Wednesday, September 27, 2017

LA Rams Game Day? Let’s Rock the Wings from Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken!


By Kat Thomas

Edible Skinny was lucky enough to be able to swing by again to the super delicious Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken last week to explore their new popular dish: wings.  Specially marinated, coated in Astro’s signature breading and tossed in a choice of homemade Korean BBQ and Sriracha Buffalo sauce, these wings are a perfect addition to LA  Rams Game Day, Sunday Funday, or one of the final shows at the Hollywood Bowl.  Take heed though… the wings are an exploration in saucy messiness and take 15 minutes to be ready.
 
Originally from DC Astro, opened its LA outpost in April of this year.  The shop has all the confectionary street cred necessary for some sugar swagger.  The shop was called by TimeOut an “exemplary fryery” and one of the top-21 best fried chicken restaurants in America and Thrillist named Astro among the “21 best donut shops in America.”

The first Astro Doughnuts opened in DC in 2013, when childhood friends Elliot Spaisman and Jeff Halpern, the first native Washingtonians to play for the Washington Capitals, bonded over a love of all things missing a hole.  Halpern and Spaisman grew up playing the sport together in Montgomery County, MD, often meeting for a post-game doughnut off the ice.  As adults, the two food lovers forged their childhood pastime into a local eatery offering lighthearted interpretations of two comfort food favorites: doughnuts and fried chicken.
 
Naturally with a name like Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken their specialties include two things….  Let’s first analyze the fried chicken with all its classic fixins’.  Mine included a cheddar biscuit (once again one of the best biscuits of my life), Kimchi Cole Slaw, and Sriracha Buffalo sauce.  The chicken (since I have recently transitioned from being a veg to a carnivore again) was perfection!  Succulent meat, crispy breading, and massive in size, it’s everything you ever wanted in a chicken sandwich.
And then the sweet stuff… Astro Doughnuts and Fried Chicken offers a combination of four classic daily doughnut flavors (Vanilla Glazed, Maple Bacon, PB&J, and Crème Brûlée) along with a rotating selection of specials.  When Edible Skinny was there choices included: Halva (a Middle Eastern honey flavored donut that was super light and the absolute Fav of the group), Malted Chocolate (that one had a very cakey disposition), Chocolate Banana Daiquiri (super-duper sweet), and Lemon Poppy seed (the classic muffin makes its debut in muffin form).  Each confection offers a perfect final note of a kickass meal.
 
So if you’re looking for the total package on what to pick up before watching the LA Rams game, Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken has got your covered!

Kat Thomas is the Editor in Chief of Edible Skinny, a site dedicated to making your life postcard worthy. She is also the CEO of the creative media company This Way Adventures. You can find more about both brands at http://www.thiswayadventures.com







Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Touring Torrance: Global Foodie Adventures All In One City




Touring Torrance: Global Foodie Adventures All In One City
By Kat Thomas

Last week ago, Edible Skinny was lucky enough to get to discover the world of Torrance, 
California, one bite at a time.  Uncrowded and welcoming, Torrance is a secret stash of rich local experiences waiting to be shared.  15 minutes from LAX, 1.5 miles of pristine beach, 2.7 million square feet of shopping bliss (most of it located the at the Del Amo Mall, the 5th largest mall in America!), and 14 hotels perfectly designed for any need.  Torrance is stepping into the spotlight as the perfect destination for your SoCal adventures, and with 10 craft breweries and 400 plus eateries this includes noshing, munching, chomping and sipping!


The Perfect 2-Day Townhouse at the Residence Inn Los Angeles/Torrance/Redondo Beach
We started out our Torrance foodie adventure by checking in to the Residence Inn Los Angeles/Torrance/Redondo Beach.  Perfect for Southern California business, leisure, or an extended-stay travelers, as their tow  We instead chose to unwind in one of their spacious two-bedroom suites, featuring contemporary décor, complimentary Wi-Fi, plush bedding (my bed was like sleeping on a cloud), and the perfect selfie lighting in the bathroom/.  Separate spaces for sleeping, relaxing, eating and working allowed us to spread out and kick back with ease.  Plus the hotel’s location was steps from upscale shopping and dining adventures at the Del Amo Fashion Center!

