All You Need is Love and Cupcakes

The Rooster Returns with the 2nd Annual LA Sriracha Festival

Right off the heels of the San Diego Sriracha Festival friend of Edible Skinny Randy Clemens (author of The Sriracha Cookbook and the Veggie-Lovers Sriracha Cookbook) is bringing the rooster sauce festival back to LA with his 2nd Annual Los Angeles Sriracha Festival happening Sunday October 19^th at Chinatown’s historic Central Plaza. 

This chef-driven, all-inclusive, 21+ event from The Sriracha Cookbook and Food GPS spotlights the world's most iconic hot sauce at a unique, historical venue. Multiple stations allow guests to enjoy a variety of Sriracha-themed dishes, including desserts, at their own pace. Local craft beer, cocktails, sodas, iced coffee and iced tea help tame the heat while a live DJ set helps create a fun and unforgettable food and drink experience.

 

Special Sriracha-spiked dishes from some of LA’s best chefs and restaurants participating in this year’s event include:

- BEACHWOOD BBQ Gabe Gordon –Top 10 Orange County Barbecue Restaurant, Gayot

- EAGLE ROCK BREWERY PUBLIC HOUSE Jerry Su – Opening This September, Los Angeles Magazine, 2014

-  EASTSIDE MARKET ITALIAN DELIVito Angiuli –Featured on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives”

-   EGGSLUT Alvin Cailan & Johnny Lee –Best Thing We Ate, Zagat, 2013

-   THE GADARENESWINE + SCRATCH BAR Phillip Frankland Lee –Featured on Esquire Network’s “Knife Fight,” Season 1

-   GREENSPAN'S GRILLED CHEESE Eric Greenspan –Grilled Cheese named #3 Comfort Food in America, The Food Network

-  JITLADA Tui Sungkamee + Jazz Singsanong –Jonathan Gold’s Best Los Angeles Restaurants, Los Angeles Times, 2013

-   KOMODO Erwin Tjahyadi –Voted one of the 10 Best Food Trucks in America by GQ Magazine, 2009

-   LITTLE JEWEL OF NEW ORLEANS Marcus Christiana-Beniger –14 Things You Need To Eat In LA This Fall, Thrillist, 2014

-   MEI LIN Mei Lin –Featured on Bravo Network’s “Top Chef,” Season 12

-  MENDOCINO FARMS Judy Han –Best Sandwich Downtown, Maybe Anywhere: Mendocino Farms, Eater LA, 2010

-   MUD HEN TAVERNKajsa Alger –6 New LA Restaurants You Need To Book A Table At Immediately, Thrillist, 2013

-   SHOPHOUSE SOUTHEAST ASIAN KITCHEN Nate Appleman – Rising Star Chef Award, James Beard Foundation, 2009

-   SQIRL Jessica Koslow –Top 10 Restaurant in Los Angeles, LA Weekly, 2014

-   WILLY B's Christian Page –The Best of LA, “7 Local Hot Sauces for Spice Lovers,” Los Angeles Magazine, 2014

“The response from our first Sriracha festival in L.A. was absolutely amazing,” says Randy Clemens, co-organizer of the Sriracha Festivals, as well as author of The Sriracha Cookbook and The Veggie-Lover’s Sriracha Cookbook. “We knew right away we had to host another. I’m excited just looking at the line-up of people we’ve got participating!”

A portion of proceeds from the Los Angeles Sriracha Festival will directly benefit Food Forward; a Los Angeles-based 501.c.3 nonprofit whose mission is to rescue fresh local produce that would otherwise go to waste, connecting this abundance with people in need. Over 5 million pounds of fruits and vegetables have been gleaned and donated to local food pantries since 2009, helping feed over 100,000 food-insecure Southern Californians each month.

General Admission tickets include all food and drink, cost $59 per person in advance, and $69 per person at the door, if still available.  Tickets are only available for people 21+ and are for sale at http://sriracha.nightout.com

The Colors of Nature!

