With the weather finally beginning to feel like summer, and Memorial Day just around the corner, I was searching the internet for a good meat market in preparation to fire up the BBQ. I kept coming across The Huntington Meats at the original Farmers Market at 3rd and Fairfax in L.A.. While searching their web site, I learned that they make a special raw dog food. Although information about raw foods for humans is everywhere you look these days, it usually pertains to a vegetarian diet. I had never thought about it for pets. Since I have a sixteen year old dog at home who has always eaten “people food”, and three adopted dogs in the city that eat beef roast and baked chicken on a daily basis, I wanted to check it out. On the days that I work, the dogs in my life eat better than I do!
The Huntington Meats is exactly the kind of meat market that makes you want to cook. They have a beautiful assortment of handmade sausages that they prepare daily from pork, chicken and lamb and contain no sodium nitrates or preservatives. The market also offers a huge array of Harris Ranch Beef, Boars Head meats and cheeses, hams and condiments. They have won polls for providing the #1 New York Steak in L.A.. You can order specialty cuts of meat for any occasions or for the Holidays. I have always wanted to try preparing a crowned roast and they said to just order it ahead of time and they’ll tell me how to do it.
But this visit was about the dog food. I met John, a meat cutter who has been cutting meat for 25 years. Dan, one of the owners, has been cutting meat for 40 years, so these guys know their meat! John said that the raw dog food is made of a mixture of cheeses, ends of ham, hearts, kidneys, liver and spleen. They grind the ingredients, mix it and then grind it a second time. Then they freeze the mixture and cut it into squares. It’s sold in a 3lb bag for $2.98. John said to mix it with kibble the first few times so the dog can get used to it, after that, you can give it to them straight. The raw food should be kept in the freezer. You can take a portion and put it in fridge to thaw slowly the night before you serve it to your pet. Because of the fine grind, you want to thaw slow to prevent bacteria, just like you do with the meat you eat yourself. I was told not to cook it, just break it up. I’m not condoning or condemning the practice of feeding your pet raw meat, but if concerned, there are a lot of articles on the internet that you can read about it. Here is a link to one you might enjoy.
I found it interesting to learn that the raw foods craze was not just for humans, but that it might be a good idea for certain pets as well. Maybe not all pets, like an older dog who has digestive problems. Everyone has to make their own choices about what they feel are the best ingredients for themselves and their pets. If you have concerns, you should talk to your vet but I can tell you that my city dogs, Malcolm, Lulu and Buck all seemed to love it! I really like the idea that a beautiful, quality meat market has thought about my dog’s needs as well as my own. It makes sense.
Huntington Meats will also ship any of their products throughout the U.S. You can visit their web site, or call them at 323-938-5383 for more info.
I was driving through L.A. the other day and noticed a brightly colored building with the words Tea Bar, Market and Cafe on it. Three words that I love! I drove around the block to park and what I discovered was T Salon, a beautiful store and cafe completely devoted to Tea. I personally have not seen this much tea in one place since visiting the Mariage Freres tea house in Paris. One wall of T Salon is completely devoted to various blends of tea stored in large tins. They were categorized by type of tea-black tea, green tea, organic, etc.
The young woman who approached me in the market was very knowledgeable, and by asking me various questions, she was able to pull down from the wall three blends for me to experience. With tea, for myself, it’s all about aroma. I ended up choosing a specialty blended Black Tea called “Whispering Heaven”. This tea contains a black rose congou base infused with grapefruit and hibiscus notes. It was very aromatic and delicious.
It all sounds kind of like the blending of perfume and it’s no wonder. The first T Salon, located in the Chelsea Market in New York, was founded in 1992 by Miriam Nouvalle, who many years ago worked as a “nose” in the perfume industry. After leaving that business and moving to Europe and Asia, Miriam was able to use her experience and knowledge to manifest her tea vision. The Los Angeles stored opened about seven months ago.
Both stores have an interesting calendar of events. They also offer a huge selection of tea accessories, iced teas on tap and fresh seasonal foods prepared in their cafe, some made with tea as an ingredient!
Miriam has created an environmentally responsible business that is fun to shop in and beautiful as well. The T Salon’s comprehensive web site gives all the details of what they do to leave as little footprint as possible. I really enjoyed my visit to the Los Angeles location! You can find T Salon at 7111 Melrose Ave..
