A sneak peek at Hungry Girl's new recipe cards

We might have figured out the secret to Hungry Girl's success. Never. Stop. Working.

On a recent morning at Hungry Girl headquarters, located in a Woodland Hills apartment complex of all places, Lisa Lillien was simultaneously eating breakfast*; answering reader and business e-mails on her Mac; Twittering from her iPhone bedazzled in a Hungry Girl logo and custom colors; looking over a mock cover for her new book (due out in March, with another to follow in June); checking sales figures on her current book, "Hungry Girl: 200 Under 200" which is still holding strong on the New York Times bestseller list after landing at No. 1 in April; overseeing a server upgrade for ther 800,000-plus subscribers; critiquing and ultimately dismissing a branding proposal -- the products weren't quite right ...

And anxiously awaiting the arrival of her new recipe cards: "Hengry Girl Chew the Right Thing: Supreme Makeovers for 50 Foods You Crave." They are due in stores in December, just in time to be a calorie-conscious stocking stuffers. The recipes are a "best of" Lillien's books and from her daily e-mail blast dedicated to finding calorie-conscious ways to indulge. (Click below to see one of the recipes, for Fettuccine Hungry Girlfredo, which Lillien says may be the most popular Hungry Girl recipe ever.)

"I know, it never stops," LIllien said with a laugh. The server issue was of the utmost importance on this bright morning because Lillien had just seen her subscription numbers grow a jaw-dropping 20,000 and counting after appearances on "Nightline" and "The Rachael Ray Show" within 24 hours of each other. "I just don't want people to sign up and then have trouble getting their e-mails," she said.

Utter and unrelated aside: Lillien said Rachael was completely down to earth, dropping by to introduce herself and chat -- they talked shoes -- before the show began. (Apparently such advance hellos are not always routine in TV.) "She really treated me like a guest, like you would treat a guest in your own home, I was like 'Wow!' " The two apparently hit it off: Lisa will be making future appearances on Rachael's show. But if you want to see Lillien sooner than that, she'll be on QVC this Sunday morning on "In the Kitchen with David Venable."

* Breakfast was cottage cheese -- DUH, non-fat -- with chunks of fuji apples and cinnamon, and one of Hungry Girl's trademark frothy iced coffee drinks.

-- Rene Lynch

Bellying up to Kentucky Fried Chicken's double down

We were dubious when we first read that Kentucky Fried Chicken was coming out with a new sandwich that does away with the bread in favor of two fried fillets. And that the "sandwich" part of the sandwich involved was made of cheese, something called Colonel's sauce .. and bacon?

Could that possibly be true?

After all, this was the fast-food chain that seemed to be going all healthy on us, setting off stampedes for its new grilled chicken offerings.

We lobbed a call to a media representative. And the rest is a good news-bad news story. First, the good news. The sandwich does indeed exist, and it is called the double down. It is made of two Original Recipe fillets, bacon, Swiss and pepper jack cheese and something called the Colonel's sauce.

The bad news? The sandwich is only being tested in Providence, R.I., and Omaha, Neb. But if it does well  -- and really, why wouldn't this sandwich do well? -- it could head out West. 

-- Rene Lynch

Photo: Kentucky Fried Chicken

Official details on Hollywood's Mercantile and District emerge

George Abou-Daoud is on quite a winning streak. With the Bowery, Mission Cantina and Delancey under his belt, the N.Y.C. transplant has created some of Hollywood’s most inviting taverns. Now, he's poised to strike again with Mercantile, slated to open at 6600 Sunset Blvd. in early September. And this time he’s bringing along critically acclaimed chef Kris Morningstar (Blue Velvet, A.O.C., Patina) along for the ride.

“It’s equal parts gourmet marketplace, daytime café and nighttime wine bar,” says Abou-Daoud, who describes the space as having an “urban-country, old-world feel with high ceilings, original brick walls, raw wood accents and a carbon steel-topped bar.” There are also glass cases displaying charcuterie, cheese, salads and sandwiches as well as shelves stocked with wine, dried pasta, olives and mustard.

Expect a menu of classics with an “artisanal spin.” For example: a pumpkin-seed butter and preserves sandwich served on country white bread; or a Reuben made with pastrami, Gruyère, house-made sauce and sauerkraut slaw on Russian rye bread.

In addition, Abou-Daoud promises a global selection of wines, with glasses starting at $7.

What about District, the restaurant opening next door to Mercantile? Abou-Daoud and Morningstar are opening that together too, and they say to expect seasonal bistro fare and creative cocktails. We’re especially curious to taste the sea urchin and bay scallop gratin.

-- Alexandra Le Tellier

Photo: Abou-Daoud's Delancey and Mission Cantina reside next door to each other, just as Mercantile and District will. Credit: DeeDee DeGelia for Metromix

Food Truck Alert: Frysmith gourmet fry truck

Are you one of those people who suddenly bolts out of bed at 3 a.m., hops in the car and heads for Tommy burger because you just can't shake your craving for chili-cheese fries? Then you'll be excited to hear that come mid- to late August a French fry truck called Frysmith will join the caravan of gourmet food trucks that have been rolling and Twittering around town in previously unimagined numbers.

