Yummy Gatherer

Sorry! But I'm back!

2010-08-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hi kids! I'm back!

Did you think I moved into a cave without internet access? Well, no. I was just being a lazy bad blogger. I bet no one missed me anyway...

But I'm here and I have some catching up to do.

Let's go back a few months, because I want to share some pics I took on my wild ride through Europe. I was in Amsterdam, Belgium, Paris and London a few months ago and I visited a lot of markets for you. Just for you. Really! It wasn't for the cheeses, I swear it!

Of course everyone knows the food and markets in Europe are awesome. The flowers, the veggies, the cheeses..oh sorry. Anyway, on my visits to the food markets I realized how spoiled I am in California. Because you know what? Our farmers markets are the best! We have the most amazing fruits and veggies, and so many varieties. We are really lucky with our climate, our ethnic diversity and our many demanding foodies.

But one thing that I noticed Europe does better is meat and cheese at the market. In Southern California you do have cheese and meat offerings but not really at the level I saw in Europe. But I think that is changing, my local farmer's market in Santa Monica now has at least 5 different meat purveyors offering everything from bison to duck to oysters. That's nice!

Okay, enough blabbering. Here are a few pics!

My buddy at the fishmonger in a Paris market. You can see that it was a little chilly.

HUGE white asparagus at another Paris farmer's market.

I'm sorry but I could never eat this, it looks too creepy.

De Kaaskamer in Amsterdam.

I look annoyed, but that is just because I didn't buy any cheese.

They had bacon at the farmer's market in London.

By that I mean they were actually cooking bacon at the market. Mmm!

This is something you do NOT see in California.

A wine vendor at the farmer's market in Paris! Awesome!!!

Market near Versailles.

Nothing says Spring like chanterelles, morels, and raspberries.

Well, there's a little tour through some of the markets. Yummy stuff!

Enjoy the day and happy August! xox

Lamb chops

2010-04-22T10:06:00.000-07:00

Heyyy! How's everyone doing?

I've had this photo for a while and I forgot to post about this meal. I bought some lamb chops at the farmer's market a few weeks ago and cooked them up. You all know I am obsessed with lamb right? I don't know why, I just love it! Anyway, I was so happy when a vendor at my local farmer's market started selling it. Healthy Family Farms woo!

Yummy yummy!

A nice satisfying meal of lamb chops - marinated in garlic, rosemary, salt, red pepper, lemon and then seared quickly on high heat. Served them over kale sauteed with shallots and garlic. Don't they look lovely all in a circle?

Last night I made some chicken stock from some leftovers in the freezer. There is just nothing better than homemade chicken stock. You can just feel the healthy goodness from the bones, herbs and veggies...I guess maybe there is a reason they call it "Jewish penicillin"? haha!

Have a terrrrrrrific day dearest readers!

Thai green curry pork

2010-04-13T03:33:00.000-07:00

I picked up some ground pork from Rocky Canyon at the farmer's market this weekend and thought I'd make some pork patties for dinner. Of course since I like everything to be really flavorful, I pondered my options with the ingredients I had lurking in my kitchen.

Thai green curry sounded good, so I thought I could mix in some curry paste (Mae Ploy) in with the meat to make savory patties.

Since I like things hot, I mixed in quite a bit. That was a mistake. The pork patties turned out really tasty but too salty. Next time I'd use a bit less paste and add some chopped serranos and garlic to the meat as well.

Alongside I made a simple salad of chopped romaine and cilantro. The dressing was lime juice, a bit of curry paste, and jalapeno-lemon olive oil. That was yummy! I had some leftover roasted poblano so I chopped that up and threw it on the plate too.

Have a fantabulous day!

Spring at the farmer's market

2010-04-12T09:49:00.000-07:00

It's Monday my friends! How are you?

I thought I'd share some photos of goodies at the farmer's market this weekend. It was a lovely spring day and I picked up some great stuff: lamb chops, ground pork, eggs, veggies, fresh herbs, meyer lemons, and some tasty raspberries!

strawberries and fennel - so springy!

fresh oysters

pretty flowers

Have a great day! xoxox

More sole

2010-04-08T07:07:00.000-07:00

It's almost the weekend!