nhouse style suites offer a fully equipped kitchen including a full fridge, oven, stove, and dishwasher (for those who want to cook in, which totally wasn’t us on this trip!).
Fortune smiled on us as we happened to arrive on a Wednesday, allowing us to experience some break the ice drinks with The Residence Inn Mix in their newly renovated lobby area.  These Monday through Wednesday evening socials provide an ideal setting for mingling with co-workers and other guests.   Complimentary wine and beer helps lubricate the conversation, while local food trucks arrive for those looking for something to nosh on before dinnertime!   
The Residence Inn Los Angeles/Torrance/Redondo Beach offers a range of amenities to keep you energized during your visit, from a brand new 24 hour fitness center and outdoor heated pool and whirlpool to a large patio with grills and a built-in fire pit.  Other benefits include: complimentary daily breakfast buffet (more on that later), complimentary parking (a godsend in LA where we’ve spent almost $40 to park our vehicle overnight in Santa Monica), discounted room rate for longer stays, and no resort fees.
Both I and my traveling companion/producing partner Julia Reed Nichols have spent a lot of time on the road with our touring companies: Pin-Ups On Tour, Workin’ The Tease, and The Green Light District, which means we know continental breakfasts.  And we both agreed, this was one of the best continental breakfasts we’ve had.  Along with the better continental breakfast staples of scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, and create your own waffles this Residence Inn offers additional choices such as tortillas, 3 different types of Greek yogurt, individual packets of Tapatio hot sauce, white rice, miso soup, and chopsticks.  You might note that the last three items on that list are considered the breakfast of champions for those of Asian ethnicity.  This is because the Residence Inn Los Angeles/Torrance/Redondo Beach caters to an internal crowd with Japanese newspapers, rice cookers and teapots available upon request for their Asian guests.

Taiwanese Delight with Din Tai Fung at the Del Amo Fashion Center
With Torrance being a foodie paradise we decided to taste our way through the city’s diverse ethnic restaurants, and thus we sauntered over to the Taiwanese restaurant Din Tai Fung at the Del Amo Fashion Center.

Din Tai Fung was founded in Taipei, Taiwan in 1958 as a cooking oil retail shop.  In 1972, it transitioned into a full-fledged restaurant specializing in soup dumplings and noodles.  The restaurant was soon winning rave reviews from all over the world.  In an article published on January 17, 1993, the New York Times rated Din Tai Fung as one of the top ten gourmet restaurants in the world (Din Tai Fung was the only Chinese or Taiwanese restaurant to receive this accolade).  Further international recognition came in 2010, when Din Tai Fung’s Hong Kong Branch was awarded one Michelin Star; a first for a restaurant from Taiwan.   The tradition of Din Tai Fung continues today in its locations in the Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, China, Thailand, and Torrance.  
As we sipped on our Alexander Valley Vineyard wine, our server Rony explained that Din Tai Fung is a family style dining restaurant that encourages guests to order multiple choices for the table.  Now, we had to get some dumplings since it is probably the thing that Din Tai Fung best known for (Forbes Magazine called them the “world’s greatest dumplings”).  The restaurant houses a glass enclosed kitchen on display to mall patrons; while we were dining there this space contained four different chefs crafting these dumpling delights.  After debating their more than a dozen dumpling choices, Julia and I settled on Din Tai Fung’s chicken dumplings.  The 10 piece order was fashioned with succulent chicken meat, a droplet or two of soup, and a flawlessly textured wonton exterior.  This was perfectly paired with Din Tai Fung’s signature dipping sauce of fresh ginger, 3 parts vinegar, 1 part soy, and chili oil (for those who like the spice which is totally me!).  This was by far my favorite dish of this meal! 

But to be on the safe side, we (naturally) needed to sample a lot of other choices from the menu.  This included the earthy appetizer: Wood Ear Mushrooms with Vinegar Dressing.  Unfamiliar with this type of toadstool, the consistency of this dish was between a kelp like seaweed and a very wet mushroom.  It was an experience to be had!  

And of course we had to order some noodles, and some friend rice, practically everything on the menu…  Julia fell in love with the Noodles with Sesame Sauce dish that housed a one-two punch of creaminess and spiciness.  We also slurped up the Shrimp Fried Noodles (which was more soy based) and the Shrimp Fried Rice (which was lighter than expected).   And just because we wanted to have a semblance of healthiness we ordered some Sautéed Broccoli with Garlic.  This dish, a favorite of both Julia and myself, was super super green and super super fresh (in both the broccoli and garlic categories).  It was, as they say, Ab Fab. 

Aloha Spirt at King’s Hawaiian Bakery
The next day we decided to partake in an Aloha baked goods breakfast from King’s Hawaiian Bakery.   King’s Hawaiian, known for its sweet King’s Hawaiian Bread since 1950, moved to Torrance in 1977 from Hilo, Hawaii.  Their Bakery and Restaurant opened its doors on Sepulveda Boulevard in Torrance in 1988 and quickly became a landmark for Hawaiians living on the mainland.  This family owned full-service bakery and restaurant serves a unique selection of Hawaiian local food and traditional American dishes along with fresh baked goods.  Plus there’s a giant pineapple in the middle of the restaurant! ;-)  

Most people recognize King’s Hawaiian Bakery for the iconic orange packaging used for its famous Hawaiian sweet dinner rolls (infamously Auh-Mazing at the Thanksgiving dinner table).  This island tradition is baked with King’s Hawaiian Bakery’s signature blend of select milled flours, artisan yeasts and rich and creamy butter.  Rich, fluffy and delicious these rolls are a classic treat that your entire Ohana will love.  So of course we had to take home a package of rolls, for those of our household who couldn’t make it on the Torrance trip.  The result baked up so fluffy, moist and delicious, we could taste the Aloha inside.

