Challenge: Come up with 5 Asian Inspired Desserts to Top Off a Menu

Two friends are getting married in May, two among many this year. Their menu is a melange of Asian flavors and they need help coming up with a dessert to finish their courses. They only asked for five. This is what happens when you get comments from the rest of the Yolanda House.

1. Flambed mangoes or jackfruit w/macapuno (young coconut) ice cream topped w/pinipig or roasted coconut bits
2. Coconut pudding w/jasmine water and deep fried sugar taro chips
3. Young coconut ice cream w/deep fried taro chips
4. Rolled, stuffed ube (taro) crepes with coconut creme, half dipped in chocolate
5. Sesame or cashew brittle w/coconut pudding - plated in cups made out of banana leaves
6. Flan w/crisp, carmelized sugar topping with sweet taro chips
7. Manila mango sorbet w/kalamansi sugar cookies that are half dipped in white chocolate
8. Ube crepes stuffed w/sauteed mangos and macapuno ice cream
9. Coconut crepes stuffed w/sauteed mangoes and ube ice cream
10. Mango ice cream with flecks of blueberry and plated w/candied ginger
11. Lemongrass sorbet w/fresh mango and taro chips
12. Kalamansi torte w/mango compote
13. Coconut sorbet w/fresh mango
14. Kalamansi mouse w/strawberries, mangoes, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries, garnised w/mint
15. Kalamansi flan w/carmelized pineapple
16. Pineapple lemon mouse
17. Ginger mango sorbet
18. Ginger creme brulee w ube or macapuno ice cream

I had more but I figured I should cut it down. We were totally channeling the Philippines and Southeast Asia.

Late Night Eats

I always complain there aren't enough late night eatries in LA but here's a few to start with, courtesy of the LA Times.

101 Coffee Shop -- LOVE THEIR MEATLOAF!!!
6145 Franklin Ave., L.A., (323) 467-1175. 7 a.m. to 3 a.m. daily.
Unaffected Hollywood favorite finishes late nights right with a killer jukebox.

Astro Family Restaurant
2300 Fletcher Drive, L.A., (323) 663-9241
Traditional fare and nontraditional people-watching at Silver Lake's all-night option.

Bob's Big Boy
4211 W. Riverside Drive, Burbank, (818) 843-9334. www.bobs.net.
A local landmark, the oldest remaining location of the nationwide chain remembers its roots with round-the-clock hours and classic car nights.

The Brite Spot
1918 W. Sunset Blvd., L.A., (213) 484-9800. 7 a.m. to 4 a.m. daily.
Vegan-friendly fare for an indie-minded mix of locals and young Eastside hipsters.

Canter's Deli
419 N. Fairfax Ave., L.A., (323) 651-2030.
L.A. classic draws diners from Largo and other Fairfax bars, as well as its own raucous Kibbitz Room.

Conrad's
820 N. Central Ave., Glendale, (818) 246-6547.
Also: 861 E. Walnut St., Pasadena, (626) 577-7603.
Foothill-dwelling regulars find an alternative to Denny's at this traditional family-style restaurant.

Coral Cafe
3321 W. Burbank Blvd., Burbank, (818) 566-9725.
Open since 1957, the Valley diner caters to an after-hours bar crowd as well as coffee-sipping high school kids.

Dolores Restaurant
11407 Santa Monica Blvd, L.A., (310) 477-1061.
Retro-styled diner has earned a following among UCLA students and other Westsiders.

Earl's Home Cookin'
807 N. Tustin St., Orange, (714) 639-8590.
Bargain-priced specials and a full-service smoker's patio caters to O.C.'s young and old "25/7."

Fred 62
1840 N. Vermont Ave., L.A., (323) 667-0062.
The '50s diner gets cooler with a stylish sense of humor.

The Kettle
1138 Highland Ave., Manhattan Beach, (310) 545-8511.
As the rest of Manhattan Beach goes dark, CEOs and sorority girls flock to this California-style diner.

Mel's Drive-In
1660 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood, (323) 465-3111.
8585 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 854-7200
14846 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, (818) 990-0648
www.melsdrive-in.com.
Shiny '50s diner replicant strives for the idealized feel of "American Graffiti."

Norm's
1601 Lincoln Blvd., Santa Monica, (310) 450-6889.
470 N. La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood, (323) 655-0167 and 15 locations throughout Southern California. www.normsrestaurants.com.
Big breakfasts and an inviting Googie-era sign draw steady crowds.

Original Pantry Cafe
877 S. Figueroa St., L.A., (213) 972-9279.
Homestyle cooking and a piece of L.A. history at a true classic that's "never without a customer."

Pipers
222 N. Western Ave., L.A., (323) 465-7701.
Koreatown fixture pulls in neighborhood night-crawlers with breakfast, "pizzadillas" and Korean barbecue.

