(Almost) Homemade Pizza & Banana Cake for about the same as a Domino's 3-for-$15 Special

In the need of a creatively thrifty yet activity-laden dinner date, I decided to plan a (sort of) homemade pizza-making party shindig last night. It only takes 45 minutes of shopping/prep time and about 15 bucks for your chance to explore your inner-pizza topping artistry.

Although you can use this simple pizza dough recipe, given my (lack of) culinary skills, I figured it was a safer bet to just buy my dough from a local pizza joint. I picked up a ball of dough at Paisano's in Hermosa Beach; most chain pizza places don't sell ready-made dough but many mum'n'pop stores are cool with it. I bought a couple balls of dough ($2 per ball; each yielding two medium pizzas) and also picked up Paisano's pizza sauce ($2.50)--like I said, I was almost making my homemade pizza from home. Perhaps sensing I needed help, the friendly folks at Paisano's even took me behind the counter for a quick lesson in pizza-dough shaping ( lift the dough from one end and gently pinch and rotate between your thumbs in a circular motion). $10 at the supermarket covered the toppings; bacon, pineapple, green pepper, red onion, pepperoni, olives and mozzarella.
Before
After
If you have pre-made dough--and aren't concerned with a perfectly round-shaped pizza--it is super fast and easy. We were able to shape our dough and load it with toppings during the Bears/Seahawks halftime with plenty of time to spare. Meanwhile, to satisfy our appetizer munchies, and immature sense of humor, we also rolled boobie-shaped dough balls. At 350F; it's about 12 mins for the boob balls (roll them around in olive oil and then sprinkle with oregano-type herbs) and 20 mins for the pizza.
A Pair of Herbed Boobie Dough Balls

Taking advantage of my rare Susie Homemaker mood--as well as my bunch of overly ripe bananas--I also decided to make banana cake from scratch for dessert. I perused www.allrecipes.com and picked the recipe with the most positive comments, simple ingredients and basic instructions (this one has only 3 steps). Cutting the sugar by half and shaving off some of the butter, the recipe yielded a super-moist, not overly-sweet and heaps banana-ry banana cake; tasty enough to earn requests for 2nd and 3rd helpings. Even if, like me, you're not a 'cookin'in'the'kitchen type of person, with this basic homemade pizza and banana cake combo, you can totally fake it for a night.

Paisano's

www.allrecipes.com

Not Sharing Tapas @ Vinoteca Brazilian Tapas Wine Bar

I haven't dined in Los Feliz for a while but after enduring a particularly taxing 2hr cross-town commute from Santa Monica to Silverlake during rush hour, Melissa and I were too hungry to drive any further without eating first. Based on a friend's suggestion, we headed to Vinoteca Farfalla in Los Feliz--a Brazilian tapas and wine bar offshoot from Farfalla Trattoria next door which mixes Italian charcuterie platters with South American dishes from other next door neighbor Tropicalia. Although it's probably pretty known and popular on the Eastside, it's unpretentious and intimate enough to still feel like a secret neighbor spot for the rest of us.

Hungry from the daytrip-length drive, we skipped the intimate cocktail tables (not enough room to fit our anticipated large orders) and sat at the bar. The corridor-shaped bar's exposed brick, wood bar counter and chocolate-colored walls felt instantly cozy. With close to 50 by-the-glass wines (almost all priced $12 or less), and many more options by the bottle, Vinoteca's winelist is impresssive. Melissa ordered a glass of Prosecco while I picked the Primitivo Muga off the blackboard purely based on the name (there's a tapa's spot on Abbot Kinney called Primitivo that I really like), luckily, it also happened to one of the bartender's recommendations.

Although the plates are made for sharing, with Melissa being vegetarian and me not able to turn down Brazilian-style meat--and us both starving since the long drive delayed dinner plans--we each ordered appetizers as well as our own individual mains even though the entrees were listed as "for two to share". My white fish and shrimp ceviche in cilantro-lime and corn chips in a super-sized martini glass was a little on the salty side, but strangely addictive enough that I still ate three-quarters of it. Melissa's Insalatina Brasiliana, a heaping appetizer of baby greens, avocado and hearts of palm was so filling, she never made it to her veggie combo main. She had her entire veggie combo entree with black beans, rice, polenta, grilled veggies and plantains boxed up to go.

I, on the other hand, had no problem eating for two and was able to also dig into my Braziribs entree; the braised, boneless shortribs coated in peppery spices came in a mini-skillet over pan-fried polenta and was topped with a wonderfully doughy cheesy-bread ball.

