If you live in the Northeast corner of Los Angeles (and you’re like me), you’ve probably been jonesing for some serious ice cream. It seems to be one of the glaring omissions in the area—if you live in or around Highland Park, and you’re in need of a scoop, you’re pretty much stuck at Rite Aid.

Not that I have anything against Thrifty Ice Cream. I grew up on Chocolate Malted Crunch, and I still crave it now and again, but a drugstore is not an ice cream parlor. For that experience, I usually trek out to Alhambra for a Fosselman’s fix because nothing really fills that niche around here.

Or so I thought…and then I found Oasis Ice Cream.

Oasis is a proper Mexican ice cream parlor and juice bar hidden away on Monte Vista Street. And, get this: the ice cream and frozen yogurt are made in house every day by a very nice woman named Doris, who serves up over 20 flavors. She also takes a lot of pride in her fresh juices—she has a concoction for everything from acid reflux to weight loss—as well a huge menu of raspados, milkshakes, candy apples, chocolate bananas and even candy-coated marshmallows.

For our first trip, we tried the yogurt and the ice cream. I had a “small” sundae, which consisted of a hefty scoop of smooth-as-can-be chocolate-vanilla ice cream done up with whipped cream, sliced bananas and peanuts. My dining companion ordered a guava yogurt topped with raspberries, mangoes and trail mix.

While the ice cream was delicious, the frozen yogurt is the undeniable star at Oasis. Made with only yogurt, agave and fresh produce, the flavor is pure and strikes the perfect balance between tart and sweet. No soft serve here. The texture of each scoop is similar to a sorbet, and the flavors range from the expected (raspberry and coconut) to the unlikely (spinach and alfalfa). We sampled the spinach and alfalfa, and our minds were blown. Who would have thought?

The bionicos at Oasis also go the unexpected route. Instead of dousing it with the traditional condensed milk, only yogurt is used to a surprisingly satisfying effect. I liked the Oasis version, which wasn’t as sweet as your average bionico, but heavy with fruit and topped with the usual granola and coconut. It was definitely more “breakfast” than “dessert”. This one pictured here is a to-go version, but if you eat in, it’s served in an ice cream cup.

Now that I know about Oasis, I’ll definitely be a regular. Seriously, Doris is going to get sick of me.

–Valentina

Oasis
5526 Monte Vista St
Los Angeles, CA 90042

My friend Anh turned me on to this cool global art project by the Art House Co-op, an independent Brooklyn-based company that organizes global collaborative art projects.

The Concept: The Meal gives you and your food a chance to be featured in a real-life art exhibit. All you have to do is take a photo of yourself eating at 12pm EST on February 24—that’s next Friday. Then, you send in your photo, which will be featured online and in their storefront project space.

The Point: To “inspire a feeling of community across geographic and cultural boundaries.” Just think, you’ll be breaking bread with thousand of people all over the world.

The Rules: If you want to participate, you have to sign up by February 22 and make sure your photo submission is postmarked  by March 24.

Sign up here.

–Valentina

Me make pretzels? What were the chances? Pretty slim, actually, but ever since I got my new stand mixer, I’ve been pretty adventurous. I mean, this recipe even required yeast! Usually, that would be a deal breaker for me, but I took a chance.

And it was a rousing success.

I found the reasonably easy recipe on a great cooking blog called  Two Peas & Their Pod and followed it to a tee. The result was a whole lot of gorgeous little golden brown pretzel bites. They were quite the hit, and I’ll definitely be making them again.

Here’s what you need:

1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tbsp light brown sugar
1 package active dry yeast
3 oz. unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 tsp kosher salt
4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil
3 quarts water
3/4 cup baking soda
1 whole egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water

Here’s how you do it:

Put water, butter, sugar and yeast in the bowl of your mixer. Use the hook attachment to blend it. Let it stand for 5 minutes.

Now, add the salt and flour, mixing on low speed until it’s all combined. I used level 2 on my KitchenAid.

Knead the dough until it no longer sticks to the side of the bowl as shown above. It took about 2 minutes for me. If you’re kneading and kneading, and the dough is still sticking, add a tablespoon of flour. Keep adding little by little until you get the right consistency.