Sitton's NoHo Diner
11329 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood. (818) 761-3341.
Irony-free Valley diner keeps it real with friendly service and a local clientele.

Swingers
8020 Beverly Blvd., L.A., (323) 653-5858. 6:30 a.m. to 4 a.m. daily.
802 Broadway, Santa Monica, (310) 393-9793. 7 a.m. to 3 a.m. daily.
With an eye toward '70s style, the fashionable nightspot has a reputation as a pickup joint.

Shore House Cafe
5271 E. 2nd St., Long Beach, (562) 433-2266. Closed for remodeling but expected to reopen Friday.
201 Avenida Del Mar, San Clemente, (949) 498-3936 and eight other locations in Southern California.
The all-night diner goes coastal with a bright, glossy menu offering something for every craving.

Twain's
12905 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, (818) 760-9577.
Lived-in vintage diner offers end-of-the-night favorites to club-goers from either side of the hill.

Major Feasting Weekend

(Sorry kids...no pictures but tons of descriptive writing!)

It started with Arsen and Ripsemay's wedding on Friday. The day was perfect! It was at the LA Arboretum in Arcadia...absolutely beautiful grounds. There were peacocks walking about freely. The male peacocks were gorgeous! I wanted The Joe to snag one but he was being too prissy in his pristine black pinstripe suit. I think the major snag was the fact that they chose to have the ceremony facing the sun. The guests on the groom's side were left to figure out how to keep cool during the entire ceremony. Sadly, I neglected to bring the parisol I received from a prior wedding. Instead, I tried to keep cool with a fan I recieved from a wedding that was about 2 years ago.

Unfortunately, I didn't know gowns were allowed. Otherwise, I would have gone with the dress from my cousin, Vange's wedding. Let's talk about opulance to an extreme. My favorite was a purple fit from top to bottom, skin tight bodice and purple eye shadow to boot! Yeah!

When we got to the reception hall, we got a hold of kabob appetizers wrapped in flatbread. In one corner of the foyer was a complete fruit sculpture that went from one wall to the other and was about 10 ft. tall - no exaggeration. The Joe is 6 ft. tall and there was no way he could reach the top. Well...ok, maybe the height of the whole thing was more like 8 or 9 ft.

We walked into the banquet room and it felt as if we were walking into a room at Ceasar's Palace - not the real one but the version in flashy Vegas. This was room was indeed just as flashy. Panels of various greco-roman themes were placed strategically on the walls around the entire room. The ceilings were super high which allowed for further embellishments. Balconies adorned with torches filled with lights, air and redish-orange tissue lined the upper part of the ceilings. Since the ceiling was so large, three panels depicted a breezy blue sky when the house lights were on. The sky became a twinkling stary night once the house lights were down. Magnificent, I must say.

The tables of 10 each had various appetizers pre-set. There was no need to wait for the prayer. Everyone dug in as soon as the bottle of Belvedere vodka was popped open. It'd be bad to eat on an empty stomach, right? Considering that Arsen warned us of all the food that was going to be presented that evening, I stayed away from all the starchy foods. The only names of dishes I remember eating was tabouleh salad, hummus, the Armenian version of dolmahs and stuffed cabbage leaves, caviar (a bit too fishy for my taste) and cheese. There were plenty of other dishes but I can't remember their names. This was only the appetizer portion of the meal, folks. Other courses consisted of shrimp cocktail, some spam-like meat with rice pilaf (excellent!...just the pilaf), chicken and beef kabobs, salmon and I'm sure a few other dishes we didn't catch since we left around 11pm. Throughout the entire meal, our Belvedere kept getting restocked. However, we never managed to finish our bottle of Hennessy and red wine.

So that was round 1. Round 2 consisted of a tour of the Little India neighborhood of Artesia the next day.

We started the day with a meal at Rajdahni restaurant. The meal was completely vegetarian, thank goodness! After all the meat from the night before, I didn't think my stomach could take anymore. I can't even begin to recount the meal since we did not got a printed menu and I don't know how to spell any of the dishes' names. However, the mango lassi was the best we had ever had! After lunch, we proceeded to visit the Bindhi jewelry store (I'd definitely go back! Love their designs!), a music shop, a handicraft store, a sari shop and, for the finale, an ice cream shop. It was a bit disappointing. Due to the hour time allotments that were made for each store, it made the tour lag and participants would proceed to the next location without really getting information on each business. No facts were shared such as the oldest business in the area as well as the reason why Artesia has gained such a large Indian population. Probably suggestions for next time. All of the spices were amazing! I'd definitely go back to the stores we visited minus the boring tour.

The Bernardo Dentist office is down the street from Little India so we hung out there for a bit and proceeded to dinner with Brian since he doesn't make himself available as much as he used to. My stomach kind of hurts to recount Round 3 but here goes...We went to a Korean BBQ buffet.

Considering how expensive Korean food tends to be, the price was right for all the different types of food that was offered. I also loved the fact that we didn't leave the restaurant smelling like our food.

