Pizzeria Mozza - Late to the Pizza Party

Photo courtesy of men.style.com

It's not that I object to the word "foodie," but I don't like to call myself one.

And here's why. Real foodies have been worshipping at the twin altars of Mozza Osteria and Pizzeria Mozza (the Nancy Silverton, Mario Batali, Joseph Bastianich restaurants) since they opened in November 2006.

I, on the other hand, ate at Pizzeria Mozza for the first time on Tuesday.

Here are a few of my observations:

- I was surprised at the number of young children at both restaurants. The parents of a six-year-old boy told me that their son's birthday dinner request was Mozza Osteria. He's a huge Mario Batali fan. When the waiter asked him if he wanted penne pasta with butter, he responded, "No, I'd like the lamb chops, medium rare." Instead of the Chuck E. Cheese motto, "Where a kid can be a kid," the slogan could be, "Where a kid can be a snob."

- I tried the bone marrow appetizer, and I don't get it. But I don't get pork belly either. Maybe it's because I was forced to eat fat as a child; I got in "trouble" when I carefully cut the fat off my pork chops. My dad (the one who chastised me) would no doubt suck the fat right out of those marrow bones (as one man at our table did). But he'd scoff at the price.

- They had a ramps (wild leek) pizza! I just wrote about ramps, so I was delighted to sample this hillbilly delicacy on my pizza. Now this I get, even though the taste was milder and less pungent than the ramps of my childhood in West Virginia. The ramps pizza, only available until the end of June, is also topped with pancetta, English peas and panna for $18. I MUST return before the end of the month.

- My other new favorite thing is the pizza with fried egg and asparagus. I could eat this every day.

- You won't find any pizza crust graveyards - those embarrassing piles of uneaten, inedible, doughy crust edges. Mozza's rims of charred bubbles are crisp and chewy and entirely edible. If I saw an uneaten one on someone's plate, I might even mutter, "You gonna' eat that?"

- Our group of seven had reservations, but it would have been fairly easy for a group of four to grab seats at the bar after a 15-minute wait. And, by the way, if you're going with a group, six is a perfect number because that's how many slices per pizza. We were a little relieved that the seventh person in our group was a no-show.

- It only took 25 minutes to drive from Altadena to Melrose in rush-hour traffic. It's taken me longer to drive to Alhambra for a banh mi.

- A foodie photographer in our group took flash photos of all 11 dishes, and it was very annoying. That's why I don't have any photos with this post and why I seldom write about restaurants. Please rip the camera from my hands if I ever annoy you with picture taking. Or, being the sensitive type, your disapproving look would wilt me faster than wild ramps on a hot skillet.

- The place is small - so small that there's nowhere to stand while you're waiting for your table. Don't you hate that? No matter where you go, you're in someone's way.

- I've read Yelp complaints about poor service, but our wait staff couldn't have been nicer or more attentive.

Pizzeria Mozza
641 N. Highland Ave.
Los Angeles, CA
323-297-0101
www.mozza-la.com

Torn Between Two Blogs and a Treat from Celebrating with Julienne

Graham Cracker Chewy Bars - A Julienne Favorite

I once lived in an apartment in Hollywood, next door to an amorous Chilean woman who had two lovers. One, apparently, knew about the other, and one thought he was the one and only. I know this because I frequently provided an escape route to "the other" through our adjoining balconies. (My neighbor thanked me by introducing me to Rincon Chileno, a Chilean restaurant on the seedy side of Melrose.)

I've never experienced this dilemma in life, but sometimes I feel that way with my two blogs. "Two blogs?" some may gasp. You may have thought Open Mouth, Insert Fork was the "one and only." Readers of my other blog, Cancer Banter, are well aware of my food blog. Heck, I even invite them to "sneak over the balcony" and visit Open Mouth, Insert Fork.

Up until now, there really wasn't any reason for me to tell you about Cancer Banter. But now I'm ready to share because I feel like I'm experiencing the ultimate convergence between the two blogs (a chance meeting in the hallway?).

Susan Campoy, owner of Julienne and author of Celebrating with Julienne, died of cancer in May, and I wrote a tribute to her at Cancer Banter. We shared more than a love of food; we also shared the same doctor at the same cancer center, City of Hope.

I have an appointment at the City of Hope this afternoon, and since I am feeling so good, I decided to make Julienne's Graham Cracker Chewy Bars to share with my doctor and staff.

Raising the bar

This recipe recently appeared in the LA Times Food Section's "Culinary SOS," where readers request their favorite recipes. The recipe, along with a brief story about its origin, also appears in the Celebrating with Julienne cookbook. (There's not a photo of the bars in the book, so it's nice to see the pic with the LA Times article.)

