Eating Italian At Eatalian Cafe, Gardena.

"It's called what?!" I asked my coworker at lunch one day.

"Eatalian."

"Wait, what's it called?"

"Eatalian. Like Eat. Talian."

"Hmm. OK."

My coworker had just told me about some new Italian joint in Gardena that had been featured in the LA Times Food Section's "The Find." But I couldn't get past the name. It sounded like something you'd name a mediocre-at-best restaurant in a business park. A name you'd surely find written in the Vivaldi or Mistral fonts. A place that served soggy spaghetti with watery marinara. So it was hard for me to take Eatalian seriously at first.

But I found myself in the South Bay one day and remembered that I now had an alternative to the usual Asian places I frequent in that area. I found Eatalian not in the form of a cheesy cafe in a business park, but as a former warehouse located in the industrial dregs of Gardena. The light, airy interior is a cross between Italian cafe and something you'd expect to find in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory teeming with Oompa Loompas: windowed, sterile production rooms filled with gleaming machinery for baked goods, gelato, pizza and--probably the most impressive of the bunch though not operational yet--cheese.

At the center of all the quick action is usually Eatalian owner Antonio Pellini manning the pizza making: stretching dough, laying toppings and working the brick oven all while helping to serve tables and talking to nosey food bloggers taking pictures of restaurant owners making pizza behind the counter. The ultimate multitasker.

I hate to say that I think that Eatalian's minimalist and sterile presence rubbed off on our pizza, however. I don't usually care for the word "rustic" when it comes to describing food, but by golly, I want my wood-fired pizzas to be rustic. I want crackly crusts whose edges are spattered with charred dough bubbles. I want to be reminded of embers and bricks and cottages and cabins. As you can probably guess, our Pizman pizza lacked some of these rustic qualities: its crust was not nearly as crispy as I would have liked it--a little limp in the center, in fact--and missing so many of those broken brown air pockets that I love on a thin crust pizza. Fortunately, our pizza was able to redeem itself in the flavor and topping department. Speck, pancetta, mozzarella, bleu cheese and porcinis were well proportioned; the bleu cheese was really the essential ingredient here, rounding out any saltiness from the meats with that funky bleu cheese flavor we all know and love.

I did, however, really enjoy our pesto gnocchi. The perky and pillowy nubs of dough dressed in the dark olive-green oil were simplicity at its best.

And then we got the gelato sandwich which wasn't your typical ice cream sandwich-type-sandwich made with wafers or cookies but rather, more like a real sandwich-type-sandwich on an Italian sweet roll. The thing was as big as a burger. Honestly, I could have done without the roll as my housemade nutella gelato on its own was just divine, and because it was a bit heavy after a complete meal. Had it been snack time instead of lunchtime, though, the entire sandwich would have been perfect.


OK so maybe our pizza was a bit of a miss, but I still enjoyed our overall experience at Eatalian. The gnocchi and gelato were delicious, and the staff was gracious and friendly, so I'll certainly forgive them for our lackluster pizza crust. Forgiving the Bradley Hand ITC font they use for their menus, on the other hand, I'm not so sure. But I would still definitely return.

Eatalian Cafe
15500 S. Broadway St.
Gardena, CA 90248
310.532.8880
www.eataliancafe.com

Farro Tricolore: How To Impress Your Foodgeeky Friends In Just One Picnic. Plus a Giveaway!

As if organizing a potluck/picnic for a bunch of food-obsessed parents and their toddlers wasn't enough to think about, I also had the mind boggling task of coming up with what the heck to bring to this shindig.

When fellow food blogging mommy Reservation For Three contacted me to see if I'd like to co-host our first ever GastroTots potluck picnic, I was thrilled at the idea of finally being able to hang out with the parents I frequently chat with on Twitter about food, restaurants, potty training and tantrums. But being that our guests were going to be some serious food nerds, I knew that a box of Albertsons cupcakes and Tostitos chips and salsa just wouldn't cut it. (Umm, not that I would normally bring that to a potluck anyway, right?)

First and foremost, I would need to bring something that tastes good.

It would also have to be something that didn't need to be reheated as we'd be meeting in a park.

And visually appealing.

And somewhat healthy as our kids would also be partaking in this feast.

And something that's somewhat easy to make since time is always so precious as a busy working mom.

Fortunately for me, my Gourmet Today cookbook came to the rescue with its recipe for Farro Tricolore--a colorful salad of farro, arugula, radicchio, Belgian endive, tomatoes and pancetta that fit all the above criteria. It's also a recipe that will be sure to make anyone look like they know what they're talking about in front of all of their foodgeeky friends. Farro? It means you buy your food at places other than Vons. And then if you bought locally farmed organic vegetables for this salad, you might totally be able to bond over farmers markets and green grocers! High Five!

