Grand Central Market Cookbook

This cookbook is bound to be a sentimental favorite for anyone who loves Los Angeles.  Grand Central Market in downtown Los Angeles is a favorite cultural institution for residents and tourists alike.  The market has everything and caters to every taste bud.  Great food, great energy, great people-watching, and this book captures much of that vibrancy.

Now you can make your own soy chile glazed broccoli or coddled eggs with potato puree in a mason jar.  Read what inspired the vendors of your favorite foods to set up shop downtown Los Angeles, and how they chose their curated menus.  The cuisine and culture of Los Angeles reflects the rich and delicious diversity our country offers.

Behind every recipe in this cookbook is a mouth-watering adventure.  Totally recommend this book for anyone who loves to travel the world.

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.

Saint Martha: I'm a worshipper!

Trying a new restaurant that has generated a lot of buzz and good word of mouth always raises the bar, and hence, often increases the chance you will be disappointed.   Fortunately, this was not the case.  

The restaurant is small, intimate.   When we arrived, it was only 1/3 full or so.  You can sit at the bar, but the plates are stacked so high, you can't really see into the kitchen or talk to staff so we chose a table.  

Amuse Bouche

Chickpea hummus quinoa

We ordered all three appetizers:  the crab and uni cream, the chicken liver mousse, and the octopus.  The octopus never arrived, so they comped us dessert -- the panna cotta.   The deconstructed bagel was interesting, the salmon was the best part and a generous portion so it need more goat cheese, pickle and the everything churro.

The crab and uni cream

The chicken liver mousse w/mushrooms and praline hazelnut

giving it that Nutella taste

Deconstructed bagel

The star was the beet sorbet and roasted beets.   It was as tasty as visually appealing.  Must learn to make beet sorbet.

Everyone raved about the brisket, how long it is smoked, that I expected it to be more tender and moist.  Unforunately, our wasn't.  Quite dry.  The hoisin was a little overpowering.  We only ate half of it.

Although portions were on the small side, food was delicious, innovative and fun.   As is the wine.  Mary, the sommelier, is a self-described wine pirate.  I am crazy about her, and her wine picks.   She has exquisite taste.  She loved how DH could recognize a lambrusco from across a crowded room.   The food is excellent, but I'd also go for her.  "Some people collect wines, I hunt wines."  And she does.  She poured us a taste of a wine from Crete, since I had heard all about it.   It was fantastic.  Far better than the Greek wines my wine club focused on several months ago.   Mary promises new wines coming from Israel, North Fork, Long Island, former Soviet Georgia, Lebanon, all over.

I love how when you go to the bathroom, there is a tape on how to speak Korean.  The bad news, there's only one bathroom.   Other "bad" news, the wine list, thought eclectic, is expensive.  Yes, I know, so is the food.  The table next to us tried to split the diver scallop three ways.   When the restaurant is full (and it was halfway into our meal) -- it is super loud.

Panna cotta

Still, you'll find me worshipping at the altar of Saint Martha.   Perhaps, this is a good time to remind everyone I will write for food.