PhotoBite: They sought me out to hold the chopsticks

The food editors came to find me because they needed someone to hold dumplings with chopsticks for a food section photo shoot...

...because I'm Asian (I can only assume). :)

http://tweetphoto.com/10419910

(Noelle Carter, the Times' Test Kitchen Manager, shot a picture of the action and Tweeted about it.)

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I left my heart in Boston

Back in the daily grind after a blissful week-long trip to Boston which included, among many other things: cannolis from the North End, running in the snow, baking a cake, oysters and beer, fabulous wine and meandering all over Boston and Cambridge with three fantastic Boston friends. One of our stops was the highly-touted Top of the Hub restaurant and bar.

I'll chronicle all of our delicious culinary adventures on Frugal Nosh in the next couple of weeks, as I recover from the shell-shock of returning to work, upload my photographs, etc. Stay tuned.

And in the meantime, answer me this:

What do you love about Boston?

Photo: Top of the Hub, Boston, MA. Credit: maywong_photos

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Photo Bite: Mozza2Go

Ladies and gentlemen, I present: evidence of my inaugural Mozza2Go experience.

Thanks to some sweet coupon help from BlackboardEats (30% off), some foodie friends and I were able to indulge guilt-free at the trendy take-out sibling of Pizzeria Mozza and Osteria Mozza.

Our picks: a simple Margherita pizza with mozzarella, tomato & basil (shown at bottom left); the
Coach Farm goat cheese, leeks, scallions, garlic & bacon pizza (at top); and the star of the night: Fennel sausage, panna & red onion pizza. You can see the remains of it up in the top left corner there (saving the best part -- the crust -- for last).

Three pizzas and a homemade salad were plenty for four of us, as the pizzas are personal-sized and cut into four large slices. The service at the small storefront on Melrose was pleasant and very friendly -- my pizzas were ready on time, the man at the counter told me I ordered his two favorite pizzas (goat cheese and fennel sausage) and the shelves of fancy gourmet goods in the shop were neatly stocked. (Remember that "takeout" shouldn't translate to "no tip.")

Parking can be tough -- I found metered parking one block west on Melrose.

I'm planning on going again as soon as I can, so send me your recommendations:
What are your favorite Mozza pizzas? What are the other must-haves on the menu? If you've never been, check out the menu and tell us what you hope to try.


Mozza2Go
6610 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles 90038
323-297-1130
www.mozza2go.com

Photo credit: Kelsey Ramos

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Photo Bite: The best way to detox (from Frugal Nosh followers)

The other day I appealed to my Twitter community: "Trying to detox but just ate half a Krispy Kreme...what do you eat/drink to detox?" and got a lovely response. Thought I'd share:

Photo credit (L-R): Flickr users JOE M500, haleysuzanne, and craigCloutier

Follower patriciawayne divulges her secrets: "blackberries, pomegranates and green tea". I fully agree. I drink green tea every day and it is very cleansing and soothing.

Photo credit: Flickr user waynewhuang

Follower SheSimmers suggests something new (to me): "Yerba Mate - It kills my sugar craving." (Anyone have suggestions about where to buy good, not-too-expensive Yerba Mate?)

Photo credit: Flickr user looseends

and follower Ellie_Bee_ says simply: "soup!" (What a lovely suggestion. Probably doesn't mean clam chowder or bisque, unfortunately -- or fortunately.)

I've been pretty happy with my detox constants: a half cup of oatmeal with a small sprinkle of dried cranberries for breakfast; whole grains, big but not loaded salads (simple spinach will do) and lean proteins for lunch; holding off on desserts, office treats (like Krispy Kreme donuts, shudder) during the day and snacking on juicy pears or Clementine citrus instead, though sometimes I give in when my cubicle neighbor brings me a piece of dark chocolate.

What do you do to detox?

Stay up to date with other detox queries and food musings: follow @FrugalNosh on Twitter! (Thanks to my awesome followers!)



Photos all licensed under Creative Commons. Top photo links (L-R): pomegranate, blackberries, green tea.

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How to help send food to Haiti

The devastation after Tuesday's earthquake in Haiti is enough to move anyone to action.

Here are some organizations where you can donate food for relief support in Haiti: United Nations' World Food Programme, Red Cross, Oxfam America, and Action Against Hunger.

The Los Angeles Times also has journalists in Haiti, updating from the scene and the website has more resources for how you can help.

(Thanks to SeriousEats for the links, who referred them from Epi-Log.)

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BlackBoardEats.com: The most amazing cheap(er) eats resource in L.A. and N.Y.

Here's what you've got to do:

1. Go to http://blackboardeats.com.
2. Type in your little email.
3. Click subscribe.
4. Remember to snag those coupons the day they come out, and eat better than you ever have before.

