didn't have very clear expectations of New York before we arrived. And I don't just mean actually in Manhattan - I didn't even realize that Manhattan was an island until I started plotting our restaurant destinations on a map! I know. It's embarrassing.

So I will say this: Sex in the City has a lot to answer for. It totally glamorized Manhattan. How is it that Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha always looked clean? Manhattan is not clean! Sure the streets are well kept, but after a day of touring around, I felt like I was coated in a layer of the city. I went into sensory overload - so much noise, so many people, all moving at such a rapid rate. Fortunately Wendy (a friend of Jet's) invited us out to her place at Long Island City in Queens which was a brief window into what inner city suburbia is all about. Calm, green, quiet and clean. The contrast was totally astonishing!

As a child, I used to watch the TV show Fame, religiously every week. I wanted to be on that show. But even though I desperately wanted to be in the show, I was turned off by the grimness of New York. I didn't think it was really like that, but in fact I just discovered that Fame is more real than Sex in the City! New York has the extremes of wealth and poverty, but it's also an island where tiny apartments sell for $2 million and rent for $3,000 plus per month. It's an island where struggling artists have to share these tiny apartments with 10 other people just to make ends meet. I can appreciate that Manhattan has everything one could ever want or need, but is it worth the sacrifice of one's privacy? Obviously millions of people think so.

Don't get me wrong - I loved my few days in NY. And I'd like to go back and enjoy the city at a more leisurely pace. It just made me realize that LA is my home. Even though I'm moving to Vegas. I know. It's a complicated situation.

So now I've covered my 'overview' of NY, I can move on to Leaving Los Angeles...

Living in Las Vegas...

Here is a fabulous quote from a local Las Vegas resident (and someone I know) about buying water from Northern Nevada:

"Oh we'll get it - we're bandits out here!"

I love it.

Cupcake Adventures Part 1 : Sprinkles

Today, even though I am proudly American, I’m going to play the foreign card. I grew up in Australia, and lived in England briefly before deciding to make Los Angeles my home. I’ve also seen quite a large chunk of the globe as traveling was almost a second career. However, until I lived in America, I had never understood the amazing phenomenon of The Cupcake.

Sure, cupcakes exist in other parts of the world – that’s not a surprise. It’s the zest in which Americans embrace the whole Cupcake Culture that is truly astonishing to me. I can even make quite a lengthy list of cupcake stores – which are simply stores that only sell cupcakes. And to my surprise some months ago, my colleagues were discussing which ones they preferred and why! I stood back in awe. I then discovered, when researching cupcakes on the internet, that Los Angeles is the second biggest cupcake city in the country.

So, in an attempt to embrace more American pop culture and understand more about where I have chosen to live, I too have started sampling cupcakes from different outlets in LA.

Presenting: Sprinkles!

This is actually my second foray into the world of cupcakes. I will revisit my first taste in a later blog when I can add a photo. So this is a dark chocolate cupcake from Sprinkles in Newport Beach and it was the first time my friends had been to a Sprinkles when there wasn’t a line out the door! Remember that people. 3pm on a Tuesday seems to be the magic hour. 

The Verdict... The frosting was very sweet and there was almost as much frosting as there was cake, which, for me is a little much. The cake was also quite soft and if you are going to load the cupcake with that much frosting, I would have preferred the cake a little firmer. It had a nice flavor though and overall I enjoyed my cupcake, but I will be able to compare more when I have tasted others.

There will be more cupcake adventures. Stay tuned.

This post can also be read at www.simple-gourmet.blogspot.com

The Quandary

I'm at a loss. This really doesn't happen that often either. I've been back from my holiday for some time now, and my plan was to continue blogging. But I discovered, on my return, that it's not as easy as I once assumed... I simply don't know what to blog about!

Although my travel blog was about travel, food and all-round adventure, finding that in my regular life has been a challenge, to say the least.  I don't have a lot of "adventure" in LA and I don't travel every weekend like I used to in Europe. But there is one thing. I eat. I'm not a foodie like those that can be found on chowhound or the like, but I like to try stuff, for lack of a better word. So that's what I'm going to do. I'll write about my food adventures!

But don't be mistaken - I am not a typical 'foodie' or even a critic. My intention is not to annihilate food joints with the pointy end of my pen! I'll write more from the human side, as this is a far more comfortable angle for me.

So there you have it. Keep your eyes peeled.

Life As I Know It

Photos by Jet Tila

For the first time in a long time, I have jetlag. And it's not the average kind that I used to get when traveling between England and Australia when I would wake up at 3:00 in the morning and then promptly go back to sleep. This is complete exhaustion where I simply can't stay awake any longer and fall sound asleep at 4.30 in the afternoon. I must be getting old.