Here's another dish with the local dover sole. I really love that stuff. When I bought it at the store, I was pimping it to all the other customers at the fish counter. I got everyone to buy some, and the fishmonger guy was really pleased. haha! Which reminds me that the other day I was pimping dinosaur kale at the farmers market. I guess I'm a pretty damn good pimp! :)

So here is the tasty dinner I made. Once again, simple and easy as pie! (why do they say that? pie is not easy to make) I sauteed some beech mushrooms in butter with garlic, red pepper flakes, and rosemary, then tossed in some fresh spinach for just a second. Same seasonings on the dover sole, which I cooked in the same pan after removing the mushrooms and spinach. Probably a total of 8 minutes from start to finish, including going outside to steal rosemary off the neighbor's bush.

Squeeze of lemon juice over everything and dinner is served! (this is a salad plate piled high)

Have a great day kiddos! Laugh a lot!

Sole with cilantro poblano sauce

2010-04-06T03:03:00.000-07:00

Happy Tuesday!

Oh I had the best dinner last night! Yum yum!

I picked up some of that Dover Sole I like so much and decided to make a little spicy cilantro sauce. I charred a poblano pepper on the gas flame of my stove for a few minutes, then chopped it up and threw it in the blender with a big handful of cilantro, a clove of garlic, olive oil, lime juice, salt and toasted cumin seeds.

Quickly cooked up the fish in some butter and poured the cilantro sauce on top, some blanched spinach and tomatoes on the side. Yum yum yum! So tasty!

Have an awesome day!

Spicy BBQ beef

2010-04-05T03:03:00.000-07:00

Hi friends!

Happy Easter Happy Solstice Happy Pesach Happy Hanamatsuri! etc! Sorry I have been MIA.

Yes, I've been cooking and eating, but I haven't been making anything very creative or new lately. Mainly my easy one pan, one dish meals with whatever is in the kitchen. Maybe I should rename this blog "one"? Anywaysss...

I did make a tasty dinner the other night with whatever was in the kitchen. I'm so lazy lately I know. But this one was very good!

I had some paper thin sliced beef which I marinated in korean red pepper, sesame oil, and rice vinegar for a short while. Then I quickly grilled it up on a hot hot hot grill pan. I cut up some lettuce (the only veggie I had in the house) and made salad dressing by diluting a little of the unused marinade with more rice vinegar. More unused marinade served as a dipping sauce for the meat. Yeah.

Simple. So simple. And SO GOOD!

Sorry I have been neglecting you my friends. I'll get more creative in the kitchen soon. I need to grab one of my million cookbooks and start getting inspired.

Oh speaking of inspiration, I think I have mentioned that soon I am taking a little trip to Europe. Well, I just found out that part of the trip will be with a group in Paris where we will have some planned activites. (Not usually my type of thing but hey, all expenses paid, I'm not complaining!) Anyway, my hope is that one of the activities might include a cooking class - say at Le Cordon Bleu. Yeah! One can dream right? That would certainly provide some inspiration...I'll keep you posted!

Have a fantastic Monday!

Smoked pork ribs

2010-03-26T12:36:00.000-07:00

Hi there friends! Happy Friday!

Just a little post about a tasty meal I had earlier this week: smoked pork ribs that I picked up from Whole Foods, a salad and guacamole.

The avocado was really big and made a lot of guac. I didn't eat it all. It was also kind of tasteless. I usually get my avocados at the farmer's market and this one was from the grocery store. It really had a blah taste. Sad.

I hope everyone had a lovely week and has an even better weekend! Adios!

Happy St Patrick's Day!

2010-03-17T15:38:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day my friends! Kiss me, I'm Irish! (well...half)

I've got my green outfit on, and even my temporary tattoos! Woo!

