Food

Spending the night with bradleycooper and I'm not upset one bit

Showing off her roots. @ Candler Park

I have to say that I was really impressed with Thalassa. It’s a Greek restaurant that’s in a building that’s owned by a shipping company and has been there for the last I don’t know however many years. It seems like if you own the building, you’re going to have a better possibility of being able to manage a restaurant at the bottom of it, but the food here speaks for itself. To the left, Chef Raphael Abrahante is perfects the seafood display. This guy really knows his fish. I feel like this guy is going to make a name for himself, but I can’t find a lot of articles about his food just yet. There will be more soon, trust me. Onto the food: Bakalao It looks pretty, but I think it needs to be eaten when it’s hot. I had photographed all of the appetizers before I got to try it and the cooling off did something to the texture. I can’t comment on this one in one way or another, only to say that it needs to be eaten hot. Horiatiki Or as I like to call it, the fancypants Greek Salad. I think I ate the whole thing. I might have skipped the flower. Look at how GD gorgeous that thing is. Katifi Wrapped Scallops Maine Sea Scallops wrapped in Kataifi filo with sheep’s milk butter and a Kalamata balsamic reduction. These things are a must order when you dine here. They are DECADENT, so beware. These are easily someone’s main course. A refined fried scallop dish if I’ve ever tasted one. Tartare Trio Three tartares of Royal Dorado, Tuna, and Lavraki respectively. My favorite was the classic tuna and avocado. Hard to go wrong with this light fare after you’ve punished yourself with those scallops (we advise splitting the scallops with two friends). Soft-Shell Crab and Fiddleheads This one is not on the menu right now, but I just wanted to say DAMN! FIDDLEHEADS! If you haven’t had yourself some fiddleheads at this point in time this season, go find yourself some and cook the heck out of those badass mothers. You’ll LOVE them. Also, soft-shell crab? Definitely my favorite type of crab. If it’s on the menu, this is what I am ordering. Very springy. Octopus Susan was telling me a story about how all of the Greek restaurants used to have a washing machine in the kitchen. The washing machine would tenderize the octopus. Now, these washing machines have been removed from the great kitchens because they are “unsanitary.” I mean, I am guessing they are not made for this type of stuff, so they have the potential to be unsanitary, but I basically side with the chef on this one, especially in a restaurant of this caliber. These octopi were hand-massaged. They are plenty tender and you get an absolute mammoth portion of it. Not cheap, but if you like octopus, this really is an exceptional dish. Panna Cotta This one is available in the $38 prix-fixe. When I think Greece, I don’t typically think Panna Cotta, but I was happy with this one. Panna Cotta it is one of my favorite things to photograph. I’m not sure I did this one justice. Baklava I don’t think you could see it, but the honey was absolutely sparkling in the sunset. Sparkling honey is not necessarily a mark of good baklava, but they nailed it. If you are a high-end Greek restaurant, you need to nail the baklava. An ex-girlfriend of mine went to Greece on a trip and came back complaining about the bland food. I’ve been to a lot of Greek restaurants in the past and I’ve never been super excited about the cuisine. After Thalassa, I am. Editor’s note: This meal was provided to the writer compliments of the restaurant Thalassa179 Franlkin StreetNew York, NY 10013(212) 941-7661

Bath and Body Gift Baskets

Thanks so much to all of you who entered the Krups rice cooker giveaway. And extra special big huge thanks to all of you who said such kind things about my new book and/or tried the “lemon rice soup” recipe and loved it. Reading all of your favorite dishes from around the world was so much fun… and it made me very hungry! So, the winner turned out to be none other than Dianne Wenz (aka Veggie Girl), who, as luck would have it, was a tester for Great Gluten-Free Vegan Eats from Around the World. Yay Dianne! Dianne, I’ll email you soon and get this rice cooker sent your way. And everyone else, thanks again for playin’ and stay tuned for more chances to win things… more to come soon!

Underwater Cameras for Summertime Fun

Biking Helmets for Kids

While chef Govind Armstrong is busy this Memorial Day in the kitchen of his 2 1/2-month-old restaurant Willie Jane on Abbot Kinney in Venice, scores of Angelenos will be firing up the grill. To ...

LDL levels rising...but, oh, so worth it.

The country pub. It’s uniquely English. Popped down to the White Horse at Hedgerley today where an ale festival was underway. Together with brothers in law William and Dominic, I supped several different ales in the warm spring sunshine. This is a pub that cares about cask ale, and knows how to keep it in good condition. We tried a number of different ales. First, Moongazer from Tring Brewery. This is a deep coloured ale with lovely sweet flavours and a bit of hoppiness. Great balance. Second, a pale beer called Pictish Lambzilla. This is fresh, light, bright, fruity and hoppy. Easy to drink, but could have done with just a touch more complexity? These three beers were lovely. The Coco du Mer from Wood Street Brewery is a porter style, all dark and chocolatey with some malt and a touch of savoury bitterness. I liked it; the others didn’t. Kennedy’s Carouse, from Holden, is pretty special: an unusual herbal ale with some apple notes. Distinctive and lively. And finally, the Epicurion from Mallinsons was one of the stand-outs: this is pale yellow in colour and has amazing bright lemony fruit. Citrussy and fine with nice complexity, and a lot of drinkability.