MAMA'S COOKING AND MAMA COOKS HOME-STYLE JUST RIGHT.Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic nothing else, you drop in for a wedge of one of Monique ``Big Mama'' Fuller's luscious cakes, your sweet tooth will, at least for this holiday season, be partially satisfied. Chef-owner Fuller, direct from New Orleans, quietly opened her Big Mama's Kitchen in Woodland Hills a year ago. dually, she has captivated cap·ti·vate tr.v. cap·ti·vat·ed, cap·ti·vat·ing, cap·ti·vates 1. To attract and hold by charm, beauty, or excellence. See Synonyms at charm. 2. Archaic To capture. local palates with her no-nonsense Southern soul cooking. It's highlighted by an array of superb fruit cobblers, pies, puddings and cakes that are so sinfully rich, I get a sugar rush just thinking about them. But you have to be patient with Big Mama. She can only bake so much. Consequently, she doesn't always have a whole lot of baked goods on hand. You have to be satisfied with what's available. Like one time, when she'd run out of sweet potato pie Sweet Potato Pie is a traditional dessert popular in the Southern United States. It is a usually made as a large tart in an open pie shell without a top crust. The filling consists of sweet potatoes, milk, sugar and eggs, flavored with spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg. ($3), she promised it would be there the next day and that she would save us a piece. And, good-hearted soul that she is, she did. But we didn't fare that badly on the day there was none of the sweetest sweet potato pie. We were thoroughly enchanted en·chant tr.v. en·chant·ed, en·chant·ing, en·chants 1. To cast a spell over; bewitch. 2. To attract and delight; entrance. See Synonyms at charm. with her pear cobbler ($5) and red velvet cake A Red velvet cake is a type of rich and sweet chocolate cake (though it is often made without chocolate flavoring) which has a distinctive dark red or red-brown color. Common ingredients include buttermilk, butter, flour, cocoa powder, and often either beets, or red food coloring. ($3). So impressed was one customer, he took home a piece of Big Mama's German chocolate cake The German Chocolate Cake is a layered chocolate-buttermilk cake filled and topped with a coconut-pecan frosting. History This cake was not actually invented by Germans. The original recipe was sent by a homemaker in Dallas in 1957 to a newspaper in Texas. ($3) and couldn't stop talking about its rich, moist, chocolate intensity for the rest of the week. But Mama makes other good stuff, too. Like a flavorful, nicely textured, Creole-style meatloaf with a hint of spiciness. It's only available on Wednesdays. Like wonderful smothered pork chops, distinctive dirty rice, and, for those who have acquired the taste for it, exceptionally good (chitlins chit·lins or chit·lings pl.n. Variants of chitterlings. Noun 1. chitlins - small intestines of hogs prepared as food chitlings, chitterlings organs, variety meat - edible viscera of a butchered animal ) chitterlings chitterlings cross-sectional rings of the large intestine of the pig; usually deepfried quickly to a crackling, crisp delicacy. - the latter two served in bowls, and only on Thursdays. Incidentally, the fixed price of any one of these entree-designated items as a meal is $7.99 for lunch or $10.75 for dinner. As a lunch, two side orders are included. At dinner, there are three. And to date, none of those tried has missed the mark. Even Mama's collard greens Noun 1. collard greens - kale that has smooth leaves collards cole, kail, kale - coarse curly-leafed cabbage , vinegared just enough to diminish unwanted bitterness, are better than most. As are her red beans and rice Red beans and rice is an emblematic dish of Louisiana Creole cuisine (not originally of Cajun cuisine), traditionally made on Mondays with red beans, vegetables (onion and celery), spices (thyme, cayenne pepper, and bay leaf), and pork bones left over from Sunday dinner, cooked , candied can·died adj. Permeated, covered, encrusted, or cooked with sugar: candied sweet potatoes. candied Adjective coated with or cooked in sugar: yams, mashed potatoes with gravy, butter beans and steamed carrots. Those who scoff at macaroni and cheese should tasted Mama's rendition. She also offers respectable versions of french fries, corn bread and a cold, herbal potato salad. Of the three traditional New Orleans' po' boy sandwiches ($5.99) on the menu, my vote goes to the fried, lightly battered shrimp version. And a hot link plate ($5.99) provides another Louisiana-style snack. If Mama has baked bread pudding ($5), grab an order quickly. It's that good. And, like a lot of other goodies here, not available every day. BIG MAMA'S KITCHEN Where: 22526 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills. When: Open for lunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner from 2 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Closed Monday. Behind the scenes: Chef Monique ``Big Mama'' Fuller. Recommended items: Shrimp po' boy sandwich, meatloaf, smothered pork chops, ``chitlins,'' dirty rice, hot links, red beans 'n' rice, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, red velvet cake, bread pudding, pear cobbler. How much: Lunch (entree and two sides) $7.99; dinner (entree and three sides) $10.75; side orders $2.50 to $5, roast chicken (weekends only, served with two sides) $9; fried chicken from $5 to $8; desserts from $1.50 to $10. No alcohol. Cash only. (ATM on premises.) Reservations: Mandatory for Friday special show nights. Call (818) 222-1257. Our rating: Three and one half for food; two and one half for service for service. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Monique and Gary Fuller, co-owners of Big Mama's restaurant, display their beignets, left, and a platter of super side dishes. |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion