Los Angeles: The Pie Hole

The Pie Hole is in the arts district east of Japantown. This neighborhood is changing by the minute. Apartments and parking buildings are being built all around but aging industrial structures still dot the landscape. Fashion photographers and can collectors share the sidewalk as they practice their respective trades.

The Pie Hole is a modest storefront. I almost passed it by as I walked on the opposite side of the street. The interior is similarly low-key although nicely decorated with pie recipes. The staff was very happy to talk pie baking with me.

I started with a savory pie, the curry vegetable. I could smell the curry even before I cut into the pie and did it smell good. Once I got into the pie, I found that the curry was just right, strong but not too strong. The vegetables were very soft and tender. The crust was perfect in color, texture, and taste.

I finished my lunch with their signature pie, the Earl Grey. The top layer is a white chocolate that has been infused with tea. That's a great and natural combination. The tea taste is definitely present but not overbearing in any way---not a hint of tannin. Most cream pies have a fairly firm texture but not this one. The top layer barely stood up on its own, giving a sense of excitement to eating it. Would it stand long enough for me to make my next bite? The bottom of the pie was covered with a thin layer of dark chocolate and a scattering of pistachios. This pie is truly magnificent.

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Eating Around Georgia Tech: Ecco

Our Texas Instruments colleague Cathy Wicks was gracious enough to host several of us at Ecco tonight. This is one of those restaurants that has been on my list for a long time. Even though it is within easy walking distance of Georgia Tech, I hadn't made it there until tonight. The menu is a combination of Italian, Spanish, and French that make use of some local Georgia ingredients. The combination of those three countries is sometimes a little forced, although the georgia ingredients (fruit, cheese) were all great and perfectly appropriate. We started out with a meat and cheese board. This actually reverses the French tradition, where cheese usually follows the main course. Everything was excellent. The Georgia cheese was a big hit, as was the French cow/goat cheese. I thought the sauscisson was very subtle and very good. The waitress said that the roast pork pasta was their signature dish, so I had to try it. It had traditional broad pasta (fresh, of course)

Pressure Cooker Candied Ginger

I made candied ginger a few years ago. It's not something I would do every day but I had a lot of fun doing it. I recently acquired a pressure cooker and it inspired an interesting idea to me: why not make candied ginger in the pressure cooker? It should be very soft and flavorful. Here is the result. I peeled two large ginger roots, cut them into small cubes, and put them in the pressure cooker with heavily sugared water. The traditional method first boils the ginger in plain water to soften it and then again in sugar water to candy it. The resulting candy was very tender but still with the characteristic ginger texture. It was also sweet without being overpowering. The traditional method leaves a lot of sugar crystallized around the ginger. The pressure cooker gives a much more subtle result. The ginger stays moist even after it cools but you can dry it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. That inspired me to dip it in chocolate. While I was in the b

DCA: Cava Mezze Grill

Cava is a DC area chain with light Mediterranean food. Saibal encouraged me to try lunch at their airport location and I was very happy with the experience. I ordered falafel on SuperSalad with assorted other toppings. The falafel was tasty. The SuperSalad was light, flavorful, and very easy to eat. Overall, a healthy and enjoyable lunch, something you can't always say about airport eating.

Atlanta etc.: Marilyn Wolf's Food Blog and Restaurant Blog

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