Graham Cracker Chewy Bars

Total time: 45 minutes, plus cooling time

Servings: 24 bars

Crust

3 cups graham cracker crumbs

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar and flour until moist and well-blended. Press the mixture firmly and evenly over the bottom of a 13-inch by 9-inch baking pan. Bake until the crust is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

Topping and assembly

2 1/2 cups brown sugar

4 extra-large eggs

2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup pecans, chopped

1 prepared crust

Powdered sugar, if desired

1. While the crust is baking, in a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and eggs to blend. Whisk in the graham cracker crumbs, vanilla, salt and baking powder until well-blended. Stir in the pecans.

2. Spread the mixture over the baked crust and return to the 350-degree oven until the filling is dark-golden on top and jiggles slightly when tapped, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and cool completely.

3. Sprinkle a light coating of sifted powdered sugar over the pan if desired, and cut into 24 bars. The bars can be made 1 day in advance. Wrap in plastic and keep at room temperature.

Each bar: 247 calories; 2 grams protein; 36 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber;11 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 50 mg. cholesterol; 184 mg. sodium.

The cookbook neglects to instruct bakers to dust the finished bars with powdered sugar, so I was glad that the LA Times article included this. The dusting of sugar definitely prettifies these bars.

Also, I like to use 1 1/2 cups of nuts instead of the specified 1 cup. I like to fine chop 3/4 cup in my mini food processer and course chop 3/4 cup by hand.

You may scoff at the 3 cups of graham crackers in the crust. And that's not counting the 2/3 cup in the filling. Sounds pretty pedestrian, doesn't it? But, oh my, it is not pedestrian. It's not even public transportation. It's a convertible zipping around a hairpin curve. The sweet, chewy, nutty goodness of these easy-to-make bars gives you that kind of high.

So, it's a nice little circle we've formed. Susan Campoy nurtured thousands in her lifetime. My doctor and his staff have nurtured thousands of patients in their careers. And now I get to do my little bitty part to nurture the nurturers with these rich and chewy treats, from a recipe by a nurturing woman.

The circle of sweets is complete.

Don't even think about it, Tiger.

(PLEASE forgive me for not responding to all of the wonderful comments and questions on the most recent post and other posts. Life has been busy, and I'm still feeling a bit overwhelmed - in a good way - by the increase of activity from blog of note.)

(PS I'm still in remission and just going for my monthly visit.)

Celebrating with Julienne

Long before I started shouting out, "Tall half-caf, lowfat latte for here," at Starbuck's, I was ordering full-caf, full-fat cafe au laits at Julienne in San Marino.

A friend, who was once the restaurant manager for the popular eatery, introduced four other Gymboree moms and me to the joys of cafe au laits and Julienne nearly 20 years ago. It was like a modern day circling of the wagons when we six moms took over the cafe's patio with our six oversized strollers filled with our bouncing bistro babies.

Since then, Julienne has continued to be a special place to meet friends for breakfast or lunch or to purchase a package of their buttery, cheesy parmesan toasts for a party. (As a matter of fact, just last month I met two of those same Gymboree moms for breakfast.)

So when I found out that Julienne owner Susan Campoy was publishing a cookbook, Celebrating with Julienne, I knew that I had to have it.

I have a wide range of reasons for adding a cookbook to my collection. Sometimes I want a curl-up-by-the-fire read filled with luscious photos and food memories. Other times I'm focused on a a specific cuisine or a favorite chef. And then, more often than not, it's about trying to duplicate the restaurant experience.

Celebrating with Julienne hits all those buttons. Part of the joy of dining at Julienne is the attention to detail in the food and every aspect of the decor. I love how the book mirrors the warmth and surprising details of the restaurant. I immediately curled up with the book and savored every delicious page.

But, of course, looks aren't everything. I love how the recipes, many of my favorites, are easy to follow and organized just like Julienne with a Brasserie section (breakfast and lunch), Gourmet Market section (with favorite recipes from Julienne To Go) and Celebrations with ideas and recipes for a chocolate festival, family Easter, Hollywood Bowl picnic, an evening in Morocco, a harvest feast and a winter celebration.

I started off easy with something I've been eating for years: the Candied Applewood Bacon. You have to love a recipe with just two ingredients - bacon and brown sugar.

Julienne Candied Applewood bacon served for breakfast with left-over oven-roasted red potatotes and sauteed spinach.

I'm looking forward to cooking and baking and celebrating my way through Celebrating with Julienne.

(Celebrating with Julienne is available in the Pasadena area at Julienne, Vroman's, Joan's on Third, Marz, Nicole's Gourmet Foods, San Marino Stationers, Hollyhock, Savor the Flavor and Little Flower Candy Co. You can also order a copy here or on Amazon.com.)

The Door of Opportunity

Is that opportunity knocking?
The mail box is for storing gloves and clippers.
The black chalkboard is for drawing or messages.

A couple weeks ago, I wrote about the blight that co-mingled with the beauty in our back yard. I was especially concerned about the neighbor's air conditioning unit that thrust itself into the little kitchen garden tucked into the corner of our property.

The proposed solution was to mount an old door as a combined screen, garden element and catch-all for garden tools and gloves. Your response was overwhelmingly positive. (Well, except for one commenter who advised me to "get a life." Anyone who knows me is aware that I actually have the opposite problem - too much life, not enough time, but you never hear anyone snarking, "Get rid of some life.")