Going out to drink some Murphy's Stout tonight, and maybe even eat some corned beef! We'll see.

I hope you all have a wonderful day!

Easy no-cook meal

2010-03-16T10:57:00.000-07:00

You ever have those days when you don't feel like cooking? There are so many simple solutions for healthy meals that can keep you away from fast food.

Here is one of my favorites: some chicken and a yummy fresh salad. All you have to do is pick up a rotisserie chicken from anywhere. Any grocery store has them. You can then make a salad with bagged pre-washed greens, or just quickly chop up a head of lettuce.

There are so many simple salad dressings you can make. One of my favorites lately is fresh garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, black pepper, salt. I grate the garlic on my microplane but you could use a garlic press too. The raw garlic gives the dressing such a nice hot bite! (and keeps vampires away) Sometimes I add some grated cheese too, for a little saltiness and tanginess.

Throw it on some lettuce and any other veggies you like. Pile on the roasted chicken, and you have a tasty, fresh, healthy meal.

What do you make when you don't feel like cooking?

Indian spices

2010-03-15T03:33:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday all!

Here's a meal I made with some Indian flair! I roasted some of that delicious fractal cauliflower under the broiler, after sprinkling it with garam masala, cumin and turmeric. Meanwhile in a saute pan, I cooked onions and serranos in coconut oil and the same spices, along with amchur powder and a spice mix called Panch Puran. Once the onions were translucent, I added some ground pork meatballs that I had flavored with chopped garlic and cumin.

Once everything was done, I served it up with some yogurt mixed with cucumber, lemon juice and a dash of cumin, and a little spicy mango chutney. Cilantro and a squeeze of lemon over the top, of course. Wow! The serranos were hot, making this meal tasty but spicy! I was glad I had the yogurt, and ended up serving myself more to tame the heat.

I often cook like this, adding a dash of spices and seasonings on a whim rather than measuring and planning. What about you? Do you follow a recipe? Do you measure your spices? Or are you 'free-wheelin' like me? haha!

It sure was a nice weekend! I must say I am not ready for the week to begin. However, St Patty's Day is this week and I do love the color green! :) In fact, I once dyed my hair green. Yup.

I hope you all have a lovely week!

Scallops

2010-03-13T03:33:00.000-08:00

Don't you love it when you try a new place and have the best meal ever?

I needed a little happy hour beverage after work so we went to the bar of a local French brasserie. Since I hadn't eaten all day thought I'd have a snack as well. They had scallops with butternut squash as an appetizer on the menu, and it sounded tasty.

My friends, it was more than just tasty, it was divine. I couldn't really tell you too much about the ingredients or flavors because I inhaled it. Delicious! The butternut squash was finely julienned and cooked plainly and al dente (now that is a mix of languages!). The scallops were tender and perfectly cooked with a buttery salty sauce. A perfect light meal.

Paired well with a nice glass of champagne, although on second thought, everything goes with champagne in my opinion! hehe!

Have a lovely day!

Bison and guacamole

2010-03-11T03:33:00.001-08:00

Another easy one pan stir fry meal!

Avocados are everywhere in CA right now, cheap and tasty! I've been enjoying guacamole a few times a week. Can't beat that!

What goes with guacamole? Everything! This time I made a ground bison, red pepper and onion stirfry with a little cumin. Threw a bunch of cilantro on top and ate it with a big blob of guac. Delish!

Want my guacamole recipe? As I've mentioned before, there is no real recipe. Just ripe avocado, lime juice, salt, serrano or jalapeno pepper. Simple and tasty! You can also add chopped cilantro, or not. In the summertime I add sliced cherry tomatoes, and that makes it super awesome! I hate onions in my guac. NO!

I hope you all have a wonderful day!

Mushrooms!

2010-03-09T10:56:00.000-08:00

MMMmushrooms!

I stopped by the Korean grocery this weekend because they have great prices on mushrooms. My mom loves their huge portabellos. They did not happen to have portobellos in stock, so I picked up some different kinds for her and for myself.