These girls were on our city tour bus.

Not even the amazing sights of London could wake them.

I'm thinking jetlag.

I've come back to reality and it's really not bad at all. Perhaps my European adventure was a little premature in that I hadn't really let go of that nomadic life that I once led. Or maybe I just hadn't realized yet that I can actually apply my stellar navigation and planning skills that I once used to make 'traveling' my comfort zone, and applying them here - making LA my comfort zone. My home. My Santa Monica sanctuary!

I visited my Sensei who imparted some sage advice about life, and who was truly excited about the trinket I found for her at Portobello Road. She then sent me home for that afternoon nap I mentioned earlier, recognizing the glazed eyes, pale face and wan expression as exhaustion. And then I was to re-awaken and start putting into action all my ideas of jewelry and such like! So many ideas, so little time. Especially when you have jetlag.

St John

Photos by Jet Tila

As promised, the belated St John experience!

My expectation of St John was actually, embarrassingly, quite low. My impression of English food was not that good, even though I was always fed extremely well by my friends and family, and the foodie TV always looked appetizing and fabulous.

The anticipation of Taillevent (being a Michelin restaurant) was really built up, especially as they specify a dress code, and required a 2 month advance booking. So you can imagine my surprise when I actually sat down to the meal in London in jeans, then being served the most amazing array of food I think I have ever had.

We were joined by Jet's cousin Meg which was a lovely treat, and it also allowed us to try extra dishes as there were three of us rather than just two! And it allowed us to indulge once more in the familiar accent of home.

The restaurant seated us right by the kitchen, which would be hell for most other patrons, but for us, it allowed Jet to spy into the kitchen and watch the skilled chefs prepare everyone's meals. There was one particular chef that we watched with fascination. The intensity in which he prepared the salads for each dish was amazing. And if it's even possible, just seeing that made the food taste even better.

We started with:

 Roast Bone Marrow & Parsley Salad

Deep Fried Skate Cheeks & Aioli

Cured Beef, Beetroot & Pickled Walnut

Followed by:

Bath Chaps & Dandelion Salad

Pigeon & Radishes

Smoked Eel, Bacon & Mash

Then (as if we could fit any more in):

Apple Crumble & Custard

Ginger Loaf & Butterscotch Sauce

Chocolate Mousse & Hazelnut Biscuits

The meal was just so rich in taste, that even I, with my usually insatiable sweet tooth, couldn't finish off the desserts!

After dinner, we walked the long way back to the tube, said farewell to Meg (whom we will hopefully be seeing again soon) and made our way back to our digs, happy, full and exhausted.

The Departure Lounge

We are already at the airport, getting ready to leave Europe. How very, very sad! I have really loved being back here. Mainly because I do really miss having family around and being swept back into the bosom of the Family Markham. And also because the people here understand my accent! Just kidding...

We had an amazing few days in London. I truly expected that the weather in London would be rainy and horrible and the weather in Paris to be fabulous. Ironically it was the other way around and we had an almost totally dry 4 days in London! In Paris we had hail. Crazy.

We fast-tracked our visit to the London Eye which was the best investment of the century! From arrival time at the ticket office to actually stepping into the capsule, it could only have been about 3 minutes. Queues are for suckers!!!!!!

Our trip on the Eye was only marred by some other very loud tourists with children who were equally as loud. Then one of the parents dropped the baby which was probably as embarassing for everyone else as it was for them. It's times like that one realizes whether they are ready for children. I am clearly not.

So after a quick trip to Buckingham Palace where we cleverly made it in time for the Changing of the Guard, we cabbed it to Simpsons in the Strand where we indulged in an English Sunday Lunch. Jet had the Scottish Beef, while I had my first ever Beef Wellington. English food always seemed to scare me - not when I was eating with family, but when I was eating out. I think that even the idea the the Brits eating fare as appalling as blood sausage just put me off! However, as I was dining with a food officianado, I could get a full interpretation and knew what I was getting. Or did I? My Beef Wellington was surprisingly outstanding! So much so, that I have requested this very dish to be made for me back in LA. And of course, being the avid carnivore that he is, Jet has obliged.

Again, the meal we had on Saturday night at St John's deserves a post of its own. As does the amazing Gujrati meal we had with the Mehtas on Sunday night. They are coming soon. I promise!

London without a brolley (that's an umbrella...)

Photos by Jet Tila

My broken French that got us around Paris is not required anymore. However even though most people around me in London are speaking English, I still find myself thinking up sentences in French before I start speaking.

So lets return to Paris briefly...

