Eggs on a Green Blanket
Plus: Thai Fried Chicken, B.O.A.T., and Scones from a Truck.
Hello good people,
Have I got a dish for you! Imagine all of the greens that you can carry home from the farmer’s market, cooked down with garlic (and Chard stems), then topped with eggs, baked in the oven, and decorated with a flurry of herbs.
That’s what I made yesterday morning and it was so good, I’m still thinking about it. Here’s a video of the whole process:
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Not only did I make a video, I wrote a whole post about it with a printable recipe. So click HERE for that or click this sexy picture below:
And let me know if you make it. I don’t know you personally, but I just have a sense you’re really going to love it.
So what else is cooking?
On Wednesday last week, we went with our friend Chelsea to Anajak Thai in the Valley to eat at the place Bill Addison anointed the LA Times “Restaurant of the Year.”
The story of Anajak Thai is almost as compelling as the food. The restaurant opened in the 1980s — it was one of the first Thai restaurants in the Valley — by an immigrant couple, Ricky and Rattikorn Pichetrungsi. Their son, Justin, grew up to become an art director at Disney Imagineering but when his father had a stroke 2019, he took over the restaurant and garnered tons of attention with his fresh ideas — like Tuesday taco dinners or weekend omakases in the alley behind the restaurant. And now it’s one of the most celebrated restaurants in L.A.
And if you eat this fried chicken alone, you’ll understand why:
The chicken is first brined and then marinated with lots of shallots, garlic, turmeric, white pepper, and lime paste. It’s battered in rice flour and deep-fried and the result is explosive not just in the flavor department, but in the crackling skin department too. It may be some of the best fried chicken I’ve ever had.
We also loved the Massaman Curry with Beef and Russian Banana Potatoes:
The heat wasn’t at all overwhelming; it was more warming. And the sprouting cauliflower with mushrooms made a great side:
So glad I made it here. If you’re visiting L.A., definitely add this to your list.
On Saturday, Craig and I grabbed brunch at All Time, one of the restaurants we’ll miss the most when we move to NY.
I mean look at this dish. It’s called B.O.A.T. and I think that stands for Beans, Onions, Avocado, and Tortillas?
Everything about this plate screams L.A. to me. The quesadillas on blue corn tortillas; the black beans with queso fresco; the pickled onions; the homemade hot sauce. The best part? Those smashed and fried sweet potatoes which taste like no other sweet potato I’ve ever tasted. Like a sweet potato chip-covered sweet potato pudding. Loved it.
Finally, we walked to the farmer’s market yesterday and happened upon a scone truck. I bought a cherry-vanilla scone and it came with strawberry butter and it was very tasty.
I hope a scone truck happens to you someday.
Now for some links!
Grub Street goes deep on a $29 ham and cheese sandwich (Grub Street);
Can’t wait to try ALF Bakery when I get to NY (NY Eater);
The Best Podcasts of 2023 So Far (Vogue; not food, but good stuff on here for while you cook);
Is the Ivy in L.A. still a thing? (LA Times).
That’s all for today, folks….
In case you’re not a paid subscriber, here’s what you missed in Thursday’s newsletter: shakshuka with za’atar and tons of herbs, seared pork chops with asparagus and roasted potatoes, plus access to my Daily Diet Newsletter, Operation Muffin Stud which is about to have an explosive new post: I rejoined my gym today!
Get all that plus access to my full archives when you become a paid subscriber. Just click here. It’s so easy, even a third grader could do it:
Have a great week!
Your pal,
Adam