Driving from San Pedro to Redondo Beach today, via Rancho Palos Verdes Estates, I had a great “Market Moment”! First, I had never taken that route before and it turned out to be some of the most breathtaking California coastline that I’ve seen. Second, as I was driving along Palos Verdes Drive W., out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the word market on the side of a 50’s looking building so I made the first u-turn I could find and went back. What I walked into is a truly authentic neighborhood market that has been operated by four generations of the Moore family. Having started in the grocery business in Arizona in 1905, the Moore’s have been in business in Rancho Palos Verdes since 1932. Four generations devoting their entire working careers to serving the community through this market! I love that! That is the American Dream in a way that we don’t see or experience very often in today’s world.
The market was really clean and had everything you might need spur of the moment, like a greeting card, firewood on a cold night or oil for your car. In addition, it had everything you would need to throw a great dinner party, a full service meat department featuring Harris Ranch Beef, fresh and frozen fish, a deli (hot and cold), nice wine selection and a good sized produce department. I don’t know what it is that gives me good feelings when I walk into a store like this, but I think it’s what we lack in the shopping experience of the mega-stores. It’s the owners knowing your name and what your preferences are, it’s the care that goes into the day to day running of the business from an entrepreneurs perspective, it’s knowing that this family’s livelihood comes from serving the community.
I know I can be a bit of a sap, always mentioning the nostalgia of it all when it comes to small markets, but I still think it matters. While I was in the store today, one of the customers said she had been coming there her whole life. The lovely couple who was running the market, and gave me the information about it’s history, said that you’ll find fewer and fewer family owned markets because of cost. I hope the Moore’s stick around for at least four more generations and thrive. They don’t have a web site for me to link to, but you’ll find Moore’s Lunada Bay Market at 2201 Palos Verdes Drive West in Palos Verdes Estates. They did give me a brochure about the business and in it was a quote by John Forte: “Its better to compensate the grocer than the doctor.” I couldn’t agree more. Support your neighborhood market!
Owens Market is a charming neighborhood grocery store in Los Angeles that reminds me of a market in the small mid western town where I grew up. When I stumbled upon it while working my day job, I was immediately taken by nostalgia. Originally opened in the 1950’s, and now owned by party planner Mindy Weiss, this market has everything you want in a neighborhood store. Everyday and gourmet ingredients, organic produce, a beautiful meat department and a deli where you can purchase sandwiches, prepared foods and daily specials like Tacos or BBQ. They also have a small, fresh salad bar. I went in for a Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil sandwich with olive oil, salt and pepper on Ciabatta, which was really fresh and filling! I was able to sit at a table in the front of the store and enjoy watching people enjoy shopping while eating my lunch. Mindy has done a great job at creating an environment that makes you want to shop, eat and cook! My favorite hobbies! Check out Owens Market if you’re in the neighborhood. You’ll find it at Pico and Roxbury, Los Angeles.
I was driving through West Los Angeles at 2:00 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon, starving to the desperate point of looking for fast food. I despise drive thru’s, but once in a while, you just have to fill up and keep on with your business of the day. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a brick building, the old school kind that fill many small towns in America. Along the side was a huge awning with the word “Clementine”. I thought it looked interesting enough for me to drive around for blocks trying to get to it. When I finally reached my destination, which was not easy, I found parking right in front. People were sitting outside eating on a perfect Spring-like day, so I took my perfect L.A. parking as a sign that I should stop in for lunch. I am so glad that I did!
Clementine turned out to be the kind of food that I love, homemade, seasonal food with ingredients purchased at local farmers markets. The place was bustling inside, even though for most working people, lunch time was over. They serve a great assortment of salads, soups, sandwiches, breakfast all day and sweets. You can see in the photo, most sweets were gone by the time I arrived. They also sell heat at home entrees which looked like healthy comfort food. See the menus on their web site. I had the yummy Winter Spinach Salad with apples, cranberries, walnuts and blue cheese dressing, and a fresh squeezed limeade to drink. You order at the counter and the servers bring your meal to the table, very friendly and quick. I was in lunch heaven! I’m so glad that awning caught my attention. I know the rest of my day was better because instead of fast food, I sat in a cozy environment enjoying fresh food. It reminded me that a few extra minutes are worth the mental and physical benefits of putting good ingredients in the body. Find them at 1751 Ensley Ave. off of Santa Monica Blvd. On the opposite side of Century City mall.