Pictured below are oyster mushrooms, maitake mushrooms and white beech mushrooms. I think this whole pile of mushrooms cost me less than $5. WOW!

According to Wikipedia, research has shown that maitake mushrooms have a hypoglycemic effect, and may be beneficial for the management of diabetes. Interesting!

I cooked up some of the oyster mushrooms and maitake mushrooms with some garlic, greens and herbs and scrambled them into eggs for a tasty breakfast!

I have been enjoying mushrooms a lot lately. In my opinion they are just a great wintery food!

Do you like mushrooms? What is your favorite way to prepare and eat them?

A couple meals from the weekend

2010-03-01T08:47:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday and Happy March everyone!

I stuck around home this weekend, went to the farmer's market and cooked up a bunch of tasty meals. I figured I'd share with you...

Nothing beats enjoying breakfast outdoors in the sunshine, right? A cup of chai tea, some scrambled eggs with hedgehog mushrooms and greens...and some intellectual reading material!

For dinner one night I made some little bison patties and sauteed a whole mess of onions with some kale. Baked some sweet potato wedges to go along with it. So yummy!

How was everyone's weekend? Do anything exciting?

Chicken and mushrooms

2010-02-26T03:33:00.000-08:00

Heyyy, it's chicken week here at YG! haha!

I had a chicken breast defrosted so I decided to make a little something with my booty from the farmer's market. It turned out DEEElicious!

I cooked some dinosaur kale in olive oil then sauteed up the chicken breast in the same pan. I cut it into pieces because I was hungry and wanted it to cook faster.

After the chicken was done, I threw some hedgehog mushrooms, a bunch of garlic, some thyme, and a lot of butter into the pan, and cooked it up really quickly. Added a squeeze of lemon juice, and poured it over the chicken. Whoa. YUMMY!

It was super tasty and simple, as usual! This was just my regular combinations of ingredients, but it tasted super good and, yah, I'd serve it to company.

Have a fabulous day my friends!

Chicken and kale

2010-02-24T09:52:00.000-08:00

Ooh I loved this meal so much I decided to make it again with the addition of onions.

Onion, chicken, kale, garlic, (thinly sliced) carrots. YUMMY! (sorry for the crap photo!)

These carrots are so pretty, they are a little bit striped with purple. When you slice them they are purple on the outside and orange on the inside. Lovely!

Have a great day!

Farmers market and a meal

2010-02-23T09:30:00.000-08:00

Hi all! I came back from Vegas and went shopping at the farmer's market. Here's what I picked up: tons of kale (dinosaur and purple), fractal cauliflower, kushu mandarins, raspberries, carrots, avocados, cilantro, hedgehog mushrooms, garlic, eggs. Yum yum!

I made a few meals with a combination of these ingredients and stuff from the freezer. Here's one: scallops, 1/2 leftover red pepper, fractal cauliflower, carrots, garlic, thyme, sundried tomatoes, carrots.

Now something I may or may not have said before is that I hate carrots!!! I hate them. But they are orange and good for you so I occassionally attempt to eat them. This was a successful incorporation because I sliced them so thinly on my mandoline that I couldn't taste them. hehe!

Two other meals I have prepared from this shopping trip were chicken with guacamole and kale with chicken and garlic. Yummy! I used leftover shredded chicken from the freezer.

I hope everyone is having a nice week!

Grilled octopus

2010-02-18T07:49:00.000-08:00

Good morning!

Dinner last night was really amazing and they served me a birthday chocolate rum pudding. Cute!

Sorry for this horrible photo but this was the most delicious dish! I've mentioned it before - grilled octopus. YUMMY! I ordered it for everyone at the table to share. Several people had never had it before and they were freaking out over how tasty it is! Delicious!

We are talking about returning to the same restaurant for lunch today just to taste the octopus again!

Have a terrific day!

My favorite

2010-02-17T09:08:00.000-08:00

You all know my love for lamb and wine, right? Last night we had a great dinner! I should have taken a photo of the lovely lamb chops but I was so excited to eat them I forgot to snap a pic!