Although stuffed, we could have been swayed if there was a standout dessert, but the ho-hum selection (creme brulee, chocolate cake, tiramisu) didn't leave a sweet enough impression. We decided to skip dessert and order the banana-chocolate bread pudding with caramel-whiskey sauce on the side (as good as it sounds and only $5 for a heaping wedge) from The Kettle by my apt instead (sustenance after our post-dinner drive home from Los Feliz to the South Bay, we figured).

Vinoteca is definitely a good spot for a casually sophisticated dinner, and judging by the clientele, an ideal date spot (everyone besides the two women next to us were a couple). The bill came out to $78 including three glasses of wine; which--bearing in mind we ordered double the food we should have for just the two of us--translates to a pretty affordable dinner for four.

Vinoteca Farfalla
1968 Hillhurst Ave., Los Feliz

Passing Gas: Find Cheap Gas Near Where You Live

Just what is says: Find Cheap Gas Near Where You Live.

Although gas has finally hit the $2-something mark for the first time in months, it's always nice to find a good cheap gas deal. My friend passed along this site to me, and in the interests of spreading the cheap(er) gas love, I'm passing it along to you.

http://gaspricealert.com

It's pretty self-explanatory, just sign up (you don't get spam for signing up) and receive a daily email with the most updated gas prices around your area, or for the casual gas-price browser who doesn't want extra daily emails, there's http://www.losangelesgasprices.com/

With the pennies saved, you don't need to feel guilty using excess energy by driving with both your AC on and your windows down. ahh, such a guilty pleasure.

More Free Wi-Fi'ing from My Laptop-Lovin' L.A. Travels

My current obsession--surpassing even my love for chocolate souffles and my many repeated listenings Carli Bruni's "Quelqu'un M'a Dit" album from 3yrs ago (check it, it's good)--is finding free internet access around town for me and my traveling laptop. As a freelance writer, I like to think of my home office as HQ and these various coffee shops as my multiple satellite offices. Besides, who wants to drive home just to check email?

Although I am still a regular at several of these free wi-fi offering coffee shops which I highlighted in an earlier blog (esp. Venice Grind, which has fixed their Mac connection problems and Coral Tree Cafe--more for their food--although, be warned, they turn off their web access during peak lunch hours between 11am-3pm), I've slowly added several more to my rotation in my laptop travels around L.A.

My most recent discovery (and where I am writing this free wi-fi roundup right now, pic. above) is the snazzed up Santa Monica Library's BOOKMARK CAFE. I actually was there to check out some books when I noticed a smattering of laptop-users typing in the sun at the outdoor courtyard cafe. (The library's cafe also has a couple of indoor tables for those who need access to a power outlet.) In addition to fancy sandwiches, salads and wraps (eg. I ordered a tasty grilled turkey wrap with sundried tomato, artichokes and provolone) which hover around $7.50, the cafe also has ice-cream and smoothies. Underground parking is $1/hr. The revamped library also has one hour free internet computers upstairs, one of the best selections of new and random books in the L.A. public library system and a high-tech key-card for borrowers to self check out books with one easy swipe.

Another on the Westside is ROSE CAFE on Rose and Main, the actual cafe doesn't have internet access but if you sit in the coffee shop portion of the bakery and cafe by the in-store boutique, you can risk docking off a few good karma points and pick up the free wi-fi from Radha Govinda Hare Krishna temple across the road. Since Rose Cafe is technically a restaurant, they have good (poached salmon florentine, thai noodle salad, pesto chicken sandwiches, cakes!), but slightly pricier brunch and lunch options (salads/sandwiches/hot meals around $8+). The cafe closes at 5pm so you'll have to move on elsewhere if you're working overtime hours.

When I'm in the Hollywood area, my hands-down favorite is GROUNDWORK COFFEE on Cahuenga and Sunset. The spot is home home to plentiful table and bench seating, corner windows facing Amoeba and the Arclight for quality people-watching work breaks, strong tea and coffee drink selection, friendly and honest servers that'll tell you they personally think the chocolate chip tofu muffin is gross and exchangeable if I also find it gross (I actually didn't mind it) and at least 5 other mac users furiously typing at any given time so you don't feel like you're the only one milking an ice blended mocha for 3hrs for their free wi-fi. Parking is the only drawback, but if you're doing 2hr stints, Sunset metered parking is doable, otherwise some random spots on DeLongpre and Wilcox before you enter permit parking land.

KUNG PAO KITTY a couple blocks up on Hollywood & Wilcox also has free wi-fi but the one time I brought my laptop in for an emailing session over seasame chicken, it felt odd to be working away in a chinese takeout spot.

If you're on the Eastside and need a quick email check on-the-go, the parking lot of the Gower Gulch strip mall (Sunset & Gower) is also good for a quick log-on in your car. I haven't figured out where the free intenet comes from since I parked right in front of the Starbucks and they make their patron's pay through AT&T wireless.

