Our New Spring Summer Menu!

March 28, 2013

Rose 4

A couple of weekends ago, I had the privilege to be a part of a delicious and informative culinary field trip in Thai Town with LA's own Chef Jet Tila and the crew from KCRW's Good Food. It was the premium I chose when renewing my membership to KCRW this year.  The tour consisted of eating four different courses at four different restaurants because as Jet informed us, Thai's frequent restaurants for their signature dishes.  We had Green Papaya Salad and Pork Jerky at the first, noodles at the second, rice and meat at the third and dessert at the fourth.  When I tell you I was so full at the end of the tour, I was stuffed to the gills, but it was so worth it!  There is nothing like experiencing a special part of a city with a local (everywhere we went in Thai Town they called Jet "The Mayor").  I would have been so intimidated to go to some of these places on my own as I would have no idea what to order, but not any more!  I also got some tips and inspiration on some of the recipes that will be included in our new Spring-Summer 2013 Menu!     

So have a look below at our new menu, then scroll down and check out a wonderful recipe for Green Papaya Salad and tip on where go for your own culinary field trip. I hope you enjoy it all and don't forget to become an LAFW Facebook Fan. Click Here to get daily updates on the happenings in our kitchen. 



Happy First Day of Spring everyone and I hope to be cooking with you all soon! 

Rose


LA Food Works

Spring-Summer 2013 Menu

LA Food Works is proud to present its new Spring-Summer 2013 Menu! Our signature interactive, hands-on cooking parties are ideal for corporate summer outings, summer associate events, team building exercises, client entertaining, birthday parties, showers and the celebration of any special occasion!

 3.18.13

 
An LA Food Works Event Includes:

* Hors d'oeuvre and beverage reception on arrival

* Fun and knowledgeable chef instructors to guide

you through your recipes

* Private cooking and dining experience at our

charming venues

* Seasonal gourmet menu selections for lunch,

brunch or dinner

* Chef aprons to use while you are cooking

* Recipe packets for everyone to take home





 Entreé Course Selections 

Chicken Tagine with Artichocke Hearts and Peas

Chickpea and Spinach Salad with Smoky Paprika Dressing

Grilled Eggplant with Rosemary Aioli

Bulgar Wheat with Mushroom, Onion and Parsley

 Korean Barbequed Steak

(This option can also be done with steak, chicken and/or tofu steaks)

Summer Radish and Cucumber Salad with Sweet Chili Vinaigrette

Kimchi Smashed Potatoes

Beosut Bokkeum (Sautéed Mushrooms)

 Grilled Pork Loin with Blueberry Pan Sauce

(This option can also be done with pork, salmon and/or chicken)

Roasted Beets and Dandelion Greens Salad

Spring Vegetables Baked in Parchment

Butterbean Risotto

 Thai Turkey Burgers

Green Papaya Salad

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Lemongrass and Ginger

Sweet and Spicy Plantains and Avocado

 Grilled Swordfish with Chile Pesto

(This option can also be done with fish, steak, chicken and/or tofu steaks)

Green Salad with Avocado-Lime Vinaigrette and Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

Green Beans, Chiles and Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Roasted Corn and Rice with Manchego and Lime 

Dessert Selections

 

Strawberry-Rose Cupcakes

Tecate Cake with Tecate Buttercream Frosting

Pavlovas with Summer Berry Sauce and Chambord Chantilly

Swiss Toblerone Souffles and Gadiva Liqueur Whipped Cream

Chocolate-Coconut Bread Pudding with Passion Fruit Sauce


Green Papaya Salad 

Green Papaya Salad, or Som Tam as it is pronounced in Thai, is my new favorite salad. It's bright, fresh flavors are amazingly delicious and perfect for the warming weather. Check out the calorie and fat count at the bottom of the recipe.  It's so low because there is no oil used!  Featured on our new Spring-Summer 2013 Menu, this salad is bursting with flavor because of all the great ingredients used to make the dressing. So what is a green papaya you may be asking?  It's just unripe papaya and it has the texture of a firm apple, so grating is easy.  Once you've got all the ingredients in place, this salad comes together in a snap!  A couple recipe notes:  Palm sugar, fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc nam), dried shrimp, Chinese long beans, green papaya, and Thai chilies can all be found at Asian markets.  Have a look below to see where I buy mine. And, if you would like to make this dish vegetarian, omit the dried shrimp and substitute soy sauce for fish sauce.

5    tablespoons fresh lime juice
3

tablespoons palm sugar, or golden brown sugar, packed

3    tablespoons fish sauce


tablespoons dried shrimp, lightly toasted
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 red Thai chile or Serrano chile, thinly sliced, seeds removed or reduced according to your taste
3 Chinese long beans, halved or 15 green beans
1 1-2 pound green papaya
10 cherry tomatoes
1/2  cup chopped cilantro
1 cup shredded carrots
3 green onions, cut in long matchstick-like pieces
1/4  cup coarsely chopped peanuts

Green Papaya Salad

 

Whisk first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Set dressing aside. If you have a large mortar and pestle, combine the garlic and chile in the mortar and roughly pound. Add the dried shrimp and pound until smooth. Add the sugar, fish sauce, and lime juice and stir together.



Cook beans in medium saucepan of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Rinse under cold water. Cut into thin strips about 3 inches long.



With a sharp knife or potato peeler, peel the green papaya, then slice it in half and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds. Using the largest holes of a box grater or food processor, grate enough papaya to measure about 6 cups. Place in large bowl. Add tomatoes, cilantro, green onions, and green beans. Pour dressing over and gently toss.



Sprinkle peanuts over and serve.



Makes 6 Servings.  Per Serving: 95 Calories; 7g Fat; 3g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 1mg Cholesterol; 14mg Sodium.


Bangkok Market

bangkok marketI often take my own private culinary field trips by just visiting some of the great ethnic or speciality food markets around town.  There are so many in LA and one of my favorites is Bangkok Market.  It's right near my house, just east of Western on Melrose and it's owned by Jet Tila's family.  The selection of Thai curries and fish sauces alone practically take up a whole aisle and their fish department carries an incredible variety.  (I keep bugging Jet to do a tour of just his market!).  They carry lots fresh vegetables too...you can get your green papayas and Chinese long beans here!  You can also get an wide variety of other Asian food products like Nori for rolling sushi, dried mushrooms, all sorts of different rices and noodles, plus lots of fun packaged cookies and candies.   As with most ethnic markets, they may not be the fanciest of locations, but the prices are fantastic! 


WANT TO USE THESE TIPS AND RECIPES IN YOUR E-ZINE, BLOG OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you do not alter the information in any way and include a credit that reads "by Rose LeBoeuf, www.lafoodworks.com, Interactive Cooking Classes, Parties, and Corporate Team Building Events for Groups Looking for a Fun and Unique Dinning Experience." 


 LA Food Works Events 

Ideal for Team Building, Summer Outings, Client Entertaining, Birthday Parties, Showers and Private Gatherings. 

Let LA Food Works make your party one which your guests will not soon forget!

  

No previous cooking experience required!

Just willingness to put on an apron,

get your hands a little messy,

indulge in some great food

and have lots of fun playing in the kitchen!

 

We also happily design Custom Cooking Parties. If you have a group of 10 or more foodies who love great food and playing together in the kitchen, contact us and we will design a custom menu or theme class for you and your group.



Our interactive cooking parties both unify and entertain...perfect for any occasion that requires great food, interesting activities and lots of fun!

310-288-0100

www.lafoodworks.com

For information or to book your event, contact Rose LeBoeuf at 310-288-0100 for an event planning kit, pricing and availability.