By doing a little prep work of soaking the farro and cutting the vegetables up the night before, it's a fairly quick and easy dish to make. The contrasting flavors and textures in this salad are just insane: it's got all kinds of delicious al dente, crispy, wilted, bitter, salty, sweet, acidic, nutty and peppery craziness going on.

Farro Tricolore (adapted from Gourmet Today)

Salt
1 cup farro (available at Italian markets or specialty grocers like Whole Foods)
4-6 cups arugula, stems discarded, leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
1 head radicchio, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large Belgian endive, cored and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 lb. pancetta, diced or sliced and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 basket of cherry or grape tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

First, soak the farro in water for about 8 hours. Go do other stuff--sleep, chop veggies, watch a Real Housewives marathon, whatever.

Bring the soaked farro and about 6 cups of salted water to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook until al dente, about 25 minutes. It will look like the photo above when cooked. Drain and set aside.

Toss the arugula, radicchio and endive together in a large bowl. Note: the first time I ever made this salad, I neglected to remove the stems from the arugula and to tear or cut the arugula, radicchio and endive into smaller pieces. The salad still turned out fine, but I noticed that the arugula stems and bigger leaf sizes made it a less cohesive salad so I made sure I went with the smaller pieces the next time. Yes, it's more of a pain in the ass, especially with the arugula, but so worth it.

Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until slightly crispy. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels, leaving the pancetta fat in the skillet. You'll need that fat for later, so do not dump it or you'll be sorry!

Add remaining 1 tbsp. of olive oil into the skillet and add the tomatoes, garlic, salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes until the tomatoes get soft and the skin gets kind of wrinkly but still stays on.

Add the balsamic vinegar scraping up any of those delicious smoky browned bits on the bottom of the pan and allowing the vinegar to reduce and thicken slightly.

Add farro and pancetta to the bowl of arugula, radicchio and endive. Pour the warm balsamic pancetta-fat tomato dressing over the salad and toss to coat. The greens should wilt a little bit.

The result is simply wonderful. And you will definitely not lose any cred with all your foodgeeky friends.


***********************
But wait, there's more!

Normally, goody bags at kiddie get togethers mean fruit roll ups, snack packs, temporary tattoos, stickers and minature bubble bottles, but thanks to Reservation For Three, her husband Max of Morning Glory Confections and some very generous businesses, our goody bags were a tad more grown up this time. We got:

-A box of Morning Glory Confections' amazing Fleur de Sel and Peanut artisan brittle.
-A coupon good for 15% off your bill at Cacao Mexicatessen
-A token good for one iced or hot 12 oz latte at Cacao Mexicatessen
-A coupon good for a complimentary klein of Belgian fries w/ any food purchase at Wurtskuche
-An $8 gift card to Colorado Wine Co.
-A coupon good for one free scoop at Pazzo Gelato.
-A coupon good for 50% off your meal at Spitz.
-A $10 gift card to Cafe de Leche.
-A delicious and adorable individually boxed cupcake from Delilah's Bakery.

I was so excited about my swag that I want to share a goody bag with one lucky reader! (minus the cupcake...sorry, it's hard to ship, plus I already ate it.)

Just leave a comment with either your favorite childhood food OR your child's (or childrens') favorite food by 11:59pm Wednesday 9/8/10. I'll draw a random winner on Thursday 9/9/10. Be sure to leave an email address so that I can contact you if you win.

Good luck and thanks for reading!

Phototasting at Cube Café & Marketplace: They Shot It, and Then They Ate It.

There are only two human pleasures I can think of that involve all five senses. One of them I won't mention in this post. The other one is eating.

We taste sweet, salty, bitter, sour and sometimes, umami.

We feel the shiny globules of fish roe burst on our tongues.

We hear the crunch of perfectly fried pork skin as it gets crushed between our teeth.

We smell a truffle's wonderful earthy aroma.

We see the complex marbling of fat on a slice of glowing pink toro.

Traditionally, recreating these gastronomical sensory experiences is not an easy task, lest you cook and/or eat that meal again. In our digital age, however, it's never been easier to stir up memories of all the pleasure we had at any given meal-- a simple photograph can help us bring it all back. This is why we continue to annoy our dining companions by whipping out our cameras and snapping away before anyone is allowed touch their food.

This is why Phototasting exists.

This is why several camera-wielding, food-obsessed strangers converged upon Cube Café and Marketplace on a Saturday afternoon, eager to learn about basic food photography techniques and even more eager to savor the four delicious seasonal Italian courses that they shot. After some brief presentations by Tony, Claire and myself, the room was abuzz with the sounds of shutters clicking, forks clinking and food lovers socializing and networking.