Here are a few others that offer free wi-fi. Personally, for some reason, I haven't been able to get into the productive mindset at these spots (I've had to leave most of these spots after logging in a couple hours of surfing the web and zero hours of productive work ) but they might work for others so here they are: VELOCITY CAFE (Venice), TANNER'S COFFEE (Playa del Rey), STROH'S GOURMET DELI (Venice), RUMOR MILL CAFE (Culver City), Ciao Coffee & Tea Company (Sherman Oaks).

BOOKMARK CAFE @ Santa Monica Library
601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, 310/587-2665

ROSE CAFE
220 Rose Ave, Venice, 310/399.0711

GROUNDWORK COFFEE
1501 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood, 323/871-0107

KUNG PAO KITTY
6445 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. 323/465-0110

8 Mile West L.A. Style: MC Battle at 33Third

I've apparently been driving past a piece of Detroit many times along Pico Blvd without realizing it. Last Saturday night, I accepted Chaya’s invite to check out a “DJ-off” that her friend was hosting. Because it sounded like a refreshing change from a typical bar-hopping night--but mainly because we didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into--we decided to hit up 33Third (the venue) on Pico & La Brea to check out the event.

I was imagining some grungy lounge filled with breakdance-capable clubgoers set up with two rival DJ’s alternating between scratching their vinyls on their turntables and then crossing their arms and daring his challenger with a "top that!" cock of an eyebrow.

Maybe we should have read the flyer properly, 33Thirdwas a vinyl store (with a great selection of bargain records by the way) not a bar, so besides the bottles of whiskey being questionably passed around and chugged by the crowd, there was no alcohol. And it wasn’t a DJ-Off but an amateur MC Battle, a la 8 Mile, which is essentially contestants insulting each other to a rap beat.

The crowd was initially intimating enough for us to consider bolting, and we definitely stood out (about 5 other girls total and none were dressed in heels and cleavagey tops like Chaya, Nikki and I, as opposed to the popular sideways cap and wifebeater look going on that night) but the guy manning the door was surprisingly friendly (“are you girls entering the contest tonight? We need more female MC contestants” without any trace of the deserved sarcasm in that question.)

Chaya’s friend/owner of the store pulled us up to the VIP area by the judges so we got a prime viewing spot of the mouthy battle. The Eminem for the night was actually a female. Lady DJ endured multiple harsh personal insults from her fellow male contestants—“I’m going to buy you a glass of milk/watch you drink it and watch your breasts grow” was a memorable line courtesy of DJ Shoe”—only to unleash a tirade of clever put-downs with double the ferocity. We didn’t stay till the end to see if she got crowned but she was the judges clear favorite when we left our brush with 8 Mile and headed to the Dime for some chill, post-MC Battle vodka tonics.

33Third
5111 West Pico Blvd., 3 blocks W of La Brea
310/694.3460

Museum-Hopping for $0: LACMA & MOCA's Free Museum Hours

I like the idea of going to museums. But honestly, I can only take my cultural excursions in small doses (1 1/2hrs tops). And although I'm all for supporting the arts, if I'm only going to be there for less than two hours and my schedule permits it, why not nurture my artistic side at no extra cost by visiting the museum during their freebie hours?

My whirlwind brush with zero-cost culture included trips to both the MOCA and LACMA within one week. An out of town guest wanted to check out downtown MOCA's Rauschenberg: Combines exhibit (which just ended on Sept. 4th). The MOCA keeps kinda weird hours (closed Tues. and Wed.) but if you head there on Thursday nights, it's free after 5pm (and open til 8pm). The downside is parking; street parking is next to impossible so the museum recommends parking at the Walt Disney Concert Hall parking garage on Lower Grand Ave ($8 for 3hrs with vaildation) but if you're willing to walk a block, there's a no-hassle lot on the corner of 2nd/Olive for $6 flat.

To the untrained eye (mine), Rauschenberg: Combine's exhibit was all about, uh, combining as much stuff onto the canvas as possible. His collages with pants, taxidermied bald eagles and pieces of wire glued onto large canvases and all slicked thick with oil paints wasn't really my thing but the MOCA's permanent collection including pieces by Jackson Pollack (below), Roy Lichtenstein and whoever convinced the artsy types that blank canvases were high-brow (also below) are worth checking out on their own regardless of the headlining temporary exhibit going on at the time.



A few days later, I visited the LACMA on Labor Day (which is free after 5pm every day). We skipped the David Hockney portraits exhibit (which has a separate un-free admission fee) and headed to LACMA's permanent collection. The Ahmanson Building houses classical art (Rembrandt, Renoir, Cezanne, Gauguin) as well as ancient Egyptian tomb artifacts, hundreds-old European vases and the like.