When you want to cook Italian, it’s hard to get excited about it when shopping in a regular supermarket. One aisle of salt induced tomato products and basic pasta. When I really want to get into the experience of cooking Italian, I go to one of the six Claro’s Italian Markets throughout Southern California. Claro’s was started in 1948 in San Gabriel, near Los Angeles, by Joe Claro and his wife Mary. It is still a family owned business and you can feel it when you walk in their stores. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and my favorite part, taste testing whatever I want at the deli counter. Even though the one I went to today, in Upland, is in a non-de-script strip mall, once you walk through the door, you know you’re in for a different shopping experience.
Claro’s has a great selection of imported and domestic Italian groceries. I have never seen so many tomato products, including a huge variety of San Marzano tomatoes, the best! They also carry a large array of olives, beans, canned tuna, the kind you enjoy in Italy, polenta and pastas. They sell a nice selection of wine, obviously mostly Italian but they also have an assortment of Greek, French and Argentinean wine as well. The deli is stocked with various Italian cheeses, cured meats and their own Italian sausage in many varieties. People line up at the deli to get sandwiches “to go” so avoid the lunch rush. I think what Claro’s may be best known for are their sweets. Do not go in here hungry! They have a huge assortment of cookies and breads. The one I can’t leave without is their own Pizelles, which are a flat anise flavored waffle cookie.
Before I went in the market today, I printed out a few recipes from their web site so I could be a bit more focused in my shopping in order to make a great Italian dinner tonight. The entire experience of cooking has already started out on an inspirational note because of my trip to Claro’s today. Salute!
I had not eaten much Vietnamese food before going to Number Nine Noodles and Beer in Long Beach; CA. Wow, was I in for a great surprise! The owners are young entrepreneurs who had previously owned the Downbeat Café in Los Angeles and who also currently own The Vintage Collective, next door to Number Nine.
I asked them why Vietnamese, especially since she is from Barcelona and he from Southern California? Their response was that they love the food and felt it was poorly represented in Long Beach. They wanted to do a pho restaurant exactly how they would like it: good design, groovy music, plenty of killer beers, 100% natural meats, quality ingredients, nice servers, clean and with a stream-lined menu of just the staples. I think they hit the nail on the head!!
When there, I tried the vegetarian spring rolls, which are served cold and have a wonderful explosion of flavor from the fresh mint, thai basil and cilantro. They also include lettuce, pan-seared tofu, shiitake mushrooms, vermicelli noodles, daikon and carrot pickle, with peanut sauce on the side. I also tried the Chicken Pho, rice noodle soup that comes with an herb plate that contains bean sprouts, lime, thai basil, jalapenos and cilantro. The flavors made my mouth happy! TK had the Banh Mi, a Vietnamese sandwich. He chose the barbequed pork which comes with a sriracha mayo and sliced jalapenos, and is served with shrimp chips. It was quite large with just the right amount of heat. For desert, we chose ginger infused crème brulee, a nice twist to the classic with just a hint of spice. Really different and really good!
The atmosphere is sleek and modern, but casual, a nice neighborhood spot on 4th street. It’s the kind of place you want to go to with friends after a busy day. The wine and beer selections are excellent and their cocktails look interesting as well. Next time I have to try the Hanoi Bellini.
When in Long Beach, check it out, your taste buds, as well as the rest of your senses will thank you!
In my last post, I mentioned Veggie Burgers, and while talking about buying them at Gerrards Market in Redlands, a friend said she had just made a batch from scratch. I am not a vegetarian but I do like to eat like one at times, so I asked her to share her recipe. She calls them Lentil Walnut Burgers. I made them last night for dinner and like her, put extras in the freezer for future quick healthy meals. Her recipe included a Carrot Avocado Dressing, which is amazing! I only used 1/2 cup of carrot juice, less than the recipe called for, just to make it thicker. (I have a habit of never following a recipe exactly as written!) The walnut in the burgers gave them a really nice texture. I browned them in olive oil on top of the stove but I think next time, I’ll bake them in the oven which is what I like to do with falafel’s. Along with the avocado dressing, I topped the burgers with cheddar, tomato and onions. It was really filling and a great alternative to a big beefy burger, although I’m not completely giving that up! This recipe was super easy and most definitely better than any frozen patty you can get in a box at the grocery store. Let me know if you try them!