"BlackboardEats is a free e-mail and website delivering exclusive deals on restaurants handpicked by seasoned food editors. We also highlight the best food-related specials LA and NY have to offer, including prix fixe discounts, tasting events, weekly dinner bargains and more.

Unlike other sites that focus on the newest openings, BlackboardEats features both hot spots and hidden gems—some of which are new, some of which have been around for years. And we cover everything from the fancy to the no-frills...just as long as the place rocks."
-- From the BlackBoardEats.com "About" section

To give you a taste, in the past couple of weeks, I've gotten a 30% off coupon to Mozza2Go (where I've been dying to go but have stubbornly balked at the idea of $15 paninis and $12 green beans -- I know, I know, I'm really cheap), and a 30% to La Cabañita in Glendale (where I didn't know I really wanted to go but do now). Already BlackBoardEats has fulfilled its mission to "feature both hot spots and hidden gems." Applause.

Now, I'm not saying these are even in spitting-range of the low, low, low prices of $1.50 Diddy Riese, Buck Fifty's, or, goodness forbid, Yamato's famed happy-hour sushi. Some of them are pretty stinkin amazing restaurants, after all, and the prices reflect that. But for cheapies who still enjoy a little splurge sometimes (as long as the grub is fantastically worth it), this is your pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Take note: I missed a good discount to Orris, though, because I hadn't quite gotten the hang of the system.

To save you from Liz Lemon's "somebody ate my Sandwich-Day sandwich" feeling ("30 Rock" fans, eh, eh?), here's the lowdown: when you get an email with an offer, you have to click the link that day to get the deal, or it's gone forever (until next time).

After that, you can chill: you usually have a month to use it once you've obtained.

Tried a restaurant that changed your life and all the credit goes to a heads-up from BlackBoardEats.com? Or do you hate the emails because you procrastinate and are just left with the feeling of regret for the food you didn't get cheaply? Leave us a comment below.

RELATED:
Photo Bite: Mozza2Go

Photo licensed for use under Creative Commons. Credit: pneyu

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Photo Bite: our holiday table

In my family, much of the holiday celebrations revolve around a centerpiece of our home: the dining table.

There was a lot of celebrating going on this season: Thanksgiving with some extended family, plenty of variations of Christmas meals (Eve dinner, Day brunch, Day dinner, Day-after lunch). And I noticed how the small things about our dining table made the bigger things -- our family, our conversation -- more special.

So, appropriately for the day after Christmas, today's Photo Bite is a highlight of some of my family's holiday tables from this season.

Thanksgiving: white tablecloths, accents of color in the candlesticks, pretty bottles with sprigs of fresh lavender from the garden, bottles of chilled water for easy refills:

Christmas: holiday dishes, regal candlesticks, cloth napkins, jingle-bell napkin rings -- and lots of sweet treats for dessert:

How were your holidays? Does your family or group of friends celebrate with any special touches?

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Photo Bite: Happy breakfasts

Sometimes when I'm sitting at work, I dream of happy breakfasts. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, read (and look) on.

Photo credit: Flickr user lizzardo

These are not to be confused with average, run-of-the-mill breakfasts, like this one (great drawing, by the way.)

Photo credit: Flickr user Kaptain Kobold

Though these often happen and even have their bright sides (sometimes, oatmeal with a sprinkle of brown sugar and dried cranberries just hits the spot), happy breakfasts are much more special. You know what I'm talking about:

They can be very simple, like frozen waffles with those adorable grids that you can methodically fill with syrup, a fun "dippy" egg (what my sister and I used to call over-easy eggs when we were younger) or just a cleverly arranged plate, which can turn average toast and jam with coffee into...art:

Photo credit: Flickr user ::: M @ X :::

Or, happy breakfasts can be a little more intentional. Friends of mine used to make chocolate chip pancakes slathered with peanut butter every Sunday morning before church, a wonderful treat whenever I was lucky enough to be invited to sleep over on a Saturday night.

And here, simple jellied cranberry sauce and a run-in with a heart-shaped cookie cutter makes ordinary pineapple into a loveable treat.

Photo credit: Flickr user Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton

However, my not-so-secret secret is that most of my breakfast dreams are saturated with images of happy pancakes -- and I'm not choosy. Give me buttermilk or multigrain, apple chunks or fresh berries, decadent chocolate chips or just simply dotted with syrup and I'll quite honestly consider falling in love with you...or at least just your generous pancakey gesture.

My happy breakfast definition is not limited to just home-cooking, although that's a huge majority of it for the comfort/ease factors. Two words: Snug Harbor. You'll argue with me, as every person has their favorite breakfast getaway and L.A. is one of the meccas of good breakfast (The Griddle, Toast, Mexican restaurant feasts), but I will fight back. Snug Harbor has some of the best breakfast food my tummy has ever digested.

Now I want to know: what's your happy breakfast? Tell us in the comments below.

Photo credit: Flickr user framboise

All photos licensed for use under Creative Commons.

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