The Modern and Contemporary Art building contains colorful works by Picasso, Pollack, Ruscha, DuChamp and Magritte--as well as a beautiful 3rd story balcony view of the sunset over the Hollywood hills.



However, the highlight was the Consider This... Exhibit in the LACMA West building (yes, it's technically LACMA's 'children's museum' but the highly interactive, highly thought-provoking exhibit was highly entertaining for all ages). Designed by artist Barbara Kruger (famous for her artistic slogans juxtaposed against provocative images) the exhibit--which runs through January '07--includes pithy quotes lining the walls ('Puritanism: The haunting fear that someone, somewhere may be happy'-Henry Mencken, 'How Much Easier is Self-Sacrifice than Self-Realization!'-Eric Hoffer) and installations with sharpies inviting visitors to become part of the exhibit by adding their mark on certain art pieces or adding to the wall of anwers to questions such as "what is important to you right now?".

With easy street parking and convenient, late-night free hours, it's definitely worth popping into LACMA after work hours to check out the exhibits or even just to enjoy the peaceful dusky sunset views from the museum balcony.


MOCA
free Thursdays after 5pm
LACMA
free everyday after 5pm
Natural History Museum
free first Tuesdays of the month
GETTY CENTER
always free

For those who have more specialized artistic interests, the following niche museums are participating in National Museum Day on September 30th, offering free admission all day:
California Science Center, Craft and Folk Museum, Museum of Neon Art and last but certainly not the least, The Bunny Museum.

coco noche: Getting buzzed off chocolate and wine

I like wine bars (Bodega deCordova), they're even better when you add tapas (La Tasca). but when you throw in gourmet chocolates and caramel wine pairings, now you're talking.

coco noche's decadent-sounding sign caught my eye even before this new chocolate, wine and tapas bar in downtown Manhattan Beach opened. coco noche. chocolate nights. Chocolate at night time with alcohol. I'm in.

Chrissy and I made a visit to this perfect-sounding spot last night. The intimate little choco-wine bar is unpretentious (warm and simple cream and wood decor, friendly accommodating servers, a touch too-bright lighting) with unpretentious prices (you can eat and drink well for easily under $30)

The menu lists the chocolate and desserts first, with the tapas on the following page. As ladies who have often planned our entree and appetizer choices around dessert ("we could get the pomegranate-glazed lamb but is that going to be pomegranate overload since we're for sure ordering their yummy sounding pomegranate and creme anglais parfait?"), we liked how this place thinks.

Although we both wanted to follow the menu and skip straight to the sweet stuff, we ordered a couple dinner items first. The tapas are not of the spanish kind but have more of a korean &/or cafe flavor. Sounds odd but works, especially since several of the chocolates are flavored with an Asian influence. We shared the basil chicken salad (with a refreshing cucumber and mint yogurt rather than mayo) on a toasted croissant with an Asian side salad ($9) and the specialty bul-gogi korean seasoned beef lettuce wraps with sticky rice ($12). Both were good, but really, it's all about the chocolate here.

The chocolate morsels are courtesy of exotic chocolatier, Vosges Haute Chocolate. They have two sets of tasting flights with 3 chocolates and 3 wines. With choices such as RED FIRE: dark chocolate spiced with chipotle chili peppers and Ceylon cinnamon, BLACK PEARL: chocolate flecked with ginger, wasabi and black sesame and GOJI BERRY: Tibetan sweet berries and pink Himalayan salt embedded chocolate, we had trouble trying to figure out which set of three we wanted. Our accommodating waiter helped ease the decision-making pain by giving us a couple of samples and letting us mix and match whichever three chocolates and wines we wanted. You can also get desserts by the piece and those ordering their alcohol a la carte will find an extensive selection of affordable (most $9 or under) by-the-glass options as well as specialty beers including the delicious raspberry Frambois beer.

We picked the first, sweeter, flight of wines (Ravenswood Zinfandel, Riesling and cream Sherry) over the heartier Coppola Pinot Noir, Santa Rosa Merlot and Banfi dessert wine and picked the Red Fire (the spicy chocolate was our favorite), Black Pearl and Barcelona (hickory-smoked almonds with fleur del sey gray sea salt). They also had chocolate caramels infused with flavors such as orange and ginger but since sticky caramels are a no-no for my still slightly ailing wisdom teeth, we also ordered their so-airily-light-it-must-be-zero-calories Key Lime torte with white and milk chocolate instead.

Only open for seven days so far, coco noche's menu, decor and specials are still evolving but they are working with a sweet concept; getting patrons buzzed off both sugar and drinks--two things I love, so me, my ID and my sweet tooth are looking forward to future, chocolate-coated drunken nights.

coco noche
1140 Highland Ave, Manhattan Beach
310.545.4925
www.coconoche.com