So here is a photo of the wine, the largest wine glasses ever! The same size as my head, and I have a BIG head!

Like I said the other day, it is really easy to eat paleo in a steak restaurant. You usually order the meat and then the sides separately so I typically just get meat and then a side of some type of veggies. Last night we shared a plate of spinach sauteed with garlic. It went really well with the FOUR lamb chops they served me. What a hunk of meat! I ate it all...hehe! (very very fatty tho, I didn't eat that part, it was even too fatty for me!)

I hope you are all having a wonderful week! Out to celebrate my bday tonight...I think I might even have some cake! :)

Vegas...yet again!

2010-02-16T03:33:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! Yes, I am back in Las Vegas AGAIN! Can you believe it? For another conference...and it happens to be my birthday as well.

Here is the quite awesome view from my hotel room! I lucked out this time.

Looking forward to eating some tasty vittles while here. Probably a few client dinners at steakhouses where I can get a (big) healthy meal, other than the wine I am sure to imbibe! I'll keep you posted...

Have a wonderful day!

Yummy breakfast

2010-02-15T07:50:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day everyone!

This was a yummy breakfast! Mushrooms sauteed in butter with garlic and a touch of thyme. I then added two eggs and a blob of goat cheese, a couple big handfuls of wild arugula, and some red pepper flakes.

Scrambled it all together and ate it up! Have a great day!

What to do with that chicken

2010-02-11T03:33:00.000-08:00

Hi guys! Just wanted to show you that you can get several meals with slight variations from leftovers! The other night I made a roasted chicken. When I first get that delicious chicken out of the oven, the first thing I go for is the skin. It really is tastiest right out of the oven rather than reheated the next day. So then for future meals I am left with a lot of chicken meat, which can be rather plain and boring.

So I shred it up and make several meals out of it! (and use the bones for stock of course!)

First one was shredded chicken sauteed with onions and garlic. I served it with some chopped romaine, cilantro, and more guacamole.

Next meal(s) was my spicy chicken soup. Oh man, this soup is so good! For my recipe, click here.

The same ingredients are used in all these dishes: chicken, cilantro, avocado - but combined in different ways to keep things exciting.

I had an adventure recently resulting in 7 stitches in my face! I get them out today and I am happy about that! It will be nice to be able to smile and laugh without a ripping sensation - haha! You never really know how automatic and uncontrollable smiling/laughing is until you have a big cut on your lip! :)

I hope you all are doing great! It's almost the weekend! Yay!

Bison bacon stirfry

2010-02-06T02:22:00.000-08:00

I've been really into these one pan dishes lately. They are just very winter satisfying for some reason.

This one was a random combination of chopped bacon, onion, hedgehog mushrooms, kale, garlic and ground bison. Very tasty!

I got all the ingredients, other than the bacon, at the farmer's market. Here are some photos of the wonderful mushrooms for sale. YUM!

Expensive, but worth it! These wild mushrooms add a lot of flavor to dishes. I love them!

Am I boring you yet! :)

Chicken and guacamole

2010-02-04T03:33:00.000-08:00

Another yummy beer dinner! This time, spicy baked chicken and guacamole with a very unlikely pairing - oatmeal stout. But no, this does not go together.

Oatmeal stout was my favorite drink for a year or so back around my college days. I was into beer then and this was my very favorite one. I haven't had it since, so this was a nice trip down memory lane.

You know what goes really well with stout and with the Belgian Trappist style beers? Chocolate. Yep. A really good combination!

The spicy chicken and the guacamole were an excellent combination as well. Gosh, I love guacamole!

Have a wonderful day!

Office breakfast

2010-02-02T03:33:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I enjoy breakfast in the office, sitting at my desk. Today I scrambled two eggs in the microwave and added some green olive tapenade for flavor excitement. It was really tasty!

To go along with the egg goodness, I made an espresso con panna. Yes, you can make whip cream in a mug using a plastic fork! It takes a bit of wrist stamina but it is super easy. Now I can have my fav beverage at work. WOO!