Its owners, Brook Howell and Erik Cho, who are married and both 29 years old, have been quietly working on the idea since March. Both graduates of UC Berkeley, Howell and Cho have long been interested in food. Cho is Korean and grew up in Baldwin Park. His mother ran a couple of burger restaurants and he spent time in those kitchens as a youth. The experience fostered his current love of fast food and L.A.'s thriving burger culture. Howell majored in literature but secretly wanted to be a baker. Her first food-truck love was New York's Dessert Truck.

The couple, who live in Burbank, pursued careers within their chosen fields (Howell worked for a magazine and Cho in the film industry) before deciding to focus on a food truck.

"I'd been following the food truck thing for a while. New York has a really vibrant food truck culture," says Howell. "Kogi kind of showed us that this is something viable that L.A. would be into." Once they settled on the medium,they had to choose a food to sell. Cho wanted to do something with fast food but didn't want to do burgers. Then he had lunch with a friend who had never had chili-cheese fries and it hit him that he could build a meal on top of fries using all of his favorite flavors and ingredients.

Here's what's on the Frysmith menu so far:

Five food events you should know about: Now with extra cheese

TODAY

Charity in the kitchen Join Orange County chefs Art Gonzalez, Adam Navidi, David Slay and Paul Squicciarini for a dinner in support of Culinary Action Direct, Miracles for Kids and Share Our Selves. Soak up cooking demonstrations and enjoy a menu of specialties from around the world. Orange County Wine & Food Center, 1570 Scenic Ave., Costa Mesa. 6:30 p.m. $65. (714) 960-0534. (714) 641-9922, www.great-taste.net.

THURSDAY

Summer wines There are few places as ideal as Descanso Gardens to sip wine at sunset. Fortunately, the Patina Group's themed wine-tasting series is back, featuring wines paired with a variety of tasty appetizers. This time the event is called "Mediterranean Musings" in the Rose Pavilion. Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge. 6 to 8:30 p.m. $54. (818) 790-3663. www.descansogardens.org.

Affordable elegance Grab a seat at Il Tiramisù Ristorante & Bar for a wine dinner featuring Maloy O'Neill Vineyards from Paso Robles. Winemaker Shannon O'Neill will be on hand to dish on the varietals. The four-course menu includes summer salad with arugula, shrimp, sea bass and Dijon mustard dressing; prime New York steak braised with apple cider vinegar and peach panna cotta. Il Tiramisù Ristorante & Bar, 13705 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks. 7 p.m. $50. (818) 986-2640. www.il-tiramisu.com.

Block party Cool off with a block party hosted by Hugo's Tacos, which will be holding an ice cream social featuring low-cost sundaes, cups, cones and root beer floats. Venues along Glendale Boulevard will also throw their doors open. Expect DJs, art exhibits, dancing and more. Hugo's Tacos, 3300 Glendale Blvd., Atwater Village. 6 to 10 p.m. (323) 664-9400. www.hugostacos.com.

Cheesy fun The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills invites you to get cheesy with three summer-centric French Pinots paired with French cheeses. Sharkey's patio, 435 N. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills. 7 to 9 p.m. $50. (310) 278-2855. www.cheesestorebh.com.

-- Jessica Gelt

Photo: Owner Norbert Wabnig at the Cheese Store of Beverly Hills. Credit: Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times

Blind Tiger pop-up wine & cheese tasting

Let's face it: At most gallery openings, it's mainly about the free wine, then the art, and finally the uninspiring platters of cubed pepper jack and hardening brie. Artist Talia Wabnig hopes to upend that paradigm with a pop-up cheese and wine tasting at New Puppy Gallery's latest opening.

Wabnig, whose father, Norbert, owns the Cheese Store of Beverly Hills, has plenty of experience marrying oral and visual temptation. (This is a woman who grew up knowing the subtle differences between a Pont-l'Evêque and a Reblochon.) Last summer she successfully hosted a series of impromptu tastings/art events that she organized at the last minute and publicized through word-of-mouth. This time, she's partnered with L. Croskey of Cannibal Flower and Thinkspace Gallery. Inspired by Japanese director Nagisa Oshima's erotic 1976 film, he's curated an array of food-themed art for "In the Realm of the Senses."

What pairs well with the visual feast of Joe Bravo's hand-painted tortillas and Taslimur's surreal photos? Nine  to 11 cheeses including comté, camembert, cheverol and a variety of artisanal cheddars along with five wines: three from Sylvester Winery in Paso Robles and two from the Hess Collection in Napa Valley.

"I just want to make sure the room is full of cheese and wine, so that people can indulge in the flavors and textures of all the different cheeses," Wabnig says.

Blind Tiger Pop-up Tasting: New Puppy Gallery, 2808 Elm St., Unit 1, L.A., 7 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, June 13. $25 per person. RSVP to (818) 752-9168 or email blindtiger310@gmail.com with number of guests.