Rocking the Namaste with a #YogaNightIn

Namaste Bitches!  Edible Skinny was lucky enough to score an invite to a post NY Fashion Week #YogaNightIn at Bollare this week! 

The event was held courtesy of Designer Whey and was lead by Designer Whey ambassadors and yoga instructors Marissa Rose and Lacey Calvert.  Rose and Calvert focused the class on the concept of balance and finding time for everything to happen when it's supposed to happen.  As Rose noted "there is no right way, you are the right way."  Boom!

This event was held as a coming out party for Designer Whey's reformulated Protein Powders.  For those seeking lots of protein (18 grams) with a low caloric intake (100 calories) Designer Whey might be the perfect fit for an active lifestyle.   Many of their customers had been asking them over the years to make their entire line of protein powders natural.  Initially, only their French Vanilla and Double Chocolate protein powders were naturally sweetened and flavored with natural sugar from a leaf-extract called Stevia.  The remainder of their line used sucralose (not the greatest of sweetners...).  After months of work, they found a way to replace sucralose and other sugars with a natural sugar.

And in jubilation they had a night of yoga in because that's how fun loving active adventurous people celebrate with some rest and relaxation in the form of Down Dogs and Eagle Poses! 

As one of my favorite yoga teaches Joell LanFrank says, "Namaste Bitches!"

 

Why Raspberries Are So Pretty!

Shiver Me Timbers! Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day!!!

Shiver Me Timbers!  Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day everyone!

If you are a matey with a sweet tooth, you can score a dozen of free glazed doughnuts if you visit a Krispy Kreme Doughnuts store wearing at least three non-weapon “Pirate Academy approved accoutrements" (which include eye patches, bandanas, hooks and hats).  If you just talk like a pirate you still get a glazed doughnut!!!

And if you need brush up on pirate speak Time has a great article on how to do so (Hints: Use me when you would have used my and Don’t be afraid to slur your words!)


So Have a jolly the hour whatver ye choose to do!!!

Huitlacoche: Welcome to the Delicacy of Corn Smut!

Huitlacoche! 

This funny looking word was on a menu at Laurel Hardware and I had absolutely no idea what it meant.  And being a Vegan (most of the time…) I had to make sure it wasn’t meat or dairy related when I was introduced to it, which is how I fell into the weird and delicious world of Corn Smut (and yes, you read that right, corn smut)!

Huitlacoche  (pronounced WEET-LA-KO-CHEE) is a plant disease caused by the fungus Ustilagoo Maydis that causes smut on maize and is known in Mexico as a spectacularly popular food delicacy.  It is eaten, usually as a filling, in quesadillas and other tortilla-based foods, and soups.

The consumption of corn smut originates from Aztec cuisine.  Although it can infect any part of the plant, Huitlacoche usually enters the ovaries and replaces the normal kernels of the cobs with large, distorted tumors analogous to mushrooms.  These tumors, or "galls", are made up of much-enlarged cells of the infected plant, fungal threads, and blue-black spores.  The spores give the cob a burned, scorched appearance.

 

For culinary use, the galls are harvested while still immature. The immature galls, gathered two to three weeks after an ear of corn is infected, still retain moisture and, when cooked, have a flavor described as mushroom-like, sweet, savory, woody, and earthy.  The name Huitlacoche comes from two indigenous words: cuitlatl (excrement) and cochi (sleeping).  

The fungus has had difficulty entering into the American and European non-foodie markets as most farmers see it as blight, despite attempts by government and high profile chefs (including the James Beard Foundation) to change this perception.  Here in the US of A, they have tried renaming it the “Mexican Truffle” to an attempt to give it better street cred. 

Along with its awesome woody truffle-y taste, Huitlacoche was found by the food journal Food Chemistry to contain more unique proteins, mineral, and other nutritional goodies than the corn it originally started as.

