dine LA Restaurant Week 2008

It's that time of year again! Some of the best restaurants in LA are setting up 3 course prix fixe menus at the more than affordable price of $34 per person.Since I'm in the South Los Angeles area I'm going to have to stick to restaurants in Long Beach. Here is the list:L'Opera$22 lunches$34 dinnersLong BeachItalian$$$LunchDinnerMcKenna's on the Bay$22 lunches$34...

Dinner Parties

One of the best parts about having great friends who do you favors is putting together little dinner parties to thank them. Other times it's just a good way to get rid of food in my fridge quickly so I can buy new things that entice my palate. Dinner Parites are relatively easy to throw; food and decor is all you need.My dinner parties usually follow a pretty easy menu.Appetizers: 3 types of cheese, a whole grain baguette, miscellaneous...

101 Cookbooks, a Gem

I'm a pretty avid blog reader. I've been blogging for years on different sites so it's only natural that I enjoy perusing other people's musings as well. Every once and a while I'll find an amazing blog written by real people who don't make me feel like they're pro bloggers or part some some blogging conglomerate. Heidi of 101 Cookbooks is one of those bloggers.She...

Beef Tenderloin (Part 4 - Beef Carpaccio)

In the beginning of my young professional years, one of my big splurges was always fine dining. I would find it difficult to spend a few hundred on a dress that I loved but wouldn't give a second thought to dishing out the same cash for an amazing tasting menu.Aside from my love of prix fixe chef specials, I did manage to rack up quite a few dollars on my cashback...

Beef Tenderloin (Part 3 - Beef Stroganoff)

One of my favorite dishes when I head out to Jerry's Deli in Westwood is the Beef Stroganoff. It's nothing special, just some egg noodles, beef and a delicious sauce flanked by an order of steamed broccoli. I think the broccoli is there so that I can feel better about intaking such a calorie/carb/fat laden dish.You'll see, over the course of reading this food...

Beef Tenderloin (Part 2 - Where and Why)

When I was in college and starting out on my personal culinary journey I failed to understand that you couldn't make any roast out of just any cut of meat. Back then, I didn't even understand the concepts of different cuts of meat, let alone how picking the wrong cut would ruin a dish.Now that I'm older I understand that you can't use chuck roast to make roast...

Beef Tenderloin (Part 1 - Filet Mignon)

Anyone who knows me knows that my two favorite chefs on the Food Network are Alton Brown and Giada DeLaurentiis.In the spirit of my favorite Alton Brown series, I bought a beef tenderloin to butcher myself.I will be making filet mignons tonight and a chateaubriand this weekend.I'm trying to decide between the following alton brown and giada recipes:Steak au...