Inside 5 Bar Beef

This weekend I took my dad with me (Happy Father's Day!) back to 5 Bar Beef. I had visited a little bit ago and talked about it here. The rancher, Frank Fitzpatrick, called me up saying he was corralling some bulls for harvest because with this drought we have going on here in California, his livestock are left with very little to eat so he needs to scale back a few to save the rest. 

Frank's herd of over 800 head are all bulls which means they have not been castrated as steers have. He says they don't need to be because they are able to freely move around on over 800 acres, and so they don't get agitated or aggressive like those that are confined in commercial ranching and therefore need to be manipulated in this way. He effortlessly maneuvered a good 50 of them with firm gentleness on his horse.

"I'm the alpha here so they do what I want them to," he explained. He corralled them twice just to show me how there is no cruelty in his method at all, no nipping dogs or pokers or punching, no contact whatsoever, just an inherent skill and understanding of how to manage them.

Once these bulls saw me here, sitting amongst them for an hour, they became relaxed around my proximity to them, much like the pigs were here. Again, these livestock have not had any stress in their lives so they were very calm and let me get close enough to them that I didn't want to leave.

Photos: Tara Maxey

As I've said before, we should all eat less meat so that we as a country can raise livestock humanely and in the most natural way with the least amount of pollution like Frank does. However, if we as a very busy catering company are to accommodate beef eaters, this is the kind of rancher we want to support. We highly encourage you to as well, for your health, for our environment and because we are only as kind and decent as we treat those who can't defend themselves against us. We can all make a difference with our purchasing power.

Pasta Is Like A Fine Linen

Photos: Jennifer Emerling

Have you ever made your own pasta? We show you how to here. Try it, it's so much fun!

Have you ever styled a room that you really, really care about? In the process of making our office look stylish, I have been picking fabric for reupholstering chairs (why buy new ones when you can just give your old ones a little make-over?). 

These two activities: making pasta (especially when you use bright organic egg yolks) and picking fabric (did you know a high quality linen can be upwards of $100/yard?), are so very similar. See for yourself in the pretty photos above. Isn't that pasta beautiful? 

Stay tuned on the chairs.

Bakers Will Bake

Sunday's Bakers Will Bake Fundraiser for The Hollygrove Elementary Campus' Edible School Yard that I talked about here was a huge success. In fact, everything sold out within a couple hours. Over $3,000 was raised to buy a sink and draining system and refrigeration for the school. How exciting! Those who got there in time were able to buy pastries from Cook's County, Proof Bakery, Craft, Short Order, Gjelina, Cake Monkey, Little Flower Company, Pig & Pastry Pie Co., Huckleberry, Milo & Olive, A.O.C., Red Hill, Clementine, Canele, Morning Glory Confections, The Gourmandise School, Little Dom's, BLD, us.... it was unbelievable.

Matt and I personally bought one of everything and thoroughly enjoyed and savored every single licking calorie. So our pants got tight, it's for a good cause! 

Stay tuned for next time. 

Photos: Many Bakers from Instagram

It Takes A Village

On our way over to The Hollygrove Campus of Larchmont Charter School, Matt, who had already sent out four drop-offs that morning, asked me, "Do they even have an oven?"

I admitted that I had no idea if the school we were visiting had any equipment at all. "This isn't a catering," I reasoned. "You're just going to show the kids a thing a thing or two, you know?"

Of course as you may predict, it was the other way around.

Upon arrival we were greeted by Julie Johnson, a parent volunteer and founding member of this Charter School. She helped with menu development for the lunch program and lesson plans for the garden classroom, and she oversees and participates in it's maintenance as well. The success of this Edible School Yard, designed after Alice Water's model, is completely dependent on the enthusiasm, commitment, and energy of it's volunteers and parents. 

