Drago Centro and Syrup

This year for my birthday, I didn't want to do anything too extravagant and over the top.  I had mixed feelings about this year... celebrating 26 years on this Earth after all... I know 26 isn't a high number, and I have so much to look forward to, but nonetheless.. I got some of the birthday blues.  So after a bit of convincing I decided to DO IT UP! At the end of this month, I will be having a co-celebration with my dear friend Chef ChaCha and our very good friends will be joining us.  On the day of my birthday, 2 of my friends, David and Cruz, wanted to take me out to Bottega Louie in DTLA.  I was extremely excited!!! I had never been to Bottega Louie and had been dying to go.  We got there about 9pm and there was an hour and a half wait.  I would have stayed and waited, but at that point I was going to pass out from starvation (not exactly the type of attention I wanted on my birthday).  So after some quick thinking and yelping, Cruz suggested Drago Centro, an upscale Italian restaurant. The service was friendly and prompt but the food... to die for.  I had THE BEST pasta experience I have EVER had.  It was one of those foodie moments that you think about days after you leave the restaurant.  Its been weeks now, I am still think fondly of my experience at Drago Centro.   Even though it's a pricey joint, it was worth every pretty penny.  In case you want to check it out: Drago Centro

l’insalata di farro: farro, chick peas, olives, pancetta, champagne vinaigrette.  This is NOT what I expected when I ordered this salad.  I was expecting a regular salad with mixed greens as one of the main components, but this was a great surprise and I enjoyed every tasty morsel!  I loved the crispy pancetta placed on top!   

il salmone: salmon, crispy polenta, asparagus, peas, salsif.  The salmon had a great sear and tasted great! I loved the crispy polenta that is wrapped up!

la bistecca: new york steak, rapini, pomme delphine, saltimbocca sauce.  A favorite at the table a well!

THE REASON I fell in love with Drago Centro.  gli spaghetto allo scoglio: made with hard durum spaghetti, seafood ragout, spicy tomato, herbs. THE BEST PASTA I HAVE EVER EATEN!! In house made pasta was amazing! The pasta had a great chew or bite to it, the sauce has amazing depth of flavor and seafood was cooked to perfection! Just blogging about it makes me want to go back! Yes, it was that damn good!

After dining at Drago Centro we ventured over to Syrup Desserts. It was a great way to end the night and the atmosphere was very relax and you could tell they wanted people to stick around.  This bi-level dessert shop had a variety of board games tucked on a shelf for patrons to enjoy.

A portrait of DTLA painted on the upper level of the shop, if you look closely, you can see the games on the right side

amazing friends that took me on foodie adventures for my birthday!

Strawberry Shortcake.... yummmmmmmers

What does a girl want for her birthday? How about a birthday crepe and we call it a day. :)

Chicken Pot Pie

For the past few months, I have been bombarded with paperwork from work.  It is a part of my job so I try not to complain about it, and hey, I have a job, so I am happy.  But nonetheless, I get overwhelmed and frustrated at times with all this crazy paperwork.  So my escape from it all is to cook my little heart out.  I am usually not super confident in my cooking and there are a few things here and there that I am actually pretty good at.  One of those things: Chicken Pot Pie.  One of my favorite meals that is eaten out of a bowl.  I do little things here an there to change up my recipe and spice things up, but the main components are pretty consistent.  I always have a mixture of white and dark meat from a chicken, onions, mushrooms, chicken stock, some heavy cream and puff pastry dough.  I also add a variety of spices depending on my mood and what I have on hand.  Since I was swamped with paperwork, I cut some corners and bought a rotisserie chicken from Costco and frozen puff pastry dough.  I was happy with the results and my only regret is that I did not get a picture of the filling.  (Once that pie was done, I dug into it as soon as it was safe enough to eat!)

I made 4 pot pies and these were the ones that puffed up perfectly! The 4th needed some more love in the oven, so I popped it in while taking this photo.  Pot Pie consisted of: white and dark meat chicken, sauteed onions, garlic, mushrooms, sweet corn, a bit of heavy cream, chicken stock and paprika that was cooked in a pot prior to baking in the oven.  After filling the ramekins, I topped them with puff pastry dough, brushed on an egg wash and chives, then sent them into the oven.  20 minutes later they were ready! :)

This pot pie didn't fully puff up and there was a break in the dough while baking.  But I found it so beautiful. Plus it was a little peek-a-boo moment for the pie saying to me, "Hey, check me out! I am beautiful inside."  I added some sliced up baked potatoes rubbed with paprika, garlic salt and Cajun spices served with chives and Greek yogurt.  

Lomo Saltado

Lomo Saltado... a staple in Peruvian cuisine, that also happens to be one of my friend David's favorite foods.  When my dear friend found out that I had never tried Lomo Saltado, he quickly picked me up and brought me to his favorite place, Los Balcones del Peru in Los Angeles.  The entire meal was incredibility flavorful and I was inspired to make Lomo Saltado at home! 

The purple drink that is made with maze (I can't remember the name of it) and Inca Cola , both really yummy!

Ceviche BP (left to right): Ceviche with thinly sliced red onions, yucca and yam, Calamari. Supper Supper Yummy!! 

The dish that inspired me to make my own: Lomo Saltado! The fries soaked up the juices from the steak and veggies.  So so good!

My version of Lomo Saltado.  I looked up a few recipes, took the general ingredients and played around with it.  It came out great and I was so happy! I used Rib Eye Steak (marinated in rice vinegar, soy sauce, oil, garlic and pepper), tomatoes, sliced red onions (also marinated in the same marinate as the steak) and baked potato fries.  I will be making this again!! :)