Remove the dough and place it in an oiled-up bowl. Cover with a towel and put it in a warmish place for about an hour. When you unveil it, the dough will have grown. Yeast is awesome!

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, but take one of the racks out first because you’ll need it to cool the pretzels.

So, now you have this giant ball of dough. Take it out of the bowl and separate it into 8 smaller balls. Like so:

The real fun is about to begin, but first, there’s just one thing: mix 3 quarts of water and 3/4 cups of baking soda in a big pan and start boiling. You should also make sure you have a greased cookie sheet ready.

Once you’ve got that going, take one of the balls and roll it into a long tube of dough—the recipe said 22 inches long. I was scared to mess up, so I used a measuring tape for the first one.

Cut the tube into inch-size pieces, then pinch them into shape.

Make sure you have that egg and water mixture ready because you’re going to need it in a second.

At this point, your water should be boiling with gusto. Drop about 5 pieces (don’t do more, or it will get overwhelming) at a time in the water and let them boil for 30 seconds and only 30 seconds. Time it! I didn’t on my first batch and they came out tasting disgustingly bitter. Seriously, use a timer.

To fish the pieces out, use a big slotted spoon. Let them drip for a sec, then drop onto the cookie sheet. Make sure they’re spaced out, or you’ll get a bunch of siamese twin bites. Brush the egg mixture on each piece and sprinkle with some more salt.

You can bake about 20 at a time. It took 15 minutes for me—you might be tempted to take them out early because they brown up quickly, but let it go at least 13 minutes and then test one because if they don’t bake long enough, the baking soda doesn’t cook off, and it’s gross.

And lookie what we have here! Can you believe it? They’re gorgeous and delicious. Use a spatula to transport them from the pan to the cooling rack. And start on your next batch.

Once they’re cooled down, serve ‘em up on a pretty plate. I made some cheese sauce to go with mine (I used the Two Peas and Their Pod recipe on the same page, but I added two chopped jalapenos for some spice), but some mustard would also do just fine.

Yes, this is a time-consuming venture, but I think it was worth it. They even keep their flavor once they go cold!

I think you should try it.

–Valentina

See more recipes:

Delicious Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies. No Kidding.

Spicy Cheese Ball Recipe (World’s Best)

Super-Healthy Chocolate Breakfast Smoothie Recipe

Dulce De Leche & Chocolate Cupcakes

Easy & Impressive Baklava

Classy Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers

How to Make Kimchi Soup

Perfect Ice Cream Sandwich

Coco-Mango Ice Cream—No Ice Cream Maker Necessary

Super Easy & Impressive Berry Trifle

Shallot Yogurt with Figs

I’ve never had a bad—or even just okay—meal at La Casita Mexicana. The small South LA restaurant, clad in vibrant colors, giant paper mâché produce and an Our Lady of Guadalupe painting, has become a legend in the 14 years it’s been around and for good reason.

Created by Jaime Martin del Campo and Ramiro Arvizu, La Casita is different by design. The goal of the two mustachioed chefs, who both hail from Jalisco, Mexico, is to challenge the Angelino perception of Mexican food by moving far beyond the standard combination plate.

The result is a large menu of imaginative dishes that draw from their “ancestral food heritage” and the recipes of their grandmothers. Regulars gush over their moles, chiles en nogada (a cream and pomegranate topped poblano pepper stuffed with spiced meat, nuts and fruits), and rather lovely seafood dishes. Not to mention their lemonade chia seeds—a must!

Devotees also go on and on about La Casita’s chilaquiles, and I felt so left out because I’d never tried them…until a recent sunday.

Now that I’ve had them, they’ve stamped my mind, much like those mole chilaquiles I had a few months back at CaCao in Eagle Rock. La Casita’s version come in few different variations: red, green, mole poblano, red or green pepian style (made with pumpkin seed, peanuts and chiles), and chipotle.