We went to a show at the Moulin Rouge (at my insistence) in the evening after the amazing Taillevent lunch. As I have never seen a Vegas show or anything even remotely similar, I was shocked into silence once it kicked off! I expected nudity. Even some gaudy costumes. I even expected to be surprised. What I didn't expect was men. On the stage. Dancing like the Village People. Even just watching the female Moulin Rouge dancers parading around the stage in sexy jockey costumes with miniature horses in tow, really, has to be seen to be believed.

The best patisserie in the 9th!

We went up the Eiffel Tower, walked the Louvre (the Mona Lisa was actually larger than I remembered), went to the top of the Notre Dame (400-odd steps), walked around the Sacre Coeur, had my portrait done at Montmartre and ate enough French pastries for the next year. Ok, maybe 2 years...

Gargoyles on the top of the Notre Dame

I even got to catch up with my best friend from high school that I haven't seen in 12 years! She lives in Luxembourg and caught the train into Paris for a night. You know you have a good friend when 12 years pass and you can still talk to each other the same way you did when you were 17! It was like no time had elapsed and it was great.

Jet and his very large cafe au lait

So we said farewell to Paris (I was definitely more sad about this than Jet) and landed in London just an hour later.

This morning we went to the Tower of London to get some very serious English history and to see where Anne Boleyn got her head removed! We were shown around by a very entertaining Beefeater (Yeoman Warder) who actually also moonlights as a guide for the Jack the Ripper evening walking tours! Who knew that the nursery rhymes Humpty Dumpty and Mary Mary Quite Contrary were all references to very important English historical figures. I certainly didn't and was very impressed that these English rhymes had crossed oceans as both Jet and I had grown up with them in America and Australia respectively!

We had a mid-morning snack of fish & chips (which were surprisingly good), and then a late lunch at Wagamama which was better than Jet expected, and worse than I expected. It's a fast Asian food restaurant that has a lot of 'fusion' food, is GMO free and has communal seating. I then made a weary Jet hit the Harrods food hall which was great! We picked up some bits and pieces for dinner and made our way back to our hotel on the tube.

So right now, we are just catching our breath and catching up on emails and American Idol! Tomorrow we are going to the Notting Hill Farmers Market, dining at St John and I get to skive off and do some shopping in the afternoon. I will sign off now as Jet just insulted me by saying I am going to look like Neil Diamond's mother when I'm old. Bollocks to that!

Taillevent

Photos by Jet Tila

Dining at the one of the best restaurants in the world was an experience I will never forget. After making a reservation 2 months in advance, we then had to call the morning of our lunch reservation to confirm. From the time we were met by the doorman at the entrance, we were guided through to our seats by 3 different hosts with absolute precision.

The meal commenced with the famous Taillevent cheese puffs followed by breadrolls shaped like little pods of goodness, made to perfection and of course served with real French butter.


Although we were originally going to dine from the lunch menu, we decided to indulge in the tasting menu as it may be a while before we return to Paris. This is how it proceeded...

The amuse of cauliflower foam with shrimp infused ice cream
topped with a wee shrimp and green oil

Petits pois virtuels
A la Francaise

Royal d'asperges vertes de Provence
Infusion de morilles

Epeautre du pays Sault en risotto
Homard et curry

Bar de ligne poele
Compression de legumes safranes


Canard de la Dombes roti
Aux dragees et a Phydromel


Souffle glace de vieux Comte au Chateau Chalon


Fantaisie au fraises des bois


Creme gourmande au cafe
Glace au Marsala


... and finally...

...the lovely Petit Fours that we asked to take with us as we couldn't possibly fit another morsel in!

I will not be so presumptuous as to comment on the food other than to reveal which dishes I preferred however the whole experience - the service, the wine paring, the quality and the combination of dishes was incomparable from anything I have ever experience and tasted. All the desserts were amazing, but that would be my sweet tooth talking! The Royale d'asperges and Epeautre du pays dishes were my equal favorites, while Jet's were the same in addition to the Canard.

To be honest, I expected the staff to be a little snobby, but to my surprise, they were making jokes with us as they translated the menu, made conversation about where we were from, graciously allowed us to take a menu with us, and even offered to take a photo for us! There were 4 captains running the floor, and ours was by far the best and most charming. Each staff member wore ties of various colors, which showed their designation so it was clear who was running the show.

There was only one blip during this whole event, and that was the arrival of some diners who did not bother to adhere to the dress code of tie and jacket. Instead they turned up in jeans, trainers, t-shirts and tracksuit jackets. The staff did not seem to notice however, so I guess that makes me the snob in this instance!

After this amazing 3 hour lunch, we strolled the streets of Paris and made our way up to the Arc de Triomphe.

