Pig Dessert: Coco Rouge Bar of Andalusia

« Tap's for Sale Twittering the Fooderati » Dessert Sat Mar 21 2009 Dessert Pig: Coco Rouge's Andalucia Bar I am as big a fan of the bacon in dessert trend as anybody can be. I've consumed chocolate-dipped bacon from Bleeding Heart, bacon candy bars, bacon-maple cupcakes from More, bacon-fat gingersnaps, and bacon brittle; I've made bacon-fat truffles (thank you, Schwa, for giving me your recipe) and bacon baklava. The last four items in this list were all consumed at a Baconalia party. But I have a little secret: my favorite sweet involving a pork product doesn't involve bacon at all. It involves chorizo. Coco Rouge is already well-known for their Carnassier bar, using maple-cured bacon. I prefer their Andalucia bar, which has been out for some time, but hasn't received the same attention. The base of the bar is a bittersweet chocolate with Aleppo pepper; in the chocolate, there are bits of honey-sweet toffee studded with small morsels of chorizo. The overall effect is mostly sweet, with an occasional burst of smoky, savory sausage. The pepper used in the chocolate is a terrific counterpoint to the chorizo. I'm not sure sausage would work in many of the other desserts where bacon can be used (sausage baklava?), but in this case, the combination is perfect. "” Leah Williams / Comments (0)

Will Zone Help?

Many people are surprised to learn that so members actually aren't overweight at all. They have chosen this amazing diet because it provides complete portion controlled nutrition that is delivered right to your door at a reasonable price. The meals are incredibly delicious and are prepared by actual gourmet chefs. Many of the folks who use Zone diet delivery do so because they just don't have time in their schedules to eat high quality, balanced nutrition any other way. When the alternative is a fast food burger four or five times a week, no wonder so many people choose this one instead. Others choose the Zone as a form of preventive medicine. They are worried that their eating habits aren't healthy enough so they choose the Zone diet to help them eat right. Not only can it help you lose weight and be healthier, it can help you stay that way for as long as you like. You can stay on this diet for as long as you like, even after you have reached your dieting goals. Imagine never having to worry about your weight or what you are eating ever again. It doesn't have to be a dream; it can be your reality when you choose this diet above all others. What do you get with the Zone diet? The list of benefits is longer than you think. With every day of food you order, you receive a breakfast, a lunch, a dinner and two snacks that are included in your caloric intake. This may be the only diet in the world that lets you snack on delicious food bars and other items. You don't have to punish yourself when you snack between meals on this diet. You also get the peace of mind that you are getting perfect nutrition every day. No other diet can offer you that assurance, so why even bother with other diets that are likely going to leave you hungry and wondering about your health? Life is too short to waste it on diets that aren't proven successful and safe. We all want to maintain our healthy bodies; after all, it took enough time for us to get to that point. With the Zone diet, staying in shape has never been easier. With the right workout routine, you can keep those rock hard abs and that physique you have worked so hard to get. This amazing diet is endorsed by a whole host of Hollywood celebrities, and for good reason. You simply can't find a diet that is easier to stick to or one that treats your body better than this. Try it today and see for yourself.

The Sporting Life 1st Anniversary Party @ Bar Keeper

Prior to World War II, Los Angeles was a center for cocktail culture, home to America's first Bartenders' Guild and nationally influential. After the war, L.A. was supplanted by cities like New York and New Orleans. For decades, L.A. bars touted style over substance, but in the past few years, local bartenders and business owners have banded together to reverse that trend. As a result, L.A. cocktail culture has erupted. Angelenos are not only appreciating top-flight bars like Seven Grand, The Hungry Cat and The Edison, but they-re supporting exciting new options like The Varnish and Copa d-Oro. This all fits with bartender Marcos Tello-s vision for The Sporting Life, a revived Los Angeles bartenders' guild that celebrated its one-year anniversary on March 15 at Bar Keeper.

Tello touched on his vision for L.A. cocktail culture in his most recent Sporting Life newsletter, saying, "In an effort to try to bring honor back to my profession, that was once revered in the same the circle as the "doctor, lawyer, and banker", I am trying to unite bartenders in Los Angeles that are truly interested in the "craft of the cocktail.""¦A Cocktail Revolution is upon us, and being a Los Angeles native I am very interested in revolutionizing the way The City of Angels approaches drinks. We can only do this if we are united, organized, and passionate."

The Sporting Life Anniversary Party was held at the place where the first meeting took place: Bar Keeper. In the past three years, Joe Keeper has built Bar Keeper into a community hub for Los Angeles bartenders and mixologists thanks to his respect for the ritual. Of course it also helps that he has an unrivaled selection of barware, bitters and cocktail memorabilia.