I ordered mine “divorced”, which means half red, half green. The fried tortillas chips are cut into small squares that stay relatively crispy, a true rarity. Usually, it’s soggy city when it comes to chilaquiles, which isn’t always a bad thing, but I loved the texture and the lack of soupiness here. And, of course, the sauces were spot on. So tangy and flavorful.

I ordered mine with two fried eggs, and things got even better when I yolked it up. Plus, the plate comes with a corn tortilla quesadilla, which just happens to be one of my favorite things in life!

Next time, I’m moving on to the mole poblano, then green pepian…I’ve got it all figured out.

I end every La Casita meal with their Churros con Cajeta, even if I’m stuffed. And I was. The short and sugary churros are filled with goat’s milk-made sweet, sweet caramel. Every crunchy, drippy bite is a little bit of heaven.

–Valentina

By the way, Sunday at about 1 is a great time to go. No traffic, no waiting list.

La Casita Mexicana
4030 E. Gage Ave.
Bell, CA

A long, long time ago, I posted about these cheese-filled poppers. I thought I’d unearth the recipe again since that big football game is happening this weekend, and everyone’s looking for ideas.  I’ll be making pretzels with cheese dip, myself,  and I look forward to the gorge-fest element of the day.

Click here to see the original post with the recipe. 

And here are some other recipes you might enjoy:

Super Bowl Snack: Spicy Cheese Ball Recipe (World’s Best)

Perfect Ice Cream Sandwiches

Pomegranate Guacamole

Elf Cafe-Inspired Shallot Yogurt with Figs Dip

Have fun!

–Valentina

First off, nobody is saying this is a healthy cookie. It’s neither low-fat nor low-calorie nor low-sugar. None of that is the point.

“What is the point?,” you ask. Well, part of it is that there’s some actual nutrition involved, and even more crucial is that these guys are delicious. They’re crisp, grainy in a good way, and a little salty with an appeal similar to that of McVities Digestives.

Perfect for the texture obsessed.

Being a big fan of whole grains, I’m always scouting for promising whole wheat cookie recipe, but almost all of them take a half-and-half approach—equal parts white and whole wheat flour—which seems gutless to me. I mean if you’re going to do it, then just do it. And that’s what this recipe does.

No pussyfootin’ around with the complex carbs here. I’m talking 100% whole wheat flour, baby.

The blessed recipe I used is from Kim Boyle’s Good to the Grain cookbook, which I will be purchasing pronto. I found it on Molly Wizenberg’s popular blog Orangette while looking for a way to break in my new stand mixer.

The cookies are quick and easy to make, and so far everyone who’s tried them has been really into them.

Here’s what you need:

3  cups of whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tsp of  baking powder

1 tsp of baking soda

1 1/2 tsp of kosher salt (go get some, it makes a difference)

2 8 oz sticks of cold unsalted butter (cut into half-inch cubes)

1 cup of  dark brown sugar

1 cup of sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp of vanilla extract

8 oz of bittersweet chocolate chips

Here’s how you do it:

Preheat oven to 350. Place one wire rack on the bottom third of the oven and one at the top third of the oven.

Step 1. Combine and whisk together all the dry ingredients (minus the chocolate chips): flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt.  Set aside.

Step 2. In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, using a paddle attachment, blend the butter and sugars together for about two minutes. Use a low setting and be thorough.

Step 3. Add the eggs one at a time, making sure each is well blended before adding the next.

Step 4. Drop the vanilla in. Blend some more, then scape the sides of the bowl.

Step 5. Dump the flour mixture into with the wet stuff and blend. Don’t overdo it—it just needs about a minute.

Step 6. Chocolate chip time. Pour ‘em in and blend again until you have a nice, even batter with everything all mixed in.

Step 7.  Use an ice cream scoop to drop the batter onto a cookie sheet that’s either lined with parchment paper or buttered. This recipe makes about 20 giant cookies, so if you want smaller cookies use about a tablespoon and a half.  Oh, and give them space because they spread out a lot.  Orangette recommends 3 inches apart and about 8 cookies per sheet. I flattened mine so that they would be crispy.

