1_healthnut's Profile
Yoghourt
actually, tj's now makes their own version which i honestly think is better [and a heck of a lot less expensive] than fage. i was addicted to the fage 0% and 2% for years, but since i tried tj's own brand i've never wanted to go back to it.
Recipe for Ranch Dressing [Split from General Topics "pre-dinner munchies" thread]
simple solution...replace some of the liquid buttermilk with dried buttermilk powder. you'll still get all the buttermilk flavor without thinning it out so much.
HELP! I need a good venice bday hangout!
chaya venice or primitivo would probably be good options. the food's better at chaya, but you can get a big table out on the back patio at primitivo.
Santa Monica late breakfast/lunch?
i second the rec for jinky's...yummy, reasonably priced huge menu [and gargantuan portions] that will probably satisfy whatever you're craving whether it's breakfast or lunch by the time you get there. i know 'bread & porridge' and 'jack n jill's' offer similarly diverse menus, but i've never eaten at either one so i can't vouch for the food.
Green Tea Ice Cream?
glad to know i'm not the only one with an appreciation for the costco tea bags! i typically brew my own [both green & white] loose teas, and couldn't believe how good kirkland was. who knew? :)
Los Angeles Gluten Free Restaurants
i'm not sure i trust the fat & calorie claims sweet debbie's makes about their products. i checked out the web site after reading your posts, and based on the nutritional information provided for their products, the numbers don't even come close to adding up correctly.
Los Angeles Gluten Free Restaurants
the new place opening culver city will be called the "sensitive baker," and according to the owner's blog, they're opening june 17th.
10836 1/2 Washington Blvd. Culver City, CA 90232
btw, be careful with all the recommendations for gluten-free items that are available at regular bakeries like mani's & sweet debbie's. if they're not produced using separate appliances in dedicated gluten-free kitchen space, they're most likely contaminated with gluten from the other products made on the shared equipment.
Thai Boom -- Good Lunch
wait, the RESTROOM is only accessible thru the kitchen? please tell me that's not what you were saying...
Los Angeles Gluten Free Restaurants
actually, korean bbq, yakiniku & shabu shabu places can be very dangerous for celiacs & gluten-intolerants. nearly all of the marinades and sauces are made with soy sauce, which many of us (i'm celiac) absolutely cannot have.
Where to buy guava preserves or puree anywhere in Los Angeles?
for the record, it turns out that a couple of us were right...you may have just gone to trader joe's too prematurely. they now carry guava paste rolls so you can re-stock there if you need to!
DINNER AT FLEMING'S---Oh the noise!
i've never understood it either. i really do enjoy the food there, but the noise level at every location i've been to [3 or 4 at this point] is intolerable. i ate at the newport beach fleming's a few weeks ago, and we had to talk [shout, really] so loud to hear each other that i actually woke up hoarse the next day. sure, it's yummy, but it's not worth a sore throat/losing my voice every time!
good mexican and fun - westside?
it's la serenata de garibaldi...you were pretty close :)
oh, and the food is excellent!
TOMODACHI SUSHI in Westwood
see my response to your other post.
my vote is for nagao in brentwood.
recs for sat nite dinner between sm & brentwood?
hi all
have friends coming up from s.d. tomorrow night, and i need to settle on a place for dinner.
some details to consider...
i'd rather not bother with anything too unique, special or super-pricey [i.e. abode, josie, valentino] because he'll eat anything you put in front of him, and the only thing she ever orders is a salad with grilled tuna on it. they're not exactly culinary adventurers, and certainly not food snobs.
however, i'd still like a relatively classy, upscale vibe, decent food, maybe a nice lounge or bar scene for a cocktail.
one caveat:
age range is mid 30's to early 40's & not into the hipster scene too much...so definitely avoiding places like 'penthouse' @ huntley hotel, etc.
they're staying @ casa del mar and i live in brentwood, so anything between san vicente/wilshire & the ocean would be ideal.
i've been routinely disappointed by the sub-par food & abominable service @ the s.m. outpost of 'sushi roku,'
i've only been to the original 'boa' location on sunset, never the westside one.
'houston's' is usually a safe bet/standby, but i've never been to the one @ the promenade.
i love 'a votre sante' & 'nagao' by the brentwood country mart, but there's zero vibe @ either place.
'chaya venice' was an old favorite of mine, but i haven't been there for several years. is the food still good? and is it still deafeningly noisy?
most of the reviews of the brentwood katu-ya have said that the food is mediocre and the service is horrendous.
so...what to do?
any thoughts/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
thanks!
taking HUGE step, REALLY need help from fellow hounders...
THANK YOU to everyone who offered their advice, suggestions and concerns. you guys are great.
after much consideration, i decided that the best way to do this was at home, on my own terms. so i picked up the necessary elements at whole foods yesterday, took them home, and here's how it went...