Corn has no lysine contained within its husk; Huitlacoche is loaded with it. It also is packed with more beta-glucens, the soluble fiber that gives oatmeal its well-known cholesterol-cutting power than oatmeal.

So if you see Corn Smut on the menu, worry not it’s delicious, nutritious, and Vegan!  

SD Sriracha Lovers Celebrate the Rooster Sauce on September 20th!

Friend of Edible Skinny Randy Clemens (who wrote The Sriracha Cookbook and the Veggie-Lovers Sriracha Cookbook) will be celebrating his 1st Annual San Diego Sriracha Festival next weekend on Saturday September 20th at Liberty Station (and don’t worry LA his 2nd Annual Los Angeles Sriracha Festival is happening Sunday October 19th). 

This chef-driven, all-inclusive, 21+ event from The Sriracha Cookbook and Food GPS spotlights the world's most iconic hot sauce at a unique, historical venue. Multiple stations allow guests to enjoy a variety of Sriracha-themed dishes, including desserts, at their own pace. Local craft beer, cocktails, sodas, iced coffee and iced tea help tame the heat while a live DJ set helps create a fun and unforgettable food and drink experience.

Special Sriracha-spiked dishes from some of San Diego’s best chefs and restaurants participating in this year’s event include:

THE BELLOWS Schuyler Schultz - Sriracha-Cured Grilled Cobia with Sambal-Spice Couscous, Labne Cream, and Herbs

BROTHERS PROVISIONS Aril Grain - Baguette Sliders with Sriracha-Beer Cheese, Apple, and Housemade Kimchi

THE PATIO John Medall – Powdered Sriracha-Crusted Seared Ono with Sea Bean Slaw and Plum Chutney

SLATER'S 50/50 Brad Lyons - Sriracha Burger: Sriracha Spiced Patty topped with Pepper Jack Cheese, Chargrilled Yellow Onion, Sriracha Sauteed Mushrooms, Sriracha Glazed Bacon, Sriracha Garlic Cole Slaw, Sriracha Mayo and Sriracha on Brioche Bun

Chilis From the Sriracha Factory. Photo by Randy Clemens

STONE BREWING WORLD BISTRO & GARDENS Steve Robbins- Sriracha-Infused Arrogant Bastard Ale Brisket

URBN ST. BREWING Alex Carballo - Caja China Roasted Crispy Pork with Fluffy + Spicy Rice Buns and Sweet + Sour Papaya

URGE AMERICAN GASTROPUB Marc Liautard - Sriracha Porter Quiche with Porter Cream, Honey-cured Ham, Sriracha-cured Bacon Bits, shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano & Sriracha-Garlic Sauce

WOW WOW WAFFLE Joe Kraft - Liège Waffle Bite Topped with Avocado, Roasted Chicken and Sriracha

Guests will also find Sriracha creations from these San Diego dining gems:

AQUI ES TEXCOCO Francisco Perez - Best Tacos in 15 US Cities, Zagat 2014

GANG KITCHEN Craig Jimenez - San Diego’s Best Eats, Drinks & Restaurants, Discover San Diego 2014

HASH HOUSE A GO GO + THE TRACTORROOM Craig "Andy" Beardslee - 36 Hours in San Diego Must Have Dinner, New York Times, 2009

SUPERNATURAL SANDWICHES Christian Eggert – The Iconic Sandwiches of San Diego, Eater San Diego

DESSERTS: CHURROS EL TIGRE makes some of the best churros north of the border and will be serving them with a Sriracha-based dipping sauce. Escondido landmark PETERSON’S DONUT

CORNER is set to surprise us with their Sriracha creation, and special guest QUENELLE (an LA dessert hotspot) will be serving a Kecap Manis Ice Cream Bar with Black Sesame Streusel, Brown Butter Emulsion and Sriracha Gastrique.

BEVERAGES: Because what would a San Diego fiesta be without craft beer?

