Espresso at Deus Ex Machina
How was your weekend? If you were in LA, I guess you were outdoors in shorts, basking in the sun.
The highlight of my weekend was attending Secret Fork with Liz, who always seems to have her finger on the local pulse. Secret Fork is a pop-up, underground marketplace for food artisans (and, according to the website, urban famers, artists, and chefs). The event took place in a private home. (Note to self: Future home should have wraparound patio and fruit trees.)
We met vendors and sampled plenty of food and drink. Our favorite was Shrub-a fruit and vinegar drink which you can drink alone or mix with alcohol. It also is the name of the brand. Think kombucha but less overwhelming. It was the perfect thing to drink as we melted in the heat. I didn't find a website, but here is more on vinegar cocktails from the New York Times and a list of places to get vinegar cocktails in Los Angeles, courtesy of Liz.
Equally delicious: The pork belly pasty from Pig and Pastry, which launched just last week. All the meat is sourced from Lindy and Grundy-a relatively new Los Angeles butcher shop. It makes sense, considering that the founder of Pig and Pastry also happens to manage L&G. Get these if you can, folks! No hyperbole when I say this is the best meat pastry I have ever had. The flaky pastry shatters under your teeth. The filling will surpass your expectations. I recall pork, caramelized onion, and potato, though I can't be sure, since the pasty disappeared quickly.
Last, I was excited to find out about Gastronome Gallery, which will be a hub for food artisans. They just moved into a big space in the Los Angeles Arts District and have a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds.
I also had time this weekend to test recipes for Steamy Kitchen's upcoming cookbook. I'm glad I signed up and feel lucky to be one of the chosen. What food nerd wouldn't be interested in seeing the behind-the-scenes work that goes into making a cookbook?
Finally, I checked out the new Deus Ex Machina shop/cafe/store just down the street. I don't understand the relation between the literary device and hipster motorcycles and surfboards, but I DO wish I owned one of those big wooden tables. I can't wait to move into a bigger space! Next year, perhaps?
That's about it. This week, I hope to make some more Korean food, test more recipes, and drink Shrub. All subject to the demands of work, of course.
Have a great week!