Yesterday, the handy man mounted the door and I'm thrilled with the results.

I like to have my morning coffee on these child-sized Adirondack chairs. If you have hips like a snake, then perhaps you can join me.

The door doesn't just hide the offending unit. I've hidden garden tools and surplus hay and straw behind the door.

I love this little stool that I picked up last week at the Fullerton Arboretum's Gift Shop. No nails and less than $20. (Sorry. It was the last one.)

And, speaking of opportunities, the "Blog of Note" designation has created a flurry of activity, including many new followers and lovely and interesting comments and emails. Thanks so much for reading this blog. I am humbled because many of you have such fascinating blogs; I will attempt to visit more in the next couple weeks.

A Lazy Summer Cocktail (When One + One = WOW)

Seconds after walking into a dinner party last Sunday night, a guest thrust a shot glass of sparkling grape juice into my hand.

"Try this," he urged.

The non-alcoholic drink tasted like something you might serve at a Sweet 16 party. It was sweet and bubbly with a slight sour finish to give it a kick of sophistication. Frankly, I wasn't impressed.

But it turns out this wasn't just any Martinelli's or Trader Joe's variety of carbonated juice. It was a high-end German sparkler by Sekthaus Raumland, available on sale at two bottles for $20 at Wing Hop Fung* in Monterey Park. $10 for a bottle of fizzy Welch's? I don't think so.

But then I witnessed a little alchemy. Pour the Sweet 16 stuff on the rocks, add equal parts vodka and suddenly you have a drink worthy of a cocktail party on the veranda or an end-of-day "I've been working in the garden" pick-me-up. Seriously refreshing. Seriously deliciious. Seriously intoxicating.

I guess all those generations of teenagers spiking punch bowls with vodka had it right all along.

(*an unlikely but highly recommended wine store set in an apothecary/tea store)

When Life Gives You Blight . . . Hire a Handy Man

It's not hard to find beauty in my garden. You can find good bones (two massive redwood trees in one side yard, a redwood and magnolia on the other side, plenty of mature fruit trees in the back yard) and some interesting meat on those bones.

This year, I've spruced up one of the formerly unused side yards into a favorite retreat; interspersed heirloom tomato plants among the inedibles in the back yard; added two raised beds and created some showy arrangements in urns and pots. Things are shaping up nicely.

But, among the beauty, it's equally easy to find the blight. One of the chief offenders is tucked into a corner, right next to the grape arbor, the pea tee-pee and the raised beds. That's where our neighbor, whose art studio is right on our property line, decided to install an A/C unit.

I was furious when this unit suddenly encroached into our yard a couple years ago, but I didn't say a word. When it comes to complaining, I have two die-hard rules: Don't do it when you're angry, and always offer a solution or a resolution. I couldn't get over my anger and I didn't have a solution, short of demanding that the neighbor yank the A/C unit and install it on a wall that juts into her own yard. And, since she lives on a different street, I haven't seen her for more than three years.

But lately that infringing A/C has been getting my goat - partly because I'm spending more time in that neck of the garden and partly because I'm hosting a garden wedding reception for a friend in June.

I considered a trellis, but it will take a full year to be lush enough to disguise the offending unit, which is, ironically, a Carrier. I thought about surrounding the unit with reed fencing, but that just seemed tacky.

I've come up with an idea for a decorative and functional garden element that conceals the eyesore.

I'm going to mount a strategically placed door and spray coat the inner panels in chalkboard paint. I can leave messages for the gardener or corny, inspirational thoughts. ("Friends are the flowers in the garden of life." "Thoughtless neighbors are the thorns in life's garden.") I'll hang a succulent wreath and seek out a rustic mailbox for storing my gardening gloves, clippers and chalk. A couple of hooks may come in handy too.

I've also written a note to my back-door neighbor asking her to share part of the modest project cost. (Wish me luck.)

How's that for turning blight into beauty? (I'll post pictures when the project is done in a couple of weeks.)

Three Isn't Always a charm - Crab Cakes

Crab cakes from Sunset.com do not make the cut.

This year I made just two New Year's resolutions: Drink more bubbly and create the ultimate crab cake.

It's nearly five months into 2009, and I'm happy to report that I'm making good on the first goal. The second, not so much.

I made the first batch of crab cakes for a New Year's Eve party. Adapted from a recipe on the Williams Sonoma site, they were good but not the ultimate.

I tried again with the recipe from the Turf Club at Santa Anita. Now these are, as far as I'm concerned, the ultimate crab cake, without a bread crumb in sight. They were also labor intensive and require several hours in advance preparation.

For my third attempt, I went to Sunset.com and tried this simple recipe. I liked the idea of binding the crab cakes with the same tarragon aioli sauce that tops the cakes. I thought the 1 3/4 cups of panko (Japanese bread crumbs) was excessive, so I reduced the amount to 1/2 cup, but the crab still didn't shine through.

The quest continues.