STONE BREWING CO. will have Stone Coffee Milk Stout (a bittersweet, creamy, coffee-laced Stout) and Stone Go To IPA (a vibrant hop-bursted Session IPA).

IRON FIST BREWING COMPANY will have Roots of Wrath (Abbey-style Quadrupel Ale brewed w/ molasses, sarsaparilla, sassafras, blue juniper berries, vanilla bean, ginger, and sweet anise) and Renegade Blonde (crisp, refreshing Kölsch-style Blonde Ale).

A portion of proceeds from the San Diego Sriracha Festival will directly benefit Mama’s Kitchen, a San Diego-based charity that prepares and delivers three meals a day—free of charge—to approximately 350 men, women, and children affected by AIDS or cancer in San Diego County. 

General Admission tickets include all food and drink, cost $59 per person in advance, and $69 per person at the door, if still available. VIP Tickets for the event are $90 in advance, and $100 per person at the door, if available. They include reserved seating and one-hour early admission from 2 pm to 3 pm.

Tickets are only available for people 21+ and are for sale at http://sriracha.nightout.com

Silverlake Drinking Has Come to Santa Monica with BrilliantShine!

Bok Choy

Julian Cox and Josh Goldman have quite the career when it comes to creating libations for bars and restaurants.  Goldman previously worked at Bastide and Church & State, while Cox was recently named one of the “Top 10 Mixologists of the Last 10 Years” by Food and Wine magazine.  But the opening of BrilliantShine a few weeks ago is the first time the devilish duo can call the place theirs!

Kelly w/ an Ancient Mariner

Located in the former Renee’s Courtyard location (right behind Tinga) on Wilshire Boulevard, the building has a hodgepodge style to it (its several rooms were converted from a residential house).  Which makes it a perfect location mashup for a modern day Wild wild west saloon. 

Maine Lobster Rice

And the drinks, they be of the Wild Wild era!  The bar is nothing if not heavy on the alcohol.  My drink the “Rye ‘n Goslings” was comprised Knob Creek rye, El Dorado 12-year rum, Demerara Rum, Gosling's 151 rum, mint and apricot (and proved me as a lightweight as it was far too much for me...).  I was more of a fan of Kelly’s “Ancient Mariner” composed of Demerara rum, Jamaican rum, lime, grapefruit, and pimento dram.  The drinks presentation definitely swings to either the masculine or feminine side with some drinks are served in heroic metal steins while others are finished with delicate paper straws.  Along with their stiff cocktails, there’s also craft beer, wine and sherry (Goldman is a trained sommelier).

Purple Corn Sorbet

Helming the BrilliantShine kitchen is Peruvian chef Richie Lopez.  Many of the restaurant’s ethnic meets comfort feature the flavors he cultivated while working under Ricardo Zarate, chef at Mo Chica, Picca and Paiche.  The dishes are quite intriguing Kelly’s already fan favorite Maine Lobster Rice with sea urchin, chives, and lime was the perfect balance of seafood, tomato, and rice.   I fell in Love with the creamy deliciousness of the Bok Choy, soy sauce, tomato, cauliflower, and red onion.  The dining experience concluded with the Purple Corn Sorbet, coconut, pistachios, and lemon.  The dish has a grainy more crystalline texture like a granita, but it’s definitely a unique palate finisher.

So if you're looking for a great place for a stiff drink after listening to your 45 records, Westside Hipsters look no further than BrilliantShine! 

Artisanal Sipping with Casa del Mar's Spirited Thursday

Tonight is the inauguration of Casa del Mar’s Spirited Thursdays from 6-9pm!  Set against the backdrop of this all-new, Michael S. Smith-designed lounge Terrazza, guests can mingle with a rotating roster of beverage professional, from winemakers and brand founders to celebrated mixologists, each showcasing a new boutique wine, beer, or spirit weekly.  Tonight’s alcoholic darling is Ilegal Mezcal (a small batch artisanal mescal made from 100% agave) featuring Mixologist Gilbert Marquez Jr. and Brand Specialist Marco A. Ramos

 

“Spirited Thursdays” was born out of the desire to create a novel, fun, and engaging platform in which to discover new craft spirits and beverages, with a touch of education thrown in and, of course, great company.