--Elina Shatkin

Photo: courtesy of Joe Bravo

Mozzarella, saucy tofu and the sad facts about counting calories

 

More L.A. Times Food news:

From Travel: Italy's Campania region is where fresh mozzarella roams. Near Naples is where you'll find the real thing: silky-soft cheese from unpasteurized buffalo milk. Eat it on its own and, preferably, as soon as you buy it.

From National: All Kelley Coffman-Lee wanted to do was broadcast her love of tofu to the driving public.
So the Colorado vegan applied to the state's Department of Revenue for a vanity license plate for her Suzuki SL7 carrying the message: ILVTOFU. Request denied. Why? "It could be misinterpreted in a way that suggests that she likes something other than tofu," explained revenue department spokesman Mark Couch.

 

From Health: Counting calories is a tough math problem.  Losing weight is nothing but a numbers game. If the number of calories burned is greater than the number of calories consumed -- bingo! Weight loss.

-- Rene Lynch

Photo credit: Susan Spano / Los Angeles Times

 

When American Craft Beer Week reigns, it pours

If you believe that your inalienable rights include “life, liberty and the pursuit of hops and malts fermented from the finest of U.S. small and independent craft brewers,” then you need not wait until July 4 to celebrate your independence.

American Craft Beer Week, an effort by the Boulder, Colo.-based Brewers Assn., is set for May 11-17, and there are a number of occasions to raise a glass around the Southland, including Craft Beer Fest L.A., which starts the festivities two days early, on Saturday. New this year to the drive to raise awareness for small breweries is the Declaration of Beer Independence, which in addition to expanding your inalienable rights asks you to sign and declare that “the beer I choose to enjoy is not a commodity” but “an artistic creation of living liquid history,” calls for beer sellers to carry local and regional breweries  and claims that, among other things, beer “teaches us geography.”

If you’ll drink to that, here are some opportunities:

Craft Beer Fest L.A., the master machination of LA CABAL (the Los Angeles Craft and Artisanal Beer Appreciation League), invades the Echoplex on Saturday. There will be 15 California breweries present, each with at least two varieties. The $30 admission comes with 15 drink tickets and a take-home glass. Tastings will be 3 ounces each (“like a triple-espresso-size cup,” says CABAL member Evan George). Additional drink tickets will go for $1 a pop. There will be food to help sop up those suds: Expect beer nuts made to order (hot pepper peanuts, rosemary and olive oil pecans, vanilla honeyed cashews), vegan appetizers from Pure Luck (owned by CABAL member Ben Ling), salad from new Fairfax beer bar Golden State, beer-flavored desserts from Scoops, fresh-delivered pizza bites from the nearby Masa, bean and cheese burritos courtesy of the LA Burrito Project, and chips and salsa from Santa Monica’s Library Alehouse. And if you get beered out, there will be organic coffee from local roaster Cafecita Organica. And it will all be set to old-time music by the likes of Sausage Grinder and Triple Chicken Foot. Brewers will be available to discuss their work, and CABAL members and Hot Knives bloggers Alex Brown and George will give a presentation on the do's and don’ts of beer and cheese pairings. And, if you aren’t actually spent by the festival’s 9 p.m. end, the Echoplex will start selling its usual offerings at that time.

The fest, at 1154 Glendale Blvd., Los Angeles from 2  to 9 p.m., sold out its 500 presale tickets. There will be a couple hundred available at the door -- but expect a line if you don’t have a presale ticket. George says public transportation is encouraged (after all, parking is scarce and those 2 ounce tastings add up – many of the beers will be potent). Metro bus 92 stops nearby on Glendale, and the 2 and 4 buses run above on Sunset. The event benefits 826LA. 

Around SoCal during the big week:

Licensed to Grill: Winners of the Grilled Cheese Invitational

On the last day of national Grilled Cheese Month, let us honor the victors of last weekend's hard-fought Grilled Cheese Invitational. (A semi-complete list of winners is posted after the jump; click here for a photo gallery from the competition.) But let us not forget what this month is truly about: bread, cheese and putting your arteries on the line for your art.

As Foundry chef and invitational judge Eric Greenspan said, "After tasting 75 of your sandwiches, I am extremely ill. I would not recommend that you walk in front of, or behind, me for the next couple of hours."

Cinco de Mayo recipes: tuna tostadas, carne asada, chicharrones . . .

 

If you are like me, you're always looking for an excuse to break out the chips and guac. So I was happy to dig through the Times Test Kitchen's archives for some recipes in honor of Cinco de Mayo. Still, I wanted to come up with something ... different. (Nothing against refried beans, mind you!)

So this is a photo gallery of the menu I came up with:

There are grapefruit margaritas to start, along with appetizers including radish salsa, tortillas and chicharrones de queso -- roughly translated as fried cheese, tuna tostadas with chipotle mayo and queso de chiva fundido con pipián verde -- roughly translated as more cheesy goodness. For the main course, choose from green corn tamales, El Cholo's famous chiles rellenos, carne asada tacos, achiote-marinated fish tacos, duck tacos with a chile-cherry compote (I told you I wanted different) and two types of veggie enchiladas.

But I wasn't completely nontraditional. I did include guacamole. And, for a finisher, flan. 

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

-- Rene Lynch

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Photo credit: Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times