Lentil Walnut Burgers
3/4 c lentils
1 ½ c water
2 T apple cider vinegar
1 T olive oil
1 c onion
5 garlic gloves
½ c minced walnut
1 t salt
½ lb fresh minced spinach
1t dry mustard
½ c wheat germ or bread crumbs
Add lentils to water and bring to a boil. Simmer 30 minutes or until dry, transfer to a bowl. Add vinegar and mash.
Heat oil in large skillet. Add onion and cook 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients except wheat germ/bread crumbs and sauté 5-10 minutes. Transfer to large bowl.
Add wheat germ to ingredients and mix well. Adjust seasoning. Chill for 1 hour.
To make patties:
Form lentil mix into patties with your hands. You can either brown them in a skillet with some olive oil or bake them. I love to freeze the patties by forming the patties and stacking them with wax paper in between and putting in a big zip lock freezer bag. You can then take them out individually for a quick lunch or dinner. Or for something a bit fancier, cook the patty and top with the following delicious sauce (my favorite):
Carrot Avocado Dressing
2 ripe avocados, peeled and seeded
1 garlic clove
1 1/2 cups fresh carrot juice
1 tsp oregano
2 scallions, minced
Braggs (liquid amino acids) to taste
Blend all ingredients. Chill and garnish with scallions
I love to visit out of the way grocery stores/markets that I have never been to before, especially if they specialize in something unique. I recently heard about a neighborhood market in Redlands, CA that had been there since 1930. I thought I had better check it out.
The place is called Gerrards and it truly does sit in a beautiful old neighborhood full of vintage Craftsman style homes. It’s a charming area. They are a small market that specializes in British items, an old school butcher and what I was looking forward to, their special Veggie Burgers made in the store. Gerrards has a really fun selection of specialty candies like Cadbury’s Flake, Cherry Ripe, Crunchie and Boost candy bars. I had never heard of them, but my friend from Australia, who made the trek to the store with me, had grown up with these candies. She called them “lollies”? They also had a lot of jams, teas, chutneys and a zillion condiments that you don’t see in a regular grocery.
The deli food looked super fresh with items like mac n cheese, mexican casseroles, home made salsas and guacamole. They are known for their butcher and the meat did look really fresh. My friend and I both purchased ready-made items like meatloaf, feta stuffed chicken breasts and stuffed mushrooms. I love being able to get really good, fresh meals that have been made in advance that you can freeze. It’s convenience without being processed.
If you live in the Inland Empire, or travel between the coast and the desert, Gerrards is worth the jump off the freeway. Even though this would probably not be the only market where I would shop if I lived in the neighborhood, I would certainly be in there a few times a week. Unique food items, good quality, great service and an atmosphere of another time. I liked the nostalgic feeling I got while shopping there. Definitely worth the trip.
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These are some of my Inspired Ingredients for living a full life, always evolving, always changing, sometimes challenging but never boring! What are yours?
Playing in the kitchen and creating the life that I want to live everyday are my passions. I have realized over time how relaxing it is to be immersed in the kitchen, a home project, spending time outdoors or traveling. I love to cook. I especially like the planning process of cooking, searching books, shopping, the preparation. Most people hate to grocery shop, but I find the experience completely pleasurable when I can find a great market with the best ingredients you can buy, quality food products and amazing atmosphere. I share my hobby with my husband TK, who has his own business, TK Smith Design and Fabrication. It’s not that I’m a great cook, I’m certainly not a chef, so this site is not about me giving expert advise, there are plenty of resources for that! I know how people are if they’re expecting professional advise from a chef! Please be kind! Cooking is my hobby, not my profession.
At Inspired Ingredients, we’ll shop in interesting markets, share stories and recipes, (hopefully yours!) travel, hang out with friends, entertain, stay in, and look at what makes everyday life the good life. At times we’ll talk to experts, and at other times we’ll talk to friends, neighbors, grandmothers. I’m glad you’re here, and I hope you’ll come by often and share your ideas too!
Jill
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