Step 8. Place them in the oven. If you’re doing two sheets at a time, place one on the top rack and one on the bottom. If you’re just doing one, place it on either rack. Set your timer for 8 minutes. When time is up, switch the sheets to the opposite rack. Bake for about 8 more minutes or until cookies are golden brown.

Enjoy!

–Valentina

A decent donut is a fairly easy find, but a stellar one? That can be an enigma unless you’re willing to drive to Inglewood or Glendora, which is quite a commitment to quench one little donut craving.

It’s not like there’s a shortage of donut shops on this side of town. They’re as ubiquitous in this corner as any other in Los Angeles—just pull into any strip mall, and you can probably emerge with a bearclaw or cruller in seconds. No sweat.

But, let’s be honest: it will most likely be just so-so, all kinds of ho-hum, a little waxy, on the dry side, too dense, or just plain eh.

You deserve better.

That’s why I’m letting you in on the best kept donut secret in Highland Park/Hermon (it’s right on the cusp, so I’m not sure which neighborhood it’s actually in). If you passed by it, you wouldn’t even give it a second glance. There’s no gigantic, beacon-like donut sign to reel you in, no buzz to spark your curiosity….nothing.

Just a plain old shop that looks like this:

But, don’t let the missing “s” fool you. Monterey Donuts is a gem. The glazed donuts, which are somehow always just made and warm, are some of the best I’ve ever had. I usually wouldn’t even give a second thought to a plain old glaze, but the light, fluffy, super-soft texture of this one is pretty showstopping.

My favorite, the cinnamon donut, with it’s classic cake texture and a crumby cinnamon exterior, also goes above and beyond expectation. It’s a thing of simple beauty.

Seriously, your index finger will be working overtime trying to pick up ever last sweetly spiced crumb.

Don’t even get me started on the chocolate twist! Or the apple fritter. Or the maple bar.

These days, for a donut to get any credit, it has to boast some sort of wow factor, be it bacon-encrusting, green tea-infusion or some sort of vegan preparation. It’s just a casualty of living in a food age marked by nuance and newfangledness. However, even in the midst of all that spectacular, there’s something to be said for an honest-to-goodness classic done well.

That’s what you’ll get at Monterey Donuts—just your average donut shop not really.

–Valentina

Thanks to my friend Tyler for introducing me to this great place.

Monterey Donuts
5930 Monterey Rd
Los Angeles, CA 90042

If there’s one thing I don’t care about it’s the Super Bowl.

Just now, I even had to look up whether it was one word or two. That’s how not part of my consciousness it is.

I do, however, care a lot about party food—chips and dips, meat in blankets, etc. etc. And, since I figure some of you might be looking for something breathtaking to take to a Superbowl (darn it!) Super Bowl party, I’m sharing my should-be-famous Spicy Cheese Ball recipe with you.

Seriously, it’s the best in the world. The BEST! People go crazy for it.

It’s pieced together from the many cheese ball recipes I’ve followed over the years, plus a few of my own ideas. I did get the idea to use Gouda from Amy’s Sedaris’ Lil’ Smokey Cheese Ball recipe, but the rest of the credit, I’m holding onto.

Here’s what you need:

4 cups of Gouda cheese (about 1 lb)

2-3 Habanero chiles (depending on your spice desires and tolerance)

2-3 jalapenos

1 heaping tbsp of cilantro

2 packages of cream cheese (room temperature)

4 stalks of green onion

2 tbsp of mayo (Weird, right? But trust me.)

2 cups of chopped nuts (I use 1 cup walnuts, 1 cup pecans)

Once you’ve shredded, chopped, measured and spooned, go ahead and throw everything* in the food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, try a hand or stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Just go slow, so you can get a stiff consistency.

*Oh, don’t throw all the chiles in at once. Add a few then taste. Proceed depending on your spicy threshold.

Now, scoop it all up and put it in a covered bowl. If you can, leave it in the fridge overnight. If you can’t, pop it in the freezer for 30 minutes. You’ll need it to be firm enough to form into a ball.

Now it’s time to ball it up. Don’t be lazy: start small and add more of the mixture slowly, so you get a nice, even, solid sphere.

Are you ready to roll?