The key to all this eating - stay away from as much starch as possible and do incorporate as much greens as possible! I do think this calls for a fast for the next few months. Meat will be exiting my diet for a bit and salads will be a bit more prevalant.

The night ended with a wish on a falling star as we made our way back to the Valley.

The Meaning of Food

This was some of the best tv I've seen in quite some time. This program takes you on a journey through various individuals and families' lives who have been greatly affected by food in some sort of way.

One of the strongest stories was of a group of women who were imprisoned in concentration camps during WWII. To keep themselves somewhat satisfied and sane, they recited recipes to each other each night when the guards left them in their cabins. It was kind of like virtual eating since they could not eat. These recipes were eventually collected in a book and one woman has dedicated a large portion of her life to make those recipes a reality. Because the women were unable to write them down and were recounted by others who had heard them for so long, many of them were recounted backwards, ingredients left out, etc. Such a touching story. It was a great message of hope, embodied in directions on how to prepare various foods from an ethnic group that was almost erased.

One of the best things about this show is that it's more than one episode! Another great thing about the show is the hot ass Executive Chef of Aquavit, Marcus Samuelsson. Hellooo! Yes, I've marked my calendars for future episodes!

Off the taste bud scale!

Off Vine is one of my favorite spots for a casual dining and high quality food spot in Los Angeles. Yes, this will be one of my usual haunts and aim to try every dish on the menu! You would never know it's there unless you were looking for it. It has no signage and can only be spotted because it's the lone building surrounded by bamboo and shrubbery and there's the big parking lot to the side and across the street from it with the valet guys in front.

It's a two-story Craftsman home that was remodeled into a charming restaurant. A meal in their bamboo enclosed patio makes you feel as if you're far away from Hollyweird and LA until you start hearing talks of scripts, producers, casts and the like. Can't really escape it when you're sort of in the middle of that scene. Don't pay any mind to those murmurs, or stop eavesdropping. Cool summer nights are perfect for patio dining. On extremely warm days, soak in the cool air conditioning, hardwood floors and quaint indoor tables. The cozy upstairs space is perfect for a private party. The owners left the bathrooms as is with dated vanities, toilets and a subdued shower upstairs.

Every visit here has been great! I can never finish an entire meal, even if it's just a salad. I love the spices in the curried chicken salad with mango chutney, apple, almonds and dried currants. There are no greens in this salad, unless you want to count the crunchy celery bits. The Chinese Chicken Salad is also a wonderful version. For dinner appetizers, the smoked mozzarella and chicken ravioli with apple mango chutney is oh so awesome! The Joe had the cornish game hen with cornbread stuffing. He thought the meat tasted as if it had freezer burn but I think it was just the spices that were used. I LOVE the shrimp and crab stuffed tomatoes with couscous and chipotle mayo dressing served on a bed of mixed greens...so filling and oh so delicious! The only desserts I've tried there have been the souffles. Why go through all the trouble and worries of making one yourself when you can order it at the beginning of your meal and have it ready for you at the end topped off with whip cream and ice cream if it suits your fancy.

The wait staff are cordiable and always accomodating. It might also help to go with a friend of one of the owners but certainly not necessary. The entertaining staff and cute, as I'm told, might also have something to do with their location.

Overall, Off Vine is one of those places that rarely misses the mark. And because of that, I will continue taking in its charm, simplicity, beauty and welcoming atmosphere and food.

Off Vine
6263 Leland Way
Hollywood, CA 90028
p. 323.962.1900

Red Velvet Heaven

Yes, folks, it's true...the red velvet cake from Doughboy's in the Fairfax District is really TO DIE FOR. My lovely Kat surprised me with one last night and it was so rich, I could only take two bites. This was also the cake that was featured on a recent episode of Oprah. YEAH!

Cendrillon in SoHo

Due to my lack of time (more often than not) and money (at least for right now) I'm going to start listing places I want to go instead of just ones I've been to. Please feel free to share your lists with me, as well, particularly those in SoCal so we can go on our culinary tours.

Cendrillon is going to start the list. Unfortunately, this one is located in SoHo, that's right - The Big Apple. Chef Romy Dorotan was featured on the Martha Stewart Show February 20th show with Jason Biggs and Paul Walker. Chef Romy cooked up some adobo. There was also a Pilipino dance troupe that performed a dance from Southern Philippines. I didn't get a chance to catch the show but let's hope that a little more info on the PI was shared rather than the glossing over that the country, it's people and it's culture usually gets in mainstream American media.

I can't say much about the restaurant aside from all the raves it's been getting about it's bibingka but I'm always down for new concepts on how to market Pilipino cuisine in all it's "fusion" happiness as well as check out a fresh environment to present the food and culture. Here's the contact info for quick reference.

Cendrillon
45 Mercer St. (between Broome and Grand)
New York, NY 10013
t. 212.343.9012