Once we were introduced to the first class, Julie took half the group into the garden to pick some basil and apples, and Matt was assigned to make a potato and apple gallette with the other half of the class. The potatoes were all irregularly sized and shaped which at farmer's markets and big box grocery stores qualifies them as "seconds", not pretty enough to sell and thus much go to waste due to the shortsightedness of most consumers. Matt began class hoping to teach these kids that these irregular potatoes were just as delicious despite how they looked and they shouldn't be discarded.

"Does anyone know what is different about these funny shaped potatoes?" he asked. The answer he wanted to convey was "nothing", but the answer he got was, "They're not genetically  modified!"

Dear Reader, these 5th graders are smarter than California voters who vetoed Proposition 37.

In the garden, students emptied peelings into the compost and pointed out to me their ollalieberry vine. "It's a blackberry and a raspberry combined," explained a little girl whose nails were painted in three different colors. I honestly had no idea what a compost was when I was her age, much less an ollalieberry. 

There were so many lessons being incorporated in this class. Sharing, math, agriculture, patience, just to name a few things. The kids all kindly welcomed Matt and I, and we in turn were charmed by each one of them. 

Photos: Tara Maxey

Who wouldn't support such a beneficial program? Well our government for one. This Edible Schoolyard and others like it depend not only on community and parent volunteers but also on donations. 

Our friend Roxana Jullapat, co-owner of Cook's County and regular volunteer at Hollygrove, has asked all of her acclaimed pastry chef friends to donate their goods for a bake sale she has organized to be held at Hollywood Farmer's Market this Sunday from 8-1. All profits will be handed over to the school so Julie can purchase a sink, drain and refrigerator for this Edible School Yard.

So you score big time, going to this bake sale. You've got over twenty of Los Angeles' top pastry chefs all coming together in the flesh, in one place with their goodies, and everything you buy goes to keep this Edible Schoolyard running. Why on earth would you miss it?

If you don't live in Los Angeles, please look to schools in your own community and ask what you can do. Our future depends on the confidence and intelligence and compassion of our children. Let's all come together to support them. 

See you Sunday.

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That's Right

We are expanding and so we need a new energetic individual to join our team! Full time position with a wide range of duties and the opportunity to grow with us. 

Applicants must be punctual, professional, and willing to adapt to various needs and responsibilities. 

Full time hours Monday-Friday with hourly pay. Rate based on experience. 

Job description below. Please read carefully and contact us via email at jobs@heirloomla.com with your resume and contact information included in the body of the email, being sure to answer all three application questions as well. DO NOT ATTACH YOUR RESUME. Label the email subject as "OFFICE ASSISTANT". Do not send multiple submissions. Thank you! 

 
Duties Include:

--Answer phones
--Check voice mail 
--Fulfill Amazon Fresh orders
--Manage email inbox
--Monitor weekly boards (orders, events, and errands)
--Organize electronic office calendar
--Follow up with prospective clients
--Back up driver for all deliveries 
--Run errands as needed
--Ordering office and catering supplies
--Office equipment maintenance
--Tabulate daily receipts 
--Walk mascot dog(s)
--Greet guests and walk-ins

Qualifications:

--Excellent organization skills
--Clean driving record 
--Resourceful, strong multi-tasker, attention to detail, and exemplary work ethic
--Consistent availability
--Personable and confident over the phone
--Excellent grammar
--Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and Outlook)
.....green thumb a plus! Also... you need to be nice. Everyone here is inherently a stand up, solidly nice person.

Application Questions:

What is your favorite restaurant? 
What has been your favorite job and why? 
If we came to your house for dinner, what would you cook?

Americana Ad

I have a shopping addiction so I was really excited when Cleo Murnane contacted me to do a promotional ad for The Americana. The campaign uses real people, mostly east siders, to spend a day shopping (oh what a drag!) and then point out favorite highlights from the day. I chose Barney's and Barnes and Noble and the movie theater. I could spend all day just in these three places and how fun that I got to with Matt and Cleo and Jennifer Iartu who shot the photos for this ad. Thanks so much for featuring us!

