MasterChef Season 3 Auditions!

Do you have what it takes to be the next MasterChef?

On FOX's MasterChef, amateur cooks compete to win the title of America's best home chef...and some serious dough. Judged by Chef Gordon Ramsay (Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Savoy Grill plus FOX's Kitchen Nightmares, Hell's Kitchen and the upcoming Hotel Hell), restauranteur Joe Bastianich (Babbo, Osteria and Pizzeria Mozza) and Chef Graham Elliot (Graham Elliot, Grahamwich), the show has just been picked up for its third season, and casting auditions in LA are right around the corner.

If you're ready to put your spatula where your snark is (c'mon, you know you judged season 2's Christine every time she melted down), take a trip to Le Cordon Bleu 0n Saturday, October 29th between 10AM and 6PM. Visit www.masterchefcasting.com for more details, including application instructions, audition guidelines and eligibility details.

Also, if you mention that you heard about the audition from Noms, Not Bombs, you'll get to bypass the general audition line and head straight to the priority line. #win. Good luck!

Picca Peru

With the opening of Picca Peru, Chef Ricardo Zarate has expanded and elevated the Peruvian cooking that earned him a 2011 "Best New Chef" award from Food and Wine Magazine. While his first, low-key restaurant Mo-Chica focuses on traditional Peruvian entrees, the hip Picca devotes its attention to modern anticuchos (small plates)--admirably, without losing touch with the food's roots.

As a big fan of both Chef Ricardo and his business partner Stephane Bombet, J and I were practically foaming at the mouth to get a taste!

Chilcano de Anis ($11.00): Lime juice, ginger syrup, pisco, perod

Tuna Tartare ($12.00): Tuna, lemon soy dressing, won ton chips

Papa rellena ($7.00): Stuffed potato, slow cooked beef, boiled egg, rocoto aioli

Empanada Trio ($9.00): Beef, chicken and eggplant

These delightful two bite-sized empanadas were impossibly flaky and sampling each of the three with each dipping sauce was great fun for the taste buds.

Snow Crab Causa "Sushi" ($6.00): Cucumber, avocado and huancaina sauce

Beef Filet ($9.00): Uni (sea urchin) butter, garlic chip

These beef filet anticuchos arrived at the table, positively glistening with uni butter and inviting us to first eat them with our eyes. Pillow soft with a hint of ocean brine, the beef managed to taste even better than it looked and was a highlight of the night.

Santa Barbara Prawns ($12.00): Lemongrass yuzu kosho pesto

Chicharron de Costillas ($9.00): Crispy pork ribs crostini, sweet potato puree, feta cheese sauce, salsa criolla

Bisteck a lo Pobre ($14.00): Skirt steak, egg, pan-fried banana, chickpeas tacu tacu

The flavors of the bisteck a lo pobre were some of the most reserved of our dinner, but the sweet and savory components combined to create a hearty, comforting dish that reminded me of a Hawaiian loco moco.

Churros ($7.00)

Tres Leches Cake ($7.00): With the creamy, boozy and fruity flavors at work in this dessert, I was in tres leches heaven!

The dishes, drinks and desserts on the menu at Picca will continue to evolve, and I look forward to seeing (and sampling) any new additions.

Picca Peru

www.piccaperu.com

9575 W. Pico Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90035

(310) 277-0133

LA Street Food Fest

The 3rd LA Street Food Fest, held on Saturday, July 16th, brought to life the adage "third time's the charm." While the festival's first incarnation was a food-trucking disaster, the second showed major improvements, and this third street food fest was the best yet. With easy parking, short (or no) wait times and incredibly diverse bites, the LA Street Food Fest impressed on all fronts.

Upon arrival, J and I prioritized our grubbing and headed straight for the Baja section of the festival, which featured several chefs from the region selected by my good friend Bill of Street Gourmet LA.

Pacific oyster asada with chicharron shortrib, Serrano ponzu and lemongrass foam by Javier Plascencia/Mision 19-- winner of Best in Show and the People's Choice Award.

Mini beef cheek tacos from Javier Plascencia/Casa Plascencia

Uni (sea urchin) tostada from Sabina Bandera/ La Guerrerense-- winner of Best Original Showmanship

With some prodding from Bill and J, this non-adventurous, seafood-fearing gal even sampled oysters and beef cheek! (Didn't like either of them, even with a shot of tequila...)