Their photos are what they--and we the readers--have left to stimulate our senses with.

I'll stop talking now. Let's just let their delicious photos describe what they ate, shall we?


First Course: Heirloom Tomato & Fresh Peach, Cube Imported Buffalo Mozzarella, 6 yr. Balsamic, Fruity Olive Oil

(Photo: Flickr member Forchetta 1)

(Photo: Meal Muse)

(Photo: Spoondles)

(Photo: Foodie Comes Clean)

(Photo: I Dine, I Whine)

(Photo: Rocket Lunch)

Second Course: Black Truffle Pizza with Mozzarella and Fried Egg

(Photo: Captured Worlds)

(Photo: Meal Muse)

(Photo: Jewels from the Roving Stove)

(Photo: Flickr member Forchetta 1)

(Photo: OakMonster)

Third Course: Pancetta Wrapped Porchetta, Creamy Polenta, Roasted Broccoli

(Photo: Rocket Lunch)

(Photo: OakMonster)

Fourth Course: White Nectarine Shortcake, Lemon Verbena, Fresh Cream

(Photo: Flickr member VenusPix)

(Photo: Jewels From The Roving Stove)

(Photo: Captured Worlds)

(Photo: Foodie Comes Clean)

Can you practically taste, smell, touch, hear and see what they ate?

I can.


Please check out what some of our participants had to say about Phototasting at Cube:
Foodie Comes Clean: Phototasting
Hmm...Food...Good: Tasty Food and Gorgeous Photos at Phototasting
Jewels From The Roving Stove: Developing a Taste For Photography
Meal Muse: Phototasting
Rocket Lunch: Phototasting at Cube
Spoondles: Taste My Photos


For more information on Phototasting or to be informed of future Phototasting events, email us at info@phototasting.com or follow Phototasting on Twitter!

A special thank you to Cube Café and Marketplace for making Phototasting an amazing experience that was beautiful to both the eye and the palate. To those of you who've never been to Cube, go. Now.

Cube Café and Marketplace
615 N. La Brea Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 939-1148
www.cubemarketplace.com
Follow cube_LA on Twitter!

Phototasting at Cube Marketplace and Cafe 7/31/10

Taking pictures of what you ate is kind of becoming the norm these days. Look around any restaurant and you're bound to see diners snapping away with their cameras, whether they be ginormous DSLR's, standard point and shoot cameras, or smart phones.

Are you one of these people? Do you wish that your food photography looked a little better? Ever wondered how to get one of those cool looking photos where the food's in focus and the background's kinda blurry?

If so, you're in luck because I am excited to announce that Phototasting is coming back on Saturday, July 31st!

What is Phototasting, you ask?

Phototasting is a unique food sampling and restaurant photography workshop where participants are able to both shoot and savor a restaurant's cuisine. Local food blogger The Kitchy Kitchen and I will be introducing simple tips on basic nerdy photography lingo like white balance, ISO, aperture, shutter speed, exposure, and composition and guiding participants as they shoot some of the restaurant's dishes before getting a taste!

But wait, there's more! Are you ready for some really exciting news? This particular workshop will be held at Cube Café and Marketplace. Yes, that Cube...the cute little cafe and gourmet shop on La Brea with the delicious regional Italian cuisine focusing on seasonal ingredients.

Delicious Italian food, food photography tips and a chance to meet other food and photography enthusiasts like yourself? It's really a win-win. Reserve online for $50/pp at http://bit.ly/phototasting. Spaces are limited and the workshop did sell out last time, so be sure to reserve your space soon!

Check out the following write-ups about our first Phototasting workshop held at Checkers Downtown:

Rants and Craves: http://www.rantsandcraves.com/2010/02/they-shot-they-savored-phototasting.html
Pardon My Crumbs: http://pardonmycrumbs.blogspot.com/2010/02/review-phototastings-art-of-food-porn.html
Nad's Bakery: http://www.nadsbakery.com/2010/02/food-porn.html
Wan Life To Live: http://www.wanlifetolive.com/2010/02/learning-from-best.html
DJJewelz: http://www.djjewelz.com/2010/02/08/phototasting-lobster-bisque/

Thanks and hope to see you shooting and savoring at Phototasting!


Phototasting at Cube Marketplace and Café
Saturday, July 31 from 2-5pm, $50 per participant
Advance reservations required: http://bit.ly/phototasting
Email: info@phototasting.com
Follow @phototasting on Twitter!

Osteria Mamma: Love To My Mama and My Mamma (Mini Gluttony's Very First Blog Post!)

