Dannielle Dishes

Breakfast Breakthrough

Dannielle — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 13:52:10 +0000

I thought cucumbers with breakfast eggs would be a jarring combination that wouldn’t work at all, but it turned out to be everything good about finger sandwiches, all in one bite. Thank you, Summer!

They Tell Me LA’s Beautiful When it Rains

Dannielle — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 02:51:09 +0000

Runyon Canyon, Afternoon

You’ve probably heard of Neko Case, and maybe even love her. She often sings with the New Pornographers, and has pipes so powerful they’ll stop you in your tracks, make you cry, all that stuff amazing voices can do. Whenever I’m in LA, a beautiful, melancholy song she sings called “In California,” actually written by a lady named Lisa Marr, pops into my head a lot. It captures how you feel when your mood doesn’t match the sun. It also references Bonnie Brae, a superbly named street you drive past a lot if you’re staying Downtown and don’t like to ever take the highway.

A Nice Fable from The Spice Table

Dannielle — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 01:49:23 +0000

The Chile Prawn and the Grill, by Aesop

Once upon a time, there was a wizard-chef named Bryant Ng and his fair lady, Kim. They took over an crumbling old warehouse-like building in Downtown Los Angeles’s Little Tokyo and made it cozy and inviting, with a nice, sturdy bar right up front, softly glowing, hanging lamps fashioned from bird cages, and long wooden tables. Each day (except Sunday) at lunch and dinner, their palace, called the Spice Table, is filled with the flavors of Singapore and Vietnam, and especially pleasant wafts of smoke from sizzling meats on open flames. Wanderers from across the land arrive and eat satays of lamb belly and chile prawns, and an intriguing concoction of peanuts and anchovies, which certainly contains a love potion of some sort. They feast on kon loh mee–egg noodles with ground pork and spices, and always save room for Kaffir lime custard. They wake up the next morning in their own beds wondering if it had been a hazy dream, but then realize that pile of clothes at the foot of the bed really does smell like smoked meat. The moral of our story? Even if a wily fox or up-to-no-good scorpion offers to lead you to The Spice Table, take him up on it. And order more than you at first think will be enough. There’s a crisp Albarino that goes perfectly, too.

From Sea to Shining Sea

Dannielle — Mon, 30 May 2011 03:33:56 +0000

Always, always dip your toes. Even if it means going a little out of your way. Even if it’s freezing.

Wish You Were Here

Dannielle — Fri, 20 May 2011 00:55:02 +0000

Exploring Downtown LA again has been a mysterious and exciting adventure. I’m staying in a haunted hotel, but it seems like the ghosts are mostly benevolent, so that’s good.
There is so much decaying glamour within just a few blocks, and so much fresh new life.

Turn on the Bright Lights

Dannielle — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 15:16:36 +0000

Like a Diamond in the Sky

It is such a special treat to take in an opera at the Met at Lincoln Center, and one of the best parts starts well before the performance. The Metropolitan Opera House is one of my favorite interiors in New York, because when you walk in and encounter these quasi-futuristic, brilliant twinkling masterpieces, you can’t help but be transported, uplifted and inspired. They were originally hung in 1966 when the Met moved to Lincoln Center, designed by an Austrian man named Hans Harald Rath, and just last year were completely refurbished and re-crystalled in Austria by Swarovski.

A tip if you’re seeing “Tosca” and not feeling up to being emotionally crushed: It has a relatively happy ending if you leave before the third act!

So Delicious, So Evil

Dannielle — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 17:40:19 +0000

Don't Tread on Us!

The week after New Year’s was spent on my second-favorite island in the whole world, St. Croix. It is mostly filled with all things decidedly unprickly, with a notable exception: THE UUURRRCHIN! I guess if I were so, so creamy and tasty I’d be sure to grow a very sharp coat of armor, too. But man does it hurt to step on one. Island wisdom says the best way to take the sting out is to, uh, have someone pee on you. I’m pretty sure a wily fellow from the olden times just made that up, because nothing really soothes flesh that’s been pierced by multiple giant needles, but you’ll always find willing volunteers.

Time Machine

Dannielle — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 17:03:31 +0000

Just the Two of Us

To celebrate being officially sick of being cold, I’m going to a) post something every day to this here site, and b) pretend that it’s actually two weeks ago, when I met this romantic duo in Mexico. They had a lot to say for themselves.

That’s the Spirit!

Dannielle — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 23:52:14 +0000

From Christmas on Jane Street to Our Street!

‘Tis officially the season: the tree is lit, the stockings are hung and we have had a word with the holiday playlist so it only plays that hauntingly beautiful but somewhat-of-a-downer Sting album from last year sporadically. Let’s talk cookie recipes, people!

I Spend Most of Fall in Pumpkin City

Dannielle — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 20:03:52 +0000

The Great Pumpkin Has Arrived!

On DailyCandy.com today, I show you how to make, in ten minutes active time, a light, fluffy pumpkin pudding. My mom always called it “pumpkin fluff,” but I’m beginning to realize certain things my mom says sound utterly weird to anyone else, so let’s call it pudding. It’s an incredibly easy chiffon of pumpkin you can pour into individual serving dishes and allow to set, or, as I did last night, whip up a quick crust and make it a pie. The video should convince you that anyone can do this really quickly, and have fun doing it!