Classic American on the Eastside at Local Kitchen Tavern
Our second night in Torrance we headed over to the East side of town for supper at the classically vintage inspired Local Kitchen Tavern.   This restaurant’s foodie philosophy embraces honest hospitality and warm dry sock feelings in a relaxed refined library style environment that evokes coming home after a long day’s work.  Their scratch kitchen delivers over 40 classic items ranging from appetizers, salads, soup, burgers, sandwiches, pastas, tacos, steaks, fish and many more all in Local Kitchenstyle.
Our adorable waiter Chris (donning a tightly tailored checkered suit vest) recommended with start the night off right with a Jalapeño Cucumber Margarita.  It was the perfect choice as it was cool, festive, with just the right amount of heat.  We paired it with an appetizer of Hendall’s Calamari.  Comprised of steak based calamari (no 3-ring circus here…) and dusted with seasoned panko bread crumbs this squid had a mozzarella stick like consistency that was sweetly tender.  Finished with classic marinara and Sriracha aioli it was everything that great bar food aspires to be.  
Before we ordered our entrées, our waiter Chris was replaced by another waiter... Chris.  This one was also adorable, looking as he could be Ed Sheridan's stand on Game of Thrones.  To celebrate we ordered a bottle of Justin and an entrée of Tavern Mac and Cheese.  Made with Cavatappi Pasta (aka the curly cue pasta) and 4 Cheeses (Creamy Mozzarella, Parmesan, Romano, and Cheddar) and topped with Garlic Herb bread crumbs, the dish was the equivalent to your favorite flannel and slippers in winter (which is a good thing!).  To pretend to be healthy (a pattern you might note), we ordered the “Big Newport” Wedge Salad.   Classic wedge it screamed country club Nantucket (so make sure to wear your embroidered whale button down from J Crew).  We finished with one more entrée, the Tuscan Sea Bass.  Panko breaded this dish tasted like it had been caught 30 second before the chef put it on the grill.  
We were there for two whole days, but still felt like we just scratched the surface of Torrance’s foodie revolution.  There’s so many flavors and sites we still wanted to discover.  Craft breweries such as Monkish Brewing Company and Smog City Brewing Company, The Jolly Oyster Market an oyster and clam store, some of the best ramen in LA (really bummed we missed this one), and LA Beer week (though this one is in mid-June, so we’ll need to wait awhile).  So if you’re looking for an around the world culinary adventure maybe it’s time you discovered Torrance. 

Kat Thomas is the Editor in Chief of Edible Skinny, a site dedicated to making your life postcard worthy. She is also the CEO of the creative media company This Way Adventures. You can find more about both brands at http://www.thiswayadventures.com

Thursday, September 7, 2017

Must Have Items for Flinging Into Fall



Photo by Julia Reed Nichols, Pin-Ups On Tour
Must Have Items for Flinging Into Fall
By Kat Thomas, Edible Skinny

Hello Autumn!!!  Here at Edible Skinny we’re ready for the Fall Festivities to start!  Hello to Kids Back in School, Football Mums, and Starbucks adding Pumpkin to everything on their menu!  So with that in mind we’ve created a list of “Must Have Items for Flinging into Fall”!  Below are some recommendations to make you September, October, and November Fall Fantastic!

Must Have For Flawless Harvest Makeup - MODA Prismatic Makeup Brushes
We all want that flawless skin that looks like it’s from a 1940s film noir, and with MODA’s Prismatic 4 set makeup brushes you finally have the ability to create such a fantastic illusion.  Everything to craft that perfect impression!  

These rainbow decorated dense, ultra-soft brushes apply and blend cream and liquid makeup with minimal absorption, leaving more makeup for application. The set’s unique bristle heads are designed to fit the contours of your face for optimal blending.  The 4 pack includes a large brush for all over cream or liquid foundation application, blush/bronzer brush for application for a stunning glow, a medium contour brush to flawlessly blend under your cheekbones and jawline, and a small brush that is perfect for precisely applying concealer. 
 
