I recently had the opportunity to have a private tour and sampling at Madame Chocolat in Beverly Hills, by Madame Chocolat herself, Hasty Torres (yes, she is the wife of famed chocolatier Jacques Torres).

The boutique doesn’t scream from the sidewalk, but once you are inside, you’re completely transported. The look is Ladurée meets Versailles, with a high tech laboratory in the back (ask about the imported machinery). The Louis XVI theme lends a unique appeal to the space that doesn’t really exist elsewhere in Los Angeles, as everyone is focusing on minimalism and up to the minute design, Madame Chocolate is over-the-top opulence. A custom chandelier (if you look carefully, the Madame’s logo is mingling with the crystal) hangs over a table topped with an Eiffel Tower replica. Don’t forget to look up; the ceiling is my favorite part of the décor. There are also two flat panel displays, showing videos of the production of chocolate, as well as chocolate artistry taking place in the kitchen. The “factory” behind the counter is set up for viewing from the boutique and is a stark contrast. Madame Chocolat fits perfectly in Beverly Hills, but feels more like stepping into a Paris shop, there are even a couple tables to sit and enjoy your chocolate and espresso, or unusual Ticolino tea.

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A mixed bag of plain and spinach garganelli from Emilia-Romagna had been patiently waiting in my cupboard for the perfect application. Nothing rich and saucy came along, so instead, I decided to try it with this basic lemon and oil preparation.

Garganelli (which, not very appetizingly, translates to “small esophagus”) is thin, rolled tube pasta, ridged to most effectively hold sauce. It is sometimes difficult to find, but available in some gourmet food shops, or to order online. Or, if it is an option for you, it can be made by hand, which involves a little more patience than typical pasta, as it must be “combed” and then hand-formed. Garganelli works best as sauce-holding pasta, for which penne could be substituted, but I think it also works nicely with a dish like this. The noodles are substantial, a little bit toothy, and the ridges manage to keep each piece coated with the thin ingredients and olive oil in this recipe. It’s a great choice if you love the actual pasta component of a pasta dish as much as its added ingredients.

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The redundancy of “simple green salad” seems to be unavoidable, but as the seasons change, there is an endless possibility of salads that can manage to be interesting and still very simple. This is a good example; Bibb lettuce dressed with supremed Ruby Red grapefruit, blood orange, shaved jicama, and tart citrus vinaigrette.

Choose healthy looking, mature heads of lettuce with a good weight, as these tend to carry the most tender interior leaves. I prefer the lettuce that is sold living, that is, with the roots intact, and contained in a private dome. Bibb lettuce is named after its developer, John Bibb, it is a butterhead lettuce, and the variations may be labeled as butter or limestone lettuce. One head of Bibb lettuce usually serves 2 people.

Obviously, this is not so much a recipe, but a suggestion to the effect that basically any citrus can be used. However, the contrast of the edge-of-bitter Ruby Red grapefruit, and the depth of blood orange make for a perfect combination. If you aren’t familiar with jicama (which has become very widely available), it is a tuberous root, with a turnipy exterior. Inside, the root looks similar to a raw potato or pear, and has a starchy, crisp apple-like flavor.

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If you aren’t familiar with this particular variety, the Romanesco, a chartreuse, conical cauliflower, almost looks unreal. It is striking in beauty, and has an interesting story as well. The physical attributes are precisely explained on the Rungis website: “Its shape is a perfect illustration of the mathematical principle of fractals; a fractal being an object presenting self-similarity. In this case, all florets are identical to one another even though the size may change, and if each one were magnified, it would be an exact replica of a Romanesco cauliflower. Another mathematical curiosity: the florets grow in a spiral, one after another, according to a rhythm called the Fibonacci series, following the famous golden number, origin of all aesthetic harmony according to the Renaissance artists”. The Romanesco is also sometimes referred to as broccoli, and it seems to be unclear exactly which category describes it best, because it has such an astonishing identity of its own.

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Citrus at Social Hollywood is the venture of restaurateur Jeffrey Chodorow and acclaimed chef Michel Richard. It is housed alongside Chodorow’s Social Hollywood at the historically significant Hollywood Athletic Club. There is a lot of political discussion regarding Chodorow’s reputation in the industry, but it is easy to put aside when a name like Richard is thrown in. Michel Richard’s Citrus on Melrose, which closed years ago, was one of the few restaurants in Los Angeles’ history to be famous not only for its scene, but the food. With a combination of his traditional French, and modern approach, Richard was a pivotal force in the direction of California cuisine, his absence left a mark on the city. Residing in Washington D.C. (where he plans to stay for now), Richard heads his well-known restaurant, Citronelle. The chosen Chef de Cuisine at the new Citrus is Rémi Lauvand. Raised in southwest France, Lauvand paved his career working with Michelin 2-star Gerard Pangaud, then in the U.S. as a Sous-Chef at New York’s La Grenouille. In the late 80s Lauvand worked with Daniel Boulud for five years at Le Cirque, and then in 1997, became Executive Chef of the famed Montrachet. Before extensive training under Michel Richard for this position, he worked as Executive Chef for Miro at Bacara Resort in Santa Barbara. Enough about names and titles, on to the restaurant and food…

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Here is an elegant dessert that relies on its own simplicity, any extra complication would distract from the simple flavor combination. This is also a good alternative to the typical wine poached pear, here the focus is on the pear, not overdone, and cleanly flavored. It’s important to not overcook the pear, which leaves it mushy.

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Did you know the name Farfalle (that most of us know as bow-tie pasta) comes from the Italian word farfalla, for butterfly?

The addition of fennel, which relaxes into a mellow, sweet flavor when cooked, really makes this dish (delicious hot or chilled) unique. The almond pesto adds textural interest as well as a smooth nutty flavor.

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It’s been unusually cold and rainy in Southern California lately and this pureed soup is really comforting, even more so when you know that every ingredient is good for you. I’m always impressed with chowdery soups that manage to not contain any cream (Le Pain Quotidien is an expert). This recipe is simple, but it is critical that you use the freshest, most flavorful, and of course, preferably organic produce. Rich homemade stock really adds a nice depth to the flavor, and the addition of an ear of corn adds a bit to the creaminess and smooth finish. If you make this soup in advance, the flavors become more complex and it seems as though the consistency thickens up a little as well, making it perfect to dip crusty baguette into.

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In the neighborhood of some of the world’s most revered fashion houses, famous restaurants, and art galleries, Melrose Heights, lies comme Ça, Chef David Myers’ (of Sona) latest venture into bringing significant cuisine to Los Angeles. The menu is traditional Parisian brasserie style, featuring many French classics. I will focus on brunch because I’ve found several dinner reviews of comme Ça, but few daytime accounts.

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It may seem odd to have an icy dessert posted in January, but it can be surprisingly refreshing after a rich meal. Also, for many parts of the country, it seems that no one told the weather it was winter. Since they are in season, I thought blood orange would be a nice hint of flavor to the plain yogurt. Yes, this dessert is a little sour, but real frozen yogurt does not taste like candy - and if you are a fan of Pinkberry or the other tangy frozen “yogurts” that are so popular, you should love this. In this recipe, based on Patricia Wells’ classic and clean version, it isn’t just yogurt poured into the ice cream machine, though it is still almost embarrassingly simple.

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