From Cheese to Chickens

Jonathan Gold is the New York restaurant critic of Gourmet magazine. He spoke about the Vietnamese restaurant:

Nem Nuong Ninh Hoa

9016 Mission Dr

Rosemead 91770

626-286-3370

Take the Santa Monica (10) Fwy to the Rosemead Blvd exit, and go north to Mission Drive. The restaurant is on Mission, just across the street from the high school.

Featured dishes: Dac Biet (House Special charbroiled pork meatballs on skewers)

Also recommended: Charbroiled pork meatballs rolled with rice papers and shrimp roll (Nem Nuong Cuon voi Cha Ram Tom) and Bun Bo Hue (Central Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup with Shank, Pig feet and blood).

Gallo's Grill

4533 E Cesar Chavez Ave (1 block east of Ford St.)

East Los Angeles

Steaks and cucumber drinks.

Chris Pollan is the owner of the newly opened Cheese Store of Silverlake

3926-28 W Sunset Blvd

Los Angeles 90029

323-644-7511

Allison MacLeod has made a 25-minute how-to video, demonstrating in very easy steps everything one needs to know about raising your own chickens/poultry. The video retails for $14, which includes shipping. Go to www.chickenvideo.com.

Hidden Chicken Quiche

There's no meat in this quiche, but chickens provide two very important ingredients.

PASTRY 1 1/2 cups plain flour

• 1/3 cup chicken fat

• 1/3 cup chicken fat

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 6 Tablespoons cold water (approx.) Mix flour, chicken fat and salt with a pastry cutter until the texture of cornmeal. Add the water, stirring gently between each addition until the dough sticks together form into one ball, Roll out on a floured board, place in pie tin and form to fit.

Rule of thumb: Good pies need bottom heat so that the crust isn't soggy. Bake them on the lowest shelf in your oven.

QUICHE

Preheat oven to 400F

• Brush single crust of rich pastry dough with 1 egg white and poke it all over (tiny pricks 1/2 inch apart, use a fork.)

• In 2 Tbsp butter, gently fry 1 cup finely minced greens (arrugala, dandelion, parsley or young chard) .

• Set aside.

Mix together:

• 1 1/2 cups milk

• 2 fresh eggs

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper

• a grating of nutmeg

Add the greens to the liquid.

• Crumble 1/2 cup diced or grated cheese (Swiss, Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Colby, or grated hard cheese) into the pie pan, on top of the crust.

• Slowly pour the custard filling over the cheese. Place quiche on the bottom shelf in the oven, reduce heat to 375F and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the top is a golden brown and custard is partially set.

• Let cool to room temperature before serving.

Rule of thumb: Custard pies are done when the center still looks a bit runny, but a knife inserted 2" in from the edge of the pan comes out clean. The center gets firm as the custard cools. If custard pies are cooked until they're completely set, they will crack and weep as they cool.

-2003 ALLISON MacLEOD www.chickenvideo.com

Jean Francois Meteigner is the chef of La Cachette

10506 Santa Monica Boulevard

Los Angeles, CA 90025

310-470-4992

Simple, Spice-Seared Black Cod w/ Ginger-Plum Sauce

Serves 6

For Spice mixture:

• 1 1/2 tsp chile powder

• 1 1/2 tsp paprika

• 1/2 tsp ground ginger

• 1/2 tsp Provencal herbs

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

• tiny pinch ground cumin

• tiny pinch curry powder

For the sauce:

• 1/4 cup Chinese plum sauce (available in a glass jar or can in most supermarkets)

• 1/4 cup Chinese plum sauce (available in a glass jar or can in most supermarkets)

• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce (do not substitute regular, high sodium soy)

• 1/4 cup canned or organic-cube vegetable stock, or lightly salted water

• 1 Tb Worcestershire sauce

• 1 Tb chopped fresh ginger

• 1 small shallot, finely chopped

• 1 small clove garlic, finely chopped or pushed through a press

• 1/4 tsp red chile flakes

• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice

• 6 filets of Black or Ling cod, about 7 ounces each, patted dry with paper towels Fine sea salt

• 2 tablespoons grapeseed, canola, or light olive oil

• 1 tsp unsalted butter

• 1 cup diced ripe mango, for serving (optional) In a small sealable container, mix together the spices and set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the plum sauce, soy sauce, ginger, shallot, garlic, chile flakes, stock and Worcestershire sauce. Stir together and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Simmer for 5 minutes, and remove from the heat. Set aside. (If desired, the sauce may be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Cover and refrigerate; bring to a boil again before using.) Just before serving the sauce, stir in the lemon juice.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Dust each side of each piece of fish with 1/4 tsp of the spice mixture, and season lightly with salt. Rub the seasonings in with your fingertips. Place a large cast-iron pan over high heat and add the oil and butter. When the butter has melted and is just beginning to brown, add the fish and saute for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, until nicely browned. Turn the fish over and transfer the pan to the oven to finish cooking for 6 minutes, until firm and just opaque at the center.

Remove filets with a large spatula and pat them lightly with a paper towels to absorb some of the excess oil, then place on heated plates and spoon some of the sauce around the edges. If desired, scatter with diced mango or papaya.