Hi, I'm Mini Gluttony!

You might know my Mommy. She's Daily Gluttony, the lady who writes this blog.

Well she keeps saying something about how there aren't enough hours in the day and how she's tired. I don't know why grown ups are always tired and want to sleep. Who needs sleep anyways? I don't! In fact, I like to wake up every night between 1 and 3am. It's super fun! Anyways, my Mommy is always doing nice things for me, so I thought I'd do something nice for her and let her sleep while I write her latest blog post for her. I'm a good boy.

My Mommy and Daddy and I went to this place called Osteria Mamma the other night for a family dinner out. We got there right when it opened because 1) my bedtime is 8:30 pm, which means the closer it gets to 8:30 while we are out, the closer I get to melting down from being tired, and 2) Mommy and Daddy said something about being considerate to the restaurant and the people who eat there. I have no idea what they're talking about.

We sat in the corner near a window so that Mommy could take her pictures. You should see my Mommy's bag when we all go out and she brings the big camera. It feels like she's carrying a bowling ball with all that stuff in there. Daddy thinks it's a giant pain in the patootie when Mommy takes pictures of food when we go out because he has to wait until Mommy finishes focusing and composing and all that fancy stuff before he can eat. Grown ups are silly.

First they brought us some bread which I thought was really cool since carbs are yummy. It was warm and sliced kinda thin and soft on the inside and crusty on the outside but not so crusty that I couldn't chew it with my teething gums. They also gave us a side of delicious marinara sauce that Mommy and Daddy had to help me dip my bread in. I'm not that coordinated yet.

Polipolata! I like that word 'cause it sounds like it could be the name of a cartoon character. But it is really the name of a dish of grilled octopus, celery, potatoes and lemon that we started our dinner with. I learned to count to 8 by squeezing the legs on some toy octopus at school. Somehow I don't think this was the same octopus, but it was mmm-mmm good. I like crunchy things like cookies and french fries, so the celery and potatoes in here were right up my alley. And then Mommy and Daddy kept using the word tender to describe the octopus. Do you think "tender" has something to do with the number ten? Hey, I can count to ten all by myself now!

I also made this really cool artsy deconstructed plating out of this dish. Yeah, I'm thinking I could win a future Top Chef competition one day, piece of cake.

Noodles and pasta are my favorite thing to eat in the whole wide world, so Mommy and Daddy ordered three kinds of pasta for me to try.

First was the Trenette Nere alla Bottarga which was black squid ink trenette with organic cherry tomatoes, shrimp and bottarga, which is Italian for dried fish eggs. Most kids my age would think dried fish eggs and black pasta made with squid ink are yucky, but not me. No sirree! This was super! The botarga and tomato made the sauce all nice and tangy and briny, and the shrimp were plump, just like my legs! I even learned some more new words: "al dente" which Mommy and Daddy said is the perfect texture for pasta. It means when something is cooked to have a toothsome bite which I could definitely feel in these noodles even though I don't even have all of my teeth yet.

Next we had the Tagliatelle Bolognese which was my absolute favoritest dish of the evening. I really, really, really, really REALLY like any kind of pasta bolognese. My Mommy can tell you because she makes me spaghetti bolognese at home. Even though I like Mommy's, I love Mamma's (sorry Mommy, you know I still love always you the best) The veal, pork, sausage and tomato sauce was so rich and hearty and the tagliatelle ribbons so (oooh, I get to use some new words I learned!) al dente, that I slurped almost all of this up by myself. The nice lady tried to take my plate away thinking I was done but I wasn't so I gave her some of my best stink eye. She just laughed.

Then we had the Ravioli Burro e Salvia which were (again-new words!) al dente pillows of pasta filled with spinach and ricotta cheese in butter and sage. Me and Mommy and Daddy thought this was good but compared to the squid ink trenette and tagliatelle bolognese, this definitely wasn't as awesome in flavors. Still, very nice and simple.

By this time, my little tummy was stuffed full with pasta, and I was a happy little boy, but Mommy and Daddy still wanted dessert, so they got the Panna Cotta with fresh berries. They said they liked it alot and that it was smooth and creamy and just real yummy.

I liked Osteria Mamma so much that I was a good little boy and behaved myself for almost all of our dinner, except when I tried to stick my hand in the purse of some lady sitting behind us, so I am hoping that Mommy and Daddy take me back here real soon. Mommy and Daddy, are you reading this?

Hey, this blogging thing is kinda fun. Maybe if I help Mommy write more, she will take me out to eat more.

Bye for now :)
Mini Gluttony

Osteria Mamma
5732 Melrose Ave
Hollywood, CA 90004
(323) 284-7060
www.osteriamamma.com