2013 Video Highlights Reel

Grab a favorite beverage, sit down, and sink your eye teeth into some of my tastiest video clips from last year. The Cheap$kate Culinary Cineaste made over 20 videos in 2013. So just scroll down to the end of this post to see the outrageous video highlights.

As usual there is a cupboard full of recipe videos. One from my nephew, Cajun Chef Matt, and the other by my tie-dye wearing sister from Austin, Denise. Chef Matt shows you how to make a strawberry vinaigrette and coat a fish fillet with pecans, while my sister goes vegetarian with an Eggplant Burger recipe.

And The Racontour of Recipes has a slurry of stop motion animated videos -- from the humble Black-eyed Peas to a Mexican taco truck favorite, slow cooked pork Carnitas. These videos are a lot of fun to watch (and make as well,) but manage to get all the recipe details right.

This Kitchen Commando does not live by recipes alone. I got to get out and explore the vast culinary landscape of Los Angeles. And you have a front passenger seat when I hit the town, finding frugal dining destinations: from 99 Cent Fish Tacos in East LA, to the latest Top Chef-run prix fixe hot spot on the Westside.

While I've been reviewing eateries from the beginning of my food blogging, this year it all came together in my Cheap$kate Dining series of videos. The format is simple, all I do is shoot an exterior of the joint, followed by closeup shots of the food, and finally I rate the meal with a 1 to 9 number, 9 being best.

You'll be surprised to know that the best al pastor tacos in Los Angeles comes from a Taco Truck, while the worst fried chicken is from a truck by Top Chef and The Taste judge Ludo Lefebvre! (You've got to check out my Fried Chicken Ludo Truck video, where after taking a rating hit, Chef Ludo gets in the last word - let's just say you may never look at a billboard the same way again!)

Be sure to check out all the videos (over 175 so far) on my YouTube channel (click here,) or on my food blog. (Scroll down the right side to see my Video headings and click on any text, under: Recipes, Restaurant Reviews, Comedy Shorts and Documentaries.

It's been a productive year so far, and I have a slew of new videos in various stages of completion, that I know you will enjoy. Be sure to lookout for my upcoming special Sushi Recipe Video Series -- I know, that sounds impossible, but The Cunning Cuisinier always finds a way around financial roadblocks.

And my Cajun family is back! I just spent a week shooting video in Gonzales, Louisiana. My Mom, just shy of 80 years old, is as feisty as ever in the kitchen -- along with all the nieces, nephews, grandkids and siblings dropping by to create a ruckus. Plus, as a special treat, I introduce a new culinary character, The 99 Cent Swamp Chef.

If that isn't enough to keep you coming back, I don't know what is!

2013 Video Highlights Reel -VIDEO

Play it here, video runs 6 minutes, 21 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

My foodblog videos would be anemic and boring without the help of my friends, family and the cooperation of local eateries -- a big 99 thanks!

Ludo Truck Chicken Strips & French Fries - Cheap$kate Video Review

Bland Chicken Strips from Top Chef star Ludo Lefebvre? Say it ain't so, but when compared to KFC and Popeye's Fried Chicken, the Ludo Truck's Chicken Strips are just second banana. Fried chicken, when done right, has moist meat, with a brightly seasoned crunchy coating. While Ludo's Chicken Strips meet the first requirement, it falls short on the seasoned coating. Chicken Strips start with a handicap -- the skin is usually removed, so the crust has to be exceptional.

Every order is fresh fried which is a big plus. Each nice sized meaty fillet is as good as white meat chicken can be. And the finished product is surprisingly non-greasy for being deep-fried. But the coating is all black pepper with none of the spices that make other fast food chicken so addictive. So you end up with the raw flour taste front and center.

Ludo needs to bone up on Southern fried chicken seasonings, especially if Chicken Strips are your main featured menu item -- or take your fried chicken in a more original and delicious direction.

Now the white meat tenders are moist, and is a generous portion, even at $5.50 for two. While the coating is crunchy enough and not objectionable, it's just bland and boring. I expect more from a Top Chef contestant.

Chef Ludo has stepped into the too deep end of the fried chicken pool. He should visit more South L.A. Soul Food restaurants and take notes on the crunchy skin of Popey'es Fried Chicken. Even KFC's Original soggy coating is loaded with flavorful seasonings. For local purveyors of fried poultry there's lightly coated Dinah's Fried Chicken (my review here), big crusted Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles, or uncoated and succulent Korean fried chicken from KyoChon. These are chicken recipes that have reached fryer perfection.

On the plus side I enjoyed the dipping sauces of super hot Spicy Mayo and lemony Bearnaise. They were so creamy good I used my fries to mop it all up.

The another item I have tried from Ludo Truck is the French Fries -- and I hate to say it, but no improvement here.

You would think French Fries from Frenchman Ludo Lefebvre would be a slam dunk, but they are more like a tiresome foul shot. These fries are limp and under-seasoned. Maybe because I am more of a Belgian double-fried crispy fries type (Chef Ludo, you can checkout my recipe video for a better French fry by clicking here.) The Ludo Truck fries are fresh and thick cut, but again they are just okay. Almost any fast food burger joint makes better fries, even from frozen pre-cut spuds.

Hey, I have no beef with Chef Ludo, I enjoy his TV show appearances, the culinary prowess he displays and his fiery French temperament. But I know cheap dining and Ludo Truck's Chicken Strips and French Fries need to be improved for a return visit from this Bottom Feeding Chef. 

Chef Ludo Lefebvre

There is a glut of food trucking going on in L.A. and most are overpriced and gimmicky. I've done other food truck videos that show how to make delish cuisine served on four wheels -- just click on any name to see what I mean: Night & Day with the Kogi Truck, A Rainy Day at the Nom Nom Truck, Tacos Leo, El Sabroso Fish Tostada Truck, Border Grill Truck, and El Pique Taco Truck.

The Ludo Truck also sells Chicken Wings and Boneless Chicken Thighs. I recently tried the Chicken Wings, which I prefer over the Chicken Strips. Three large uncoated wings are deep fried and come slathered in a sweet garlic sauce. The wings are fried perfectly, and like dark meat are moist and tender.

The only criticism would be the sweet garlic sauce overkill, especially if you are going back to work after lunch -- the garlic pieces keep on giving... for hours. Chef Ludo's Chicken Wing sauce is similar to a typical Oriental egg roll dipping sauce, but loaded with garlic -- a little too sweet, but still quite tasty (click here for video of Chef Ludo making wings.)

Every time I've been to the Ludo Truck they are out of  Boneless Chicken Thighs. I'll update this post if I ever get to try them.

So check out my Cheap$kate Dining Video below to see the rating of 1 to 9, 9 being best. And the last shot of my Cheap$kate Dining video review features an outrageous ending where foul-mouthed Chef Ludo gets in the last word!

(Next up I'll be Cheap$kate reviewing KFC's Chicken Little Sandwich for comparison -- that's also made with a chicken tender. So hopefully Chef Ludo will check in for my video review next week, to see how it's done better.)

Ludo Truck Fried Chicken Strips & French Fries - VIDEO

Play it here, video runs 3 minutes, 18 seconds.

99 thanks to my neighbor Pete for his camerawork.
To view or embed from YouTube, click here.

Extra 99 thanks to the cooks and order takers on Ludo Truck. The food was well presented and everyone was quite pleasant. I saw many diners enjoying their chicken, so don't let my review cause pause -- give them a try and decide for yourself. Chef Ludo's Chicken Strips and French Fries are fine for fast food dining.