Participants in this month long series include Chareau, an all-natural California-crafted aloe liqueur; Art in the Age, a liqueur available in ginger, rhubarb, and sage; TequilaOcho (a tequila company that sources their agave pinas from eight (Ocho) fields exclusively owned by the company); and the aforementioned small batch Ilegal Mezcal.

Thirsty Thursday patrons are encouraged to explore a limited-time-only menu incorporating the featured wine by the glass, cocktail, or craft beer. For every specialty drink ordered (which run between $12 and $16), guests receive a free small plate to pair from Executive Chef Jason Bowlin.

Spirited Thursdays are held at Terrazza at Casa del Mar from 6-9pm.

Hurra! Santa Monica Celebrates the World's First Vegan Oktoberfest!

There are certain places that you avoid as a Vegan… places that focus on faces.  For that reason I’ve never been to Animal, my friend Adam’s place Dog Haus, and can never be a fan of southern cooking (bacon, bacon, and more bacon).  But things are about to change for one upcoming German Holiday…  Edible Skinny is excited to announce the World’s First Vegan Oktoberfest in Santa Monica on October 4 from 12pm-6pm.

Nestled next the beaches of SoCal, Vegan Oktoberfest will recreate the feel of a genuine German beer hall featuring live Oompah bands, Bavarian maidens, and of course, refreshing and delicious vegan craft beer poured to perfection by dozens of great breweries.  Vegan Oktoberfest, which can accommodate 3,200 guests, will provide attendees a traditional taste of Germany with a vegan twist; for an authentic Oktoberfest experience with a clear conscience.

Guests will be provided a beer stein with admission to be used for their beer(s) of choice all day with unlimited refills.  Participating breweries include: Sierra Nevada, Venice Duck Brewery, Four Sons Brewery, Karl Strauss, Eel River, Ace Ciders, Epic Brewing, Modern Times, Bison Organic Beer, Oskar Blues, Drake’s, Coronado Brewing, Angel City, Golden Road, Anderson Valley, Saint Archer, Bravery, Lagunitas, Hangar 24, and more to come!  And rest assured, there will be gluten free beer and cider available for the Celiacs.

Participating food vendors include many of LA’s most acclaimed vegan restaurants such as Sage Organic Bistro who will prepare potato pancakes, cauliflower hot wings, and German style soft pretzels, Southern Fried Vegan will offer Fried Chickun and Mac N’ Cheeze, while Urban Pie will delight with sausage and potato pizzas.  Other food offerings include: Rabbit Hole Cafe, Babycakes, The Grilled Cheese Truck, Tofurky, The Ridiculous Baker, Beyond Meat, Dogtown Dogs, Kind Kreme, The Green Truck, Broke Hungry Vegan, Pop ‘n Mamas Kettle Corn and Funnel Cake, and Life Is Sweet Bake Shop.

Red Pill Productions LLC, a company founded by Los Angeles animal rights attorneys David Edward Burke and Jill Ryther will be producing the ‘cruelty-free’ event.  Vegan Oktoberfest will also benefit a good cause, with a portion of the proceeds going to Expand Animal Rights Now, an organization dedicated to using the legal system to help animals.

“Vegan Oktoberfest will be a festive, authentic, and social atmosphere that makes the bar scene seem dull by comparison,” says Burke.  “There’s no reason an event can’t be both outrageously fun and animal friendly.”

Tickets are currently for sale and are $40 for General Admission, $55 for VIP admission, which grants entrance an hour early and access to a designated VIP seating area, and $15 admission for non-drinkers.  For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.veganoktoberfest.com.