Indigenous treats?
There was a thread recently about bringing something "LA" to out-of-towners (SF I think), but I can't find the thread. Anyway, my question is a little different with apologies if it's been contemplated; can't find it in the archives.
*IS* there anything light-weight, interesting, tasty, and LA-ish to bring to out-of-towners? I think the lemons I haul along from the backyard are getting old, and are hardly light-weight besides (ours are 6"d minimum). Someone just mentioned "going to Surfas". but that's a tad inspecific. Besides, most of that stuff is interesting but not especially endemic. See's chocolates doesn't qualify because they're heavy, big and gross. My brilliant attempt at bringing Jin pastries ("cakes") was a complete disaster (posted elsewhere).
Anyone have some other suggestions? I'd appreciate especially locations on the westside for my imminent departure, but for the future, I'd also love to hear about portable, unique delicacies that are more far-flung too.
TIA hounds!
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I think I approach this question differently. When I think of bringing food to someone as a "treat," I think more about well-prepared, often artisinal products. I don't worry as much about how indigenous an item is, unless the product is widely available at my destination (coals to Newcastle...). So, when I think of wonderful products that we can present as gifts to people elsewhere, I think of California wines, cheeses from the BH Cheese Store, Jin Patisserie chocolates, hot mustard from Phillippe's, tamales from Mama's Hot Tamales, pickles from Langers, fruit from our farmers markets, etc. Few of those products would be considered indigenous, but this is LA, some I am not really sure if anything is indigenous.
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Here are a few ideas that come to mind:
)
-delicious handmade choclates from
L'Artisan Du chocolate
3364 West First Street
Los Angeles, CA 90004
http://www.lartisanduchocolat.com/
(can also be purchased at CulverCity and Palisades Farmer's market, call first-dried fruits, nuts or honey from the Hollywood Farmer's market
(I love the dried apricots, flame raisens at the Peacock family stand)-box of tiny exquisite Italian cookies from Susina Bakery.
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David Kahn
Jan 30, 2007 10:56 AM
Two things that come to mind are:
Pumpkin bread from the Monastery of Angles in Hollywood (http://www.op-stjoseph.org/nuns/angels/ ); and
Little John's English Toffee from the Fairfax Farmers' Market (http://www.littlejohnscandies.com/ ).
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I second the dates proposal. I'd say bring some Medjool. I alawys bring back some of them to France, because they are so plump and fresh here and in France they are always too dry.
if it helps, when I get back home to Paris, I bring in addition to the aforementioned dates:
dried black mission figs, meyer lemons, dried chiles, blue corn masa. I once brought
back some tomatillos. -
OK, what's Vietnamese pho? I am sure the question marks me for chowhound infamy. And I've little doubt it won't travel well, but its' obviously something I need to know more about anon! Thanks! And the LA chef cookbook is a great idea; thanks. Though I think only 6 people in America ever actually cook anymore.
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re: aliris
ElsieDee
Jan 30, 2007 11:09 AM
Pho is the marvelous Vietnamese beef soup (though there's also a chicken version called pho ga). Here's a link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pho
If you want to try some pho (and on a cold day like this one, I would think that you would), let us know where in the LA-area you reside and I'm sure someone can point you toward a bowl of steaming goodness.
Speaking of which, I think I'll have some for lunch.
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