From Cambridge to Paris, the Start of the Super-Fast European Adventure

Photos by Jet Tila

Bonjour! We have made it to Paris, after surviving my driving in England. Apparently I drive much better on the left hand side which is thoroughly believable since I have been doing that for significantly longer than driving on the right! On arrival in Cambridge, we were quickly welcomed back into the Hagard family and fed one of my favorite English dishes, Coronation Chicken!

It is a very strange feeling to be a tourist in a city that you were once a resident... it's almost like groundhog day from when I first arrived in 2004! I even got sentimental about the baked potato stand that was once the major contributor toward making my clothes too small...

Other people punting on the River Cam (just so you get the idea)

We went punting on the river and got some Cambridge history under our belts, indulged in a Cornish Pasty, indulged further in a Chelsea Bun then hit the Asian market for some supplies for dinner. Jet prepared some Vietnamese rolls which my family demolished in record time, complimenting him on his prowess in the kitchen! But we knew that already... He had multiple sous chefs and even had me working and getting my hands dirty! I know that there is photographic evidence of this, however I don't have any at the moment. I'm sure it will appear in a history book sooner or later.

A Chelsea Bun

On Saturday we attended the party in Ely at the Riverside Inn and we caught up with my crazy and fabulous extended family! As the day came to an end, I realized how much I missed them all - even though I didn't see them that often while I lived in the UK. I guess I just knew they were there. We also organized to trade Indian & Thai recipes with the Mehta family when we are back in London!

After the party, we again hit the Asian market and Jet made some vegetarian dishes, while Miche prepared some haggis! Haggis is liver, kidney, heart and a bit of barley, cooked in a sheep's stomach and should be enjoyed with whiskey and a special haggis poem. We got to enjoy the whole package as Spencer produced not only whiskey, but the poem as well! After a dubious taste, I had to admit, that it was actually quite tasty.

Haggis!

We are just back from enjoying a tasting menu at Taillevent, however that demands a blog all of its own...

Matzo Ball Soup

Although I am completely resistant to most things Judaic, I cannot resist matzo ball soup.

This craving only comes about once year, and it happens whether I attend a seder or not. So last night, after I stayed at home with my dog, and did not attend a seder, I insisted that Jet take me out to Jerry's Deli for matzo ball soup at 10:30. Just as he arrived home from cooking a seder meal for one of his clients.

There are two kinds of mazto balls. Some camps decide that just one big ball is better, others think that several small ones are the way to go. It's a little like gall stones! I personally prefer the smaller ones, purely because that's what my friends' parents made and it has a certain familiarity to it. But really, it is completely dependent on who made them and how they were made.

Then you have the soup part. Do you add noodles to the chicken soup? Do you make it cloudy or clear? Do you leave the chicken pieces and the vegetables in? Everyone is different and everyone has their own secret to making the perfect soup. These secret recipes are passed down through families for generations. And every family believes that theirs is better.

Amazingly I can say that no-one in my family has ever made this traditional dish. I grew up eating it at everyone else's houses and actually, no-one in my family really liked matzo quite as much as I did anyway. I love it. I'd eat it all year if I could. Jet thinks it tastes as dry as the desert that the Jews were lost in.

So this is the week I get my matzo fix! And as I am eating it, I will recall happy memories of Passover dinners with the Smiths. Maybe this year I will find the aficomen and win my prize. Actually... I think I have already won.

My attempt at adding pictures...

I did it! I added a picture!

So here it is. My latest portrait... Daisy Mae Tila. Isn't she beautiful?

My first blog!

At the insistence of my Sensei, I've created a blog! Her reasoning was simply that I must get my art online, but whilst chewing on this idea, I had an epiphany. I can use it for everything! Down with Facebook and up with blogging!

My boyfriend Jet and I are going to Europe next week. Our first trip together out of the country. His first trip to Europe. And not only that, he gets to meet some of my family. As the eternal optimist and constant dreamer, I will say now, that I expect my blog to be filled with mirth... If not mirth, then Los Angeles, be worried!

With the US Dollar at an appalling low, we are just covering the obligatory sights and waiting until the next trip to do more extensive travel. I am keeping with Markham family tradition and cramming as much into a 2 week trip as earthly possible. Cambridge, Paris, London. In that order.

I've also had to bribe and coerce my friend and former colleague into looking after my impossibly naughty pooch for the time we are away. She also looked after Charlotte when I was in Australia just last month and said then that she couldn't have her again - she was just too bad! My unemployment situation changed her mind, and she took pity on me and my unruly pet, but I'm sending over the crate as reinforcement this time. No hunger strikes during Passover!

So that ends the news for my first blog. I have to work out how to post pictures as that was the original intention! I sometimes feel like my generation falls between the cracks of X & Y. Might I use a word made known to me by Abigail Adams and suggest that my generation is "hermaphroditical"?