Just put the nuts in a bowl and roll the ball in them. Press any remainders into the cheese ball. What a beauty! If it’s going to be a few hours before it’s eaten or you need to transport it, wrap it in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge.

When you’re ready to serve, just pop it on a nice place and surround with crackers. You’ve got yourself a winning snack. I’d even watch football to get a taste.

–Valentina

Though reasonably healthy and fit, my brother and I have fat kids inside us, and they are partners in crime. I’ve evidence this phenomenon before on this blog, during a certain chili dog outing that took us all the way to West Hollywood. This time, our carnal food desires lured us to Nick’s Cafe, an LA institution and cop hangout since 1948. And, oh, was there gluttony.

Pure and unadulterated.

Nick’s is best known for their Famous Ham N Eggs. Being a purist, my brother opted for this giant slab of pork, which is slow baked, sweet, juicy and fat in all the right places. It comes with hash browns, made fresh in house—no frozen potato patties to ruin the party.

All breakfasts (served all day) also come with two of the most delicious biscuits you’ve ever laid eyes on—they’re dense and buttery with a melt-in-your mouth quality. I couldn’t resist breaking off a smidge and smearing it with the house-made grape jelly served in white paper cups.

More of a lunch person, myself, I ordered the Cheddar Burger. I was expecting usual diner fare, but what came out was far better than I’d imagined. No giant Sysco poppy seed bun or thin, straight-from-the-freezer-bag beef. Nope, the soft bun was nice and airy, and the thick patty definitely formed by human hands. My one complaint was that it could have been better seasoned because though I like a light hand when it comes to salt, it was a little on the bland side. However, it was quite enjoyable overall, and I appreciated that fresh, whole-leaf lettuce was used instead of shredded iceberg.

Partly because we are pigs and partly because they’re a good barometer for judging diners, we ordered a side of chili cheese fries. They also exceeded expectations thanks to hand-cut fries and chorizo and tomato-based chili that was on the sweet side. We liked how the zany server exclaimed “now that is some big ass chili fries!” when the order came up.

Big ass indeed.

–Valentina

Nick’s Cafe
1300 N Spring St Map.0446e24
Los Angeles, CA 90012

I’ve heard great things about Proof Bakery but never the pleasure, so when a friend suggested lunch there, I said “Oooh! Sure.” I don’t get to see Atwater Village on weekdays or by sunlight too often, but since I started working from home (no more east-to-west commute!), I’ve been trying to squeeze in local lunch spots.

Proof Bakery doesn’t bowl you over on sight. The small, unassuming space is all clean lines, modern airiness and marble tables. The dessert case/counter doesn’t have Marie Antoinette-esque decadence of many bakeries these days, so there aren’t the stacks and piles of cakes and cobblers of, say, Huckleberry in Santa Monica. That said, the restrained set of offerings does hit the right sweet and savory notes—think chocolate chip cookies, cheese and chive biscuits, croissants, tarts and morning buns.

There are piles of sandwiches, however, because that’s the way Proof showcases their daily options. When I was there, there were three plates of as many varieties: prosciutto, bacon and beet. If I had it my way, I would have had the prosciutto, but pregnancy rules make it a no-no, especially since it had been sitting around at room temperature. I played it safe with the beet sandwich, but don’t feel sad for me.

It was actually quite good.

The beets were cut thin and offset by crispy potato skins, arugula and pesto. And the bread? My goodness! Proof’s thin, sea salt flecked baguettes are of the mouth-watering variety, making for a delicious sandwich. The only problem is that they’re very slim and light. So light, in fact, that I had half a mind to get another one, but then I said to myself, “Valentina, just get some cake like a normal person.”

So, I had a luscious slice of Toasted Lemon Chiffon Cake. Lemon curd and creme fraiche cream lay between light-as-air cake, which is “frosted” with pillowy, burnt-in-spots sticky meringue—I’m a sucker for that fancy toasted marshmallow flavor. Pomegranate seeds were sprinkled on top, giving it seasonal flair. Quite the study in subtlety. And it went perfectly with my Cognoscenti Americano.

–Valentina

Proof Bakery
3156 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles 90039