-i seasoned some organic ground beef with coarse salt, fresh ground black pepper, a touch of minced garlic & a dash of lea & perrins...and pan-seared the patty on the stovetop
-put the burger on a toasted gluten-free bun piled with ripe heirloom tomato, red-leaf lettuce, red onion, and a drizzle of smoky barbecue sauce
-had it with some oven-baked organic yukon gold shoestring fries seasoned with a little olive oil, fresh pepper & sea salt, and a small plate of sauteed baby spinach on the side
i was over the bun & fries after the first couple of bites of each...but i enjoyed every last morsel of that burger.
felt great all evening. slept like a baby. feel great today.
so apparently after 21 years i'm officially a carnivore again.
crazy, huh?
i'm going to try some poultry today, but more importantly, i'm thinking a restaurant steak dinner is in my near future.
so, who does the best filet mignon in l.a.?
taking HUGE step, REALLY need help from fellow hounders...
the "healing" aspect comes from the fact that i have celiac disease, a condition in which foods that contain gluten damage/destroy the intestinal cells.
taking HUGE step, REALLY need help from fellow hounders...
yep, corn tortillas are ok as long as they're pure corn [i.e. no other types of flour mixed in].
taking HUGE step, REALLY need help from fellow hounders...
i know, i planned to eat it at home just to be safe. either order it to-go...or buy some raw beef & cook it myself. [i may not typically eat meat, but i am an experienced cook and i've handled it quite well in the past...the food science portion of my graduate studies required me to work with all sorts of proteins, and i even do the turkey for the thanksgiving feast i host every year.]
but i digress.
any suggestions for good takeout sources on the westside? i'm in brentwood, and i'd rather not have to head over the hill...
taking HUGE step, REALLY need help from fellow hounders...
ok, so i've been a vegetarian for 21 years. the mere thought of eating anything that lives on land has turned my stomach since i was 14 years old. even the smell of any sort of meat being cooked [poultry, pork, beef, you name it] always makes me gag.
anyway, about 10 days ago i had to switch to a gluten-free diet for health reasons. doc told me he had a feeling that as my body adjusted to the new regimen and began to heal, i'd actually WANT to start eating meat again...i told him he was suffering from delusions of grandeur.
well, it looks like i just may have to eat my words.
literally.
i woke up yesterday craving red meat like nobody's business. i thought it was just some weird subconscious reaction to what he had said [i.e. the power of suggestion], and suspected it might go away as quickly as it came.
not quite.
it's ESCALATING as the days pass, and i'm now obsessed with satisfying this craving.
but if i'm actually going to do this, i want to do it right. i know getting into 'cut' anytime in the next month is pretty much out of the question [and i don't necessarily want to drop that kind of money on it just yet...i'm still afraid one bite might send me running for a bucket].
so where to go? what to order? i think i'm specifically craving a burger, which sucks, because with this gluten-free situation i can't eat the bun! would it still be worth it? do i go to the counter & order one in a bowl? get the famed father's office burger & take it off the bun? try the california burger @ houston's that everyone raves about? the kobe-style burger @ boa?
or am i better off just getting a steak? if so, which cut? ribeye? new york strip? filet? and where?
help!!!
thanks :)
Fairmont, Miramar - Santa Monica
have you considered having the reception at a nearby restaurant instead?
just a thought...'i cugini' on ocean avenue supposedly does an amazing sunday jazz brunch buffet, so i'd imagine they could easily handle a private party...and it would be a great ocean-view spot for your celebration.
unfortunately, i can't vouch for the food as i've never eaten there.
anyone else have an informed opinion of the place...?
Agave Nectar?
yup, all specialty stores, high-end grocery stores & natural food stores carry it. surfas, whole foods, wild oats, erewhon...take your pick!
Oven failed - what to do with brownies?
from a food-safety perspective your best bet is to thaw in the fridge & then bake...don't bring it down to room temp...that's just asking for a bacteriological nightmare.
Need a Romantic Lunch Spot in Beverly Hills
do you mean 'blue on blue' @ the avalon hotel?
New PINKBERRY in Santa Monica and Brentwood
actually, i'm one of the few who doesn't want it, period. i tried it, and wasn't the least bit impressed...no desire to ever eat it again.
La Jolla Graduation Lunch
piatti is a great choice for the shores area. lovely atmosphere if you can reserve a table out on the patio, and the food is solid.
you might also consider "the cottage" if they'll take a reservation [otherwise forget it, the wait for a table is always impossible]. it's definitely on the less extravagant end of the spectrum and it's casual, but very quaint, affordable, and the food is delicious!
New PINKBERRY in Santa Monica and Brentwood
agreed. i was really hoping this stupid trend would fizzle out before pinkberry made it to brentwood. i hate that they're invading my 'hood.
Lactaid Bechamel...can it be done?
shouldn't be an issue. the only thing lactaid is missing is lactose...and that doesn't really play a biochemical role in the reaction you need for bechamel.
New PINKBERRY in Santa Monica and Brentwood
ok, this pinkberry nonsense has me channeling susan powter [anyone remember her...?]
"stop the madness!!!"