MODA Brushes hail from parent company Royal & Langnickel, the leading paint brush company on the art market.  These professional brushes take key learnings from their heritage and apply these details to make them some of the best on the market with 36 types of brushes – 100% vegan, synthetic filaments for long-lasting use and wet/dry application, and Silk-Touch™ coated acrylic grips for durability and ease of care that are also water-resistant.  From product development to manufacturing and distribution, MODA’s vertical silo allows them to pass on an affordable price to their clients – the 4 piece runs $24.99. 

Must Have For Some Getting Over Summer Hair: Part 1 - Eleni & Chris Shampoo and Conditioner
Summer highlights absolute - Yay, super fried split ends – Nay!   So this summer has been spent questing for anything to hydrate each and every one of the hairs on the top of our head.  Enter the Scandinavian beauty company Eleni & Chris (named for mother-daughter creators) who have a mission of bringing clear water and untouched mountains and fjords to their hair and skin care products.  

With the Vegas heat frying our hair to the point of split personalities we totally digging their KeraMin ™ Strengthening Shampoo with Keratin and Cloudberry Extract to create hair that is rich in protein and moisture.  The arctic Cloudberry is related to raspberries and can withstand temperatures as cold as -40 degrees Celsius.  Cloudberry Seed Oil contains abundant amounts of Omega 6, Omega 3, Vitamin E, Vitamin A and plant sterols. These components strengthen and protect the skin, as well as reduce signs of aging.  Follow it up with their KeraMin ™ Strengthening Conditioner that helps repair, strengthens, softens and moisturizes the hair without weighing it down.  Here’s to hydrating!

Must Have For Some Getting Over Summer Hair: Part 2 - Shu Uemura: Blow Dry Beautifier BB Serum
Again, summer beach season is fantastic, the byproduct of post summer beach season hair is an absolute terror.  So discovering Shu Uemura’s Blow Dry Beautifer BB Serum is an absolute godsend.  This a multi-benefit blow-dry perfector: primes the hair fiber, moisturizes without heaviness, smooths and softens the hair, helps protect from blow dry heat, and shapes and reshapes any look.  

The product is lightweight, but still strong enough to fuse frayed ends back together (beach hair be gone!) using SRS Microwaxes: the heat reactive re-positionable microwax technology uses microscopic wax particles to melt with heat to create flexible bonds between hair fibers. The formula is rich in Ginko Biloba extract, which is known for its high resistance to external aggressions and its anti-oxidant and healing benefits.

It’s perfect for fine to medium hair, use this hair care and styling product for a flawless and effortless look with a nude effect. 
  
Must Have for Rocking the PTA Potluck – Addie Gundry’s Family Favorite Casserole Recipes
Do it old school at back to school dinner with AddieGundry’s Family Favorite Casserole Recipes.  
Simple and stress free, a casserole is something to be shared; something warm, rich, and worthy of a gathering on its own.  Gundry’s cookbook shows that a dish doesn’t have to be complicated to be creative, elegant, and mouth-wateringly delicious.
 
Gundry, known to audiences nationwide as a contestant on the 13th season of the Food Network Star, also has quite the caveat.  With a Master’s in Culinary Arts from August Escoffier in Avignon, France, experience working for chefs including Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller, and Martha Stewart and winning Cutthroat Kitchen on The Food Network inn 2015.  She is the author of more than half a dozen cookbooks with her Favorite Casserole Recipes being one of her newest.

Every recipe is paired with a beautiful finished photograph that will make readers jump at the idea of casserole night.  Dishes include: Layered Ham and Cheese Croissant Casserole, Unforgettable Buffalo Chicken Casserole, John Wayne Cowboy Casserole, Zoodle Casserole, and Strawberry Icebox Casserole.  Warning results are the possible creation of something kids (and adults!) will love.


Must Have for Killing a Room, Even After You’ve Left – Vilhelm Perfume: Do Not Disturb
Make a killing in a room, even after you’ve left with this atypical floral!  Vilhelm Parfumerie’s newest scent, Do Not Disturb, was created to capture the glamorous heyday of Hollywood, recalling scenes of Marilyn Monroe and the Rat Pack drinking cocktails at the Beverly Hills Hotel.  With intoxicating notes of spicy carnation, warm clove buds, and smoky vetiver (I had to look it up, it’s a tall perennial grass found in southeastern Asia).  “The woman wearing this fragrance is definitely confident and intelligent,” says Vilhelm Parfumerie’s founder Jan Ahlgren.  “She really appreciates good quality and dares to wear something that is incredibly intoxicating and sexy.”  Do Not Disturb is exclusive to the beauty site Violet Grey.



Kat Thomas is the Editor in Chief of Edible Skinny, a site dedicated to making your life postcard worthy. She is also the CEO of the creative media company This Way Adventures. You can find more about both brands at http://www.thiswayadventures.com