Have a great day!

Chicken and kale

2010-01-31T03:33:00.000-08:00

Another simple, yet tasty meal with random things from the refrig. In one pan! I haven't been planning my shopping too well, obviously!!!

In the freezer I had leftover shredded chicken from making my last batch of chicken broth. I heated that up and sauteed with some dino kale, onion, garlic and false chanterelle mushrooms. Red pepper flakes and a squeeze of lemon on top. OOH yummy! (that's a small plate btw)

I couldn't resist finishing off that bottle of St Bernardus. Dang, that stuff is so good! Smells like honey! Tastes sweet and rich. I am going to have THE BEST TIME in Belgium I tell you. !WOO!

OK my friends, enough out of me. Have a great day!

Pork and veggies

2010-01-29T03:33:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday!

I got some organic, free-range ground pork at the farmer's market a while back and threw it in my freezer. I was happy to find it and make some delicious pork patties out of it!

I chopped up a bunch of garlic and mixed it in with the meat. Fried the resulting patty in some bacon grease, of course. Alongside, a little stirfry of broccoli, red pepper, onion, and some really interesting mushrooms I also got at the farmer's market. I have no idea what they are, I'll have to get some more and take a photo for you next weekend. They are blackish and look kinda gross but they are pretty tasty!

Have a wonderful weekend my friends! xoxo

Beer

2010-01-27T03:33:00.000-08:00

I don't usually drink a lot of beer, I'm more of a wine drinker. But a friend loves this Belgian beer and recommended it so I thought I'd give it a try. We are planning a Europe trip with a stop in Belgium so I figured I should become familiar with the local beverages! Hehe!

This beer is fantastic! Complex and delicious! However, at 10% alcohol it packs a punch! It also has about 200 calories per 12 oz, a bit more than Bud Light but a heck of a lot more tasty!

Do you like beer as an occasional treat? What are your favorites?

Farmer's Market

2010-01-26T09:17:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! This weekend we had a break in the rain so I made a foray down to the farmer's market for some fruits and veggies. I thought I'd take a few photos of our winter offerings for you.

Colorful chard

Beautiful berries

Fractals! Romanesco broccoli

Near the farmer's market there is a deli that has all kinds of yummy charcuterie and cheeses. I went there to get my latest addiction - espresso con panna. I am so addicted to those!!!

Have a wonderful day!

Leftovers mash-up

2010-01-20T10:01:00.000-08:00

Good morning friends! We are enjoying some wet rainy weather here in California. I like it!

Check out my orchids - they are blooming like MAD!

Last night I made a simple dinner, somewhat a repeat of the other night but with slightly different flavor. And let me tell you, it was super delicious! Sometimes random leftovers can just make the tastiest meals, right?

I had a red bell pepper and broccoli left over from the other night. I also had part of a baked chicken left in my fridge. I shredded the meat and threw it in a pan to saute with the bell pepper, broccoli, and a big shallot. Added some salt and some red pepper flakes. Just before it was done cooking I added a heap of chopped garlic. I've been loving the raw garlic lately. (sorry for the crap picture! My memory card on my camera is all full so I used my iphone in low light)

A simple and easy meal made with leftovers. Yum!

Have a great day!!!

Burmese food

2010-01-18T07:20:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday my friends! I hope you all had a nice weekend!

This weekend I wasn't in the mood to cook so I decided to stop by a little hole in the wall place near my house. I thought it was a kabab place but it turned out to be Burmese food!

Have you had Burmese food before? Tasty!

I got some chicken and a stew made with ground beef and veggies. Both were yummy!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Dinner and DVD

2010-01-15T12:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday my friends!

Had a wonderful evening last night enjoying my new obsession - Californication - on DVD. A little vino and a nice meal doesn't hurt either!

Cut up a chicken breast and sauteed with sliced red pepper and chopped broccoli. For some added flavor and excitement I threw together a quick basil pesto with hazelnuts. Yum!