Warby Parker in The Salon

Warby Parker sells eye glasses online and they have been marketing themselves by traveling in a big bus they use as sort of a showroom as they visit different brand makers across the country (they visited us here). This tour is called their "Class Trip" and as it came to a close here in Los Angeles, Taylor who runs it, wanted to have a little dinner for some local fashion forward bloggers in The Salon to introduce them to her company and to have some conversation about online marketing ideas.

Our friends Joy and Bonnie were among the guests trying on some glasses and getting photographed in them while they sipped cocktails and snacked on some tray passed appetizers.

VEGAN Fava Bean Mousse with Pea Tendrils, Fried Peas, Preserved Lemon + Torn Crouton

Baby Spinach Ravioli Parmigiana with Italian Bread Crumbs + Spicy Cherry Tomato Sauce

VEGAN Collard green "Burritos" with Crispy Cauliflower, Cashew Cheese, Pico de Gallo + Avocado Cream

Corned Beef + Pickled Cabbage on a Potato Latke with Thousand Island

It was a small enough group that everyone could fit around the U-shaped table (it seats up to 12) where Matt cooked for them which makes for such a lovely and intimate evening. Here he mixes greens from our garden and plates it in the middle of the table. As the guests ate, he prepped the pasta course.

Matt served our house made cavatelli for the pasta course. It's made with ricotta but kids won't go near it because they think it looks like bugs. Their loss, it's pasta that has cheese in it and by nature of it's shape it laps up more of whatever sauce it's draped in for each bite. Pretty perfect, right? 

You may have already heard here, we got our liquor license this year so we are now able to sell and make our own wines. We made a Syrah we call Scarlet and a Sauvignon Blanc we call Bianca, keeping it simple with the names and the labels.

It's a very dramatic entrance for a whole fish to be presented in The Salon. We did it for the Habit Dinner here. There's always a collective Ohhhhhhh! Ahhhhhh! Matt is very fast at fabricating so it's really fascinating to sit in front of him to watch him expertly carve a fish.

We made a tea of lemongrass and thyme with fish broth that perfumed the whole room with it's pretty aromatics as Matt poured it over each dish.

Matt finishes this delicate entree with a more pungent and exotic fish sauce that provided a contrast of color as it elegantly poised itself atop the broth.

Photos: Jennifer Emerling

Of course then dessert. We had gotten in a ton of ripe organic bananas so we decided to turn on some fire for a Coconut Bananas Foster with some house made coconut ice cream, house made graham cookies, chantilly cream and coconut crumble.

It was so lovely, the whole evening. Thanks Warby Parker for calling upon us to host your Los Angles dinner adieu! 

Yasmine Floral Design in The Salon

I have never appreciated flowers in vases. As pretty as they look on their first day is as demolished as they appear and smell on their third day. Oh, if I take the time to trim the stems and change the water daily, as if that's all I have to do, it will extend their life to a week, maybe even ten days if I'm lucky? What a bother. Why not just use potted plants? And hello! Have you seen the film Maria Full of Grace that exposes egregious sweatshop working conditions of the pesticide-saturated flower industry? That movie officially wiped away any power that flowers had over me that's for sure. I became morally against bouquets and all that they represented.

Then at our friend's store Individual Medley, I stumbled upon Yasmine having a pop-up there. I have a heart. Of course I melted seeing her pretty arrangements scattered about, their whimsical textures beseeching my attention, seducing all of my senses, luring me in despite myself and any of my aforementioned opinions. I had never seen anything like them, nothing was forced or pretentious or contrived. Then upon closer inspection, completely counterintuitive to me at least, I was so delighted, giddy in fact, to observe that she incorporated food items in each of her arrangements!

Mushrooms, kale, cabbage, arugula, herbs, citrus, what?? Okay, now this was a florist I needed to connect with. She used flowers of course too, but they were kept to a minimum and they were all seasonal and locally sourced she explained.

Turns out she felt the same way I did and her philosophies led her to gather most of her pretties not only from her family's yard but also from fields off the highway and farmer's markets.

She came by The Salon for Family Meal after I had asked her to do florals for a dinner we were hosting here for Warby Parker. I thought we needed more than my usual planted succulents for the fashionable girls who would be coming here to try on glasses and mingle and eat. She asked to see the menu for the event so she could use it as a reference. Excuse me? See the menu to use as a reference? Where have you been all of my life, Yasmine, is what I was thinking, but she was more practical.  "Is there anywhere around here that you've been seeing a lot of citrus growing?" she inquired.

"There are a ton of neighbors with pregnant trees," I shrilled, so excited that she came up with an idea like that. It's as if our neighborhood was opposed to consuming vitamin C. Fruit fell all over yards, unused, uneaten, and now it was going to be decoratively placed in vessels around The Salon. Amazing.

She showed up the day of the Warby Parker Dinner with a huge array of beauties. It was so much fun to watch her work, she's so instinctive and delicate about how she places each piece. It's as if she was thoughtfully painting a watercolor.

Photos: Jennifer Emerling

Want to get in on this action? She does pop-ups, making arrangements on-site, always with a theme, always with conscious every other Sunday at Individual Medley in Atwater Village where you will find gifts for everyone, especially yourself.

PS: our next public dinner in The Salon will be with Individual Medley, stay tuned! We'll announce it on Twitter and Instagram.


Yasmine Floral Design

email: yasminefloraldesign@gmail.com

phone: 949 233 9515

Let's Do This: Fresh Pasta

It's not that complicated. Making fresh pasta is like giving a big warm hug to a good friend. There's a lot of love that goes into doing it and a lot of joy in receiving it. Keep it simple and it will be remembered for a long, long time.

Let's get started!

1. Separate eggs and reserve whites for another use.

3. Using your hand as a mixer, begin rotating your fingers clockwise and allow the flour to work itself into the yolks. Then rotate your fingers in the opposite direction. A ball will begin to form. Stop and clean your hands with flour, this helps to remove the yolks.

4. On a floured surface begin to knead the dough until the ball is free of all lumps and dried flour. At first it will be shaggy, but as you work it, pressing and folding and giving it a deep tissue massage (that's right!), the pasta dough will stop sticking to your fingers. At this point it should be moist to the touch but not tacky. If your dough does not feel moist, then add a little bit of the whites and work it in. Add just a little because you can always add more if necessary.

5. Once it has rested, divide dough into four pieces taking one of those pieces and flattening it while returning the other three back under the damp cloth so they don't dry out. It is really important for the dough to stay moist.

6. Get out your rolling pin and some elbow grease and prepare to beat up some dough! Keep flour nearby for dusting.

7. Fold pasta into thirds, like a letter, and roll again to knead the pasta further until pasta is smooth. Now fold it in half and roll it. Ultimately, you want the pasta to be as thin as possible but still opaque or it will be too delicate when it gets boiled.

8. As you finish sheets, place them under a damp towel while you roll out remaining pieces or they will dry.

Photos: George Simian + Beata Bernina

9. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt it like sea water. Also add a tablespoon of olive oil which prevents the water from boiling over. You won't be cooking this fresh pasta for long, only a couple minutes. Then stop the cooking by placing the pasta in ice water.


The beauty of hand made pasta is that all it needs is a little butter and some good quality parmesan, maybe some chopped herbs if you have, and presto! The most loving dinner ever.

Inside Out Spring Cake

It's Spring Time!! We are starting to get in those beautiful Mc Grath Farm Organic Gaviota Strawberries again! We will make jam like we did here and here, and we will make either this chocolate cake or this one pictured above for anyone who will have it made of strawberries of course, but also meyer lemon curd, lavender strawberry jam, buttermilk cake, lemon buttercream and rosemary crumble.