Other dishes we sampled:

Hawaiian burgers with Grandma's sauce from Waiola Burger

Venison chorizo verde with Serrano relish and goat cheese crema on jicama tortilla from Cacao Mexicatessen

Bibimbap from Moo Dae Po II

Sonoma Lamb Shoulder from Tione's Quality Meats

Cochinita Pibil Taco from La Flor de Yucatan

Moqueca Teste (Brazilian fish stew) from Sabor de Bahia

Taco from Tacos Cuernavaca

Okonomiyaki from Glowfish

Some of my favorites of the fest included:

Vampiro (garlic-infused quesadilla) from Mexicali Taco Company

Quinoa fritters from Border Grill Truck

Tacos dorado de camaron (crunchy shrimp taco) from Mariscos Jalisco

Peruvian Cau Cau (tripe stew) from Picca/Chef Ricardo Zarate-- winner of Best Noveau Street Food

Artisanal shaved ice from Ice Ice Shavie

Everything (alambre taco, mini pambaso and potato taco) from Antojitos Carmen

Julian Cox is, hands down, one of my favorite people in LA because of the incredible drinks he creates. The mixologist was on-hand, serving up two different drinks.

I slurped down the first without snapping a photo and returned for seconds-- the Gin Y Hendricks, a combination of Hendrick's, lime juice, sugar and mint topped with a cucumber espuma.

Congratulations to all of the winners and to those who hosted and worked the event. Smooth sailing and delicious eats!

The Gold Standard 2011

Last month, food lovers descended upon the third annual Gold Standard, a gathering of culinary goodness in honor of Jonathon Gold, LA Weekly's Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic. Hosted on the rooftop of the Petersen Auto Museum, the event boasted food from over fifty different restaurant and libations from dozens of wineries.

Meaning serious business, I arrived with an empty stomach but clad in a drapey sweater as a pre-emptive strike against my imminent food baby.

Grilled cheese sandwich from The Foundry on Melrose

Oysters from Little Dom's

Guelaguetza

The crew from Bludso's BBQ

Good Girl Dinette

Ceviche from Mo Chica

Although the Gold-sanctioned spread was quite impressive, several dishes in particular found their way to my heart via my mouth:

Malaysian chicken curry and crispy tofu balls from Starry Kitchen

Curry from Mayura

Banana pudding from Earlez Grill Catering

Caprese from Pizzeria Mozza

Pork belly adobo and lumpia from The Manila Machine

Bulgogi from Park's BBQ

The only thing better than stuffing my face at the Gold Standard? The much-needed nap I took afterwards!

Simplethings Sandwich & Pie Shop

When I think of W. 3rd Street, two words come to mind: "bruncher's paradise." From Joan's on Third to Toast to Doughboys, the stretch east of the Beverly Center certainly has no shortage of options for your brunching needs. To this list one may also add Simplethings Sandwich and Pie Shop, a newly opened sandwich and pie shop.

With its cozy and cute decor, an even mix of breakfast and lunch options, outdoor seating, and a little something sweet to finish up the meal, Simplethings seemed right up my alley.

For my meal, I ordered the hash ($9.00). The dish featured a hefty mound of cubed corned beef and sweet potatoes, topped with a poached egg and toast. Despite the hash's simplicity and the inclusion of normally enjoyable ingredients, the dish was a complete disappointment. The sweet potatoes were extremely unevenly cooked; whereas some cubes were soft, others tasted as if they had not been cooked at all. Furthermore, as a whole, the combination of the meat and potatoes created a very unpleasantly dry dish.

J fared better than I with his French toast ($9.00), which was filled with mascarpone cheese and topped with blueberries. The mascarpone cheese and blueberries paired nicely together to create an interesting mix of tastes and textures. The already sweet dish, however, probably could have done without the kitchen's addition of maple syrup.

Because Simplethings' interior prominently features its dessert display case, we decided to also try their pie.

We ordered a mini cherry pie ($2.50), but were given a blueberry one instead. Upon mentioning the snafu, however, we were given our original order but invited to keep the blueberry. Sadly, both were awful. From the generic-tasting filling to the undercooked, impossible to cut crust that reminded me of an uncooked Pop Tart, nothing about these pies was enjoyable, and I ate only one bite of each. J and I were both baffled as to how a restaurant's namesake could be so unappetizing.

After sharing my disappointment in my brunch with friends, one remarked that she quite enjoyed her sandwich from Simplethings. Maybe I should re-visit the shop and order a sandwich and just avoid the pie? Maybe. Probably not.

Simplethings

www.simplethingsrestaurant.com

8310 W. 3rd Street

Los Angeles, CA 90048

(323) 592-3390