The anniversary party featured twin bars on the back patio, staffed by many of L.A.'s leading bartenders, including Eric Alperin (The Varnish), Chris Ojeda (The Varnish & The Edison), Damian Windsor (The Edison & Copa D'Oro), Joseph Brooke (The Edison & Copa D'Oro), Christine D'Abrosca (Malo), John Coltharp (Seven Grand), Julian Cox (Rivera), Pablo Moix (One Group) and Michel Dozois (Church and State). To help fuel the event, several top-flight liquor companies donated bottles, including Partida Tequila, Plymouth Gin, Woodford Reserve Bourbon and Square One Vodka. Dozois provided Luxury Ice.

One Group bartender Pablo Moix made a Squared Pepper Bramble with muddled bell peppers, Square One Botanical ("gin minus juniper") and lemon juice, then topped the drink with muddled honey blackberry jam.

Veev is an acai liqueur made with antioxidant-rich Brazilian fruit. The company is based near The Grove and produces the first carbon neutral liquor in the world at a wind-powered distillery in Idaho. Moix made a refreshing cocktail combining Veev, lemon, lime, orange, Serrano, Square One Botanical and cucumber.

Malo beverage director Christine D'Abrosca made the St. Astor, a drink she prepared for cocktail legend David Wondrich in Manhattan. She was even kind enough to share the recipe: 2 oz. Woodford Reserve Bourbon, ½ oz. St. Elizabeth allspice, ½ oz. Grand Marnier, ½ oz. lime juice and‚ ½ a bar spoon of agave.

D'Abrosca also made a terrific cocktail using horchata and a slice of jalapeno.

The L.A. cocktail scene is already thriving, and given the turnout at the anniversary party, the unbridled enthusiasm and the top notch drinks, cocktail culture should continue to thrive and grow.

great bar food taps! culinary revolution

A lot has changed since the culinary revolution was waged in the United States. The American gastronomic vocabulary has gone from limited to flowery. Restaurants of all kinds have flourished across the country, even in the most rural settings. Chefs have become TV stars. But for all the change that has occurred in restaurant and home kitchens across the country, one thing has remained the same: most adults long for a comfortable neighborhood bar. And why shouldn't we long to have a local bar to call our own? The human desire for a community "watering hole" has been around for thousands of years. So why, if our culinary culture has advanced so much, would it be so difficult to find a nice, comfortable bar to enjoy a pint or two? Granted, in the teeming metropolis of Los Angeles there are plenty of bars (read: scenester hangouts, dive bars, pick up joints, sports clubs and music venues), but there are few great neighborhood pubs that welcome the 25-55 crowd in all their under-dressed and over-dressed incarnations. What's worse, with a city as large as LA, the only way to find a great locals' bar is to either stumble upon it or find out through the neighborhood grapevine. It doesn't have to be so difficult Though Brentwood is not my neighborhood, I was recently introduced to Bar*Food, a gem of a neighborhood bar, by its owner Jason Killalee*. An Irish actor (Fun Loving Criminals, In America) turned restaurateur, Killalee came up with his pub's simple, fresh and under $10 bar food menu in a dream. "I was trying to think of what kind of restaurant I wanted to run," Killalee told me on a recent visit. "Then I saw it so clear. Why can't you have a beautiful bar that has beer by the pint, no fancy-named wine by the glass, and simple bar food?" A restaurateur is born With twelve beers on tap and a handful of wines listed on the menu by varietal, Bar*Food intends to give people what they want. Not what culinary sophisticates want. "No one asks for a specific wine makers' wine at a bar. They ask for a glass of Chardonnay or a glass of Cab, for f*s sake." Bar*Food's menu is simple and straight forward. Not trying to be anything beyond what it name implies, Bar*Food offers simple dishes that appeal to the hungry beer drinker. Broken down by flavor and temperature (salty, hot, cold and sweet), there is plenty to nibble on between pints. With salty snacks like olives ($4), edamame ($5) and frites ($5), customers can be sure to keep their wits about them as they drink pints of Fat Tire, Blue Moon and Mirror Pond. "Hot food" offers a bit more than a nibble with larger portions and interesting takes on bar entrees. There's a chicken pesto sandwich ($9.50), Mussels ($9.50) and Mac and Cheese ($8). I was thoroughly impressed with the bright flavors of the Thai bangers and mash ($9.50), a flavorful entr̩e sized dish inspired by his Irish roots and Thai girlfriend's culinary background. Killalee sautees the Thai sausage and serves it on a bed of cilantro mashed potatoes. Other go-to dishes include the bar burger ($8.50) served with caramelized onions and bacon, and the elegantly simple Arugula salad ($7). Though I have visited twice, I have yet to try the sweet section of the menu. I do look forward to trying the bread pudding ($6) and ice cream cones ($5)! Bar*Food 12217 Wilshire Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90025 (310) 820.3274 Open every day but Monday 5pm Р12 pm Jason Killalee in "Fun Loving Criminals" *Jason is a friend of mine and my husband.