I hope you all have a terrific weekend! Any big plans? Not me, I'm doing a ton of laundry!!! :)

Lamb salad

2010-01-13T10:23:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!

Sorry I have been away - work has been busy, I'm trying to hire a new assistant. Ugh I hate interviewing people. Why do people lie on their resumes? If you can't use Excel, don't say you are an "expert"!!! Why???

Anyway, rant over! I hope you are all doing great!

Last night I made a simple salad but it was tasty so I took a blurry photo for you. I quickly sauteed the lamb chunks in bacon grease and added cumin seeds, red pepper flakes, salt and pimenton de la vera. Tasty! Threw it over some lettuce dressed in olive oil, pimenton de la vera, more cumin, lemon juice and a sprinkle of cotija cheese for saltiness. It was yummy with a glass of Malbec, and ready in less than 10 minutes! I even made it while gossiping on the phone! ha!

Have a wonderful Wednesday my friends! xoxo

Movies

2010-01-05T01:11:00.000-08:00

Have any of you seen the movie "Avatar"? I saw it in 3D over the holidays with my brothers and Dad, and I really liked it.

But why am I talking about this here? What does it have to do with food? Not much! But the way the Na'vi scampered about in the forests reminded me a lot of the whole MovNat and primal movement concepts. Very cool! I found myself getting really antsy in my theater seat and wanting to go run through the woods or climb trees or jump on a giant pterodactyl's back and fly around...

OK now I am crazily rambling! But any of you see Avatar and have similar thoughts?

Happy New Year!

2010-01-04T01:11:00.000-08:00

Hi all! Happy 2010!

The holidays are finally over and if we've been bad we can now join the rest of America on New Year's Day and vow to eat right, work out, and take care of our health. Resolutions, right? If you are anything like me, you might think New Year's resolutions are sort of a waste of time. For instance, almost every year one of my resolutions is to cut back on my potty mouth cussing. Well, as I often say - that shit doesn't last very fuckin long! hah!

But hey, if the fresh year makes you assess your health and vow to take better care of yourself, then I wish you good luck in sticking to those goals!

Happy New Year my friends! Some new recipes coming soon...I promise!

Time to be good

2009-12-28T01:11:00.000-08:00

Hi all! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! Only one more holiday to go (New Years) and then we can all get back on track with our healthy habits, right?

I've had pretty much a full week of eating random crap and I need to get back on the wagon! I'd say about 75% of the time I ate healthy, but that 25% is finally catching up to me. Saturday afternoon I started to seriously feel like ka ka.

Here are two healthy things I cooked this weekend: chicken breasts and a shrimp salad.

The chicken breasts are a recipe I have been making for a long time now. It's kind of a variation on chicken piccata. I pound the chicken until it is an even thickness then brown in a pan. When it is done I remove the meat and add olive oil, chopped garlic and fresh rosemary or thyme to the pan. Turn off the heat, add some lemon juice to deglaze and a big blob of butter. This makes a nice pan sauce. Sometimes I add capers, but I prefer it without. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve. YUM!

The shrimp salad is simple, just saute the shrimp quickly in a pan in olive oil, lemon zest, thyme and garlic. The dressing for the salad is raw garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

For these two recipes I used some meyer lemons. Have you had these before? They are soooo yummy! A little sweeter than regular lemons, with a lovely floral fragrance.

Anyone else back at work? I feel like everyone else is on a two week vacation. It works for me because traffic is so light - woo hoo!!!

Have a great Monday!

I've been bad

2009-12-21T13:51:00.000-08:00

Time to come clean...I've been bad! The fun with friends and holiday parties are just too enticing!

But you know what? I don't have a real problem with it. It hasn't been that difficult to get back on track after a dessert-eating or wine-drinking festival. For the most part I have been eating very well during the week and having a little fun on the weekends. And it HAS been fun!

I hope you all are doing well coping with the holiday treats! Have a great Monday!

Lamb again!

2009-12-15T10:04:00.000-08:00

Happy Tuesday my friends!

I haven't been very creative in the kitchen lately, work has been busy and I've been getting home late. Hopefully after the holidays I'll have more time for cooking fun!

But here is a simple dinner from last night - lamb sauteed with onion and zucchini. I ate it with some red pepper artichoke tapenade type of thing. It was ok. I mean, the tapenade part was only ok, the lamb part was fantastic! haha!

It would have been delicious with some red wine but I am avoiding alcohol until New Years Eve. I plan to consume copious amounts of champagne and am preparing myself! hehe!

I hope you are all having fun with holiday gift shopping - I personally hate it with a passion. I also hate christmas music. I know, I know I am a horrible heartless person...

Have a great day! :)

Halibut and mushrooms

2009-12-09T09:48:00.000-08:00

Good morning my friends! How is everyone today?

Last night I made a delicious dinner of halibut with oyster mushrooms and a nice salad. I sauteed the oyster mushrooms in copious amounts of butter with garlic and thyme, then added a little grated cheese which browned up in the pan - YUM! Then I quickly seared the halibut which I had sprinkled with salt, pepper and lemon zest. When it was done, a squeeze of lemon juice over the top.

On another topic, I tried a funny social experiment this morning while driving to work. Do any of you have to drive to work through traffic? I usually have to sit in stop-and-go traffic for at least 30 minutes each morning. So today I thought hey, I'm going to blast my music (with the windows up, it's a frigid 60 degrees!) and crazily dance my ass off every time I am stopped at a traffic light or in gridlock.

The social experiment was on the other drivers. They would totally stare and watch me - but as soon as I turned to look at them, they would quickly look away, even if I grinned at them! I wonder why that is? Do they think I am crazy and they are afraid? (hey- I look decent and have a nice car) Are they embarrassed for me or embarrassed for watching me? I was hoping that at least one person would smile back or wave or dance along with me...!?!

Anyway, it was a fun and funny experiment, and I'm going to try it every day! :) I was in a great mood when I got to work after my dance-off. Anyone out there weird enough to try it with me?

Have a wonderful day my friends!

Rainbow!

2009-12-07T15:34:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd share with you a photo of a lovely rainbow, as seen from our office window today!

Where is my leprechaun and pot of gold, eh?

Flat iron steak

2009-12-07T10:18:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday my friends! Did you all have a good weekend?

I spent a little time in the kitchen making chicken stock yesterday! Yum yum! I also prepared a flat iron steak with guacamole and salad for dinner. It was scrumptious!

Aren't these grill marks nice? Especially from a grill pan? I was pretty impressed with myself on that one.

The finished dish - the steak was super tender! For salad dressing I just used olive oil, garlic, lime juice and salt. It tasted very fresh and tangy! Oh and a little cotija cheese too...

Have you tried the flat iron cut before? It's got great flavor!

Have a wonderful Monday! :) It's raining here!

Salmon and salad

2009-12-04T09:30:00.000-08:00

Happy friday my friends!

I haven't really been too creative in the kitchen lately because I got a little cold and was feeling blah. Hey, I had it coming to me after all the staying out late and night swimming! Eek! Anyhow last night I made a simple yet delicious meal so I thought I'd share it!

Broiled a piece of salmon and topped it with herbed butter and lemon juice. Plus a salad of chopped romaine with a dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, raw garlic, black pepper and a bit of cheese. I used this aged gouda that one of my new friends turned me on to. It's creamier than the aged goudas I've had before. I love cheese!!! (have I mentioned that before? hehe!)

Doing anything fun this weekend? Holiday season is upon us and that means parties, right? I have a few this weekend myself. Also it seems like a have a million friends with birthdays this month...why is that?

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Devil-ish eggs

2009-12-01T02:22:00.000-08:00

I wrote a while ago that I don't like hardboiled eggs. That got me thinking...I also believed that I didn't like mayonnaise but when I made it myself (esp into aioli) I liked it much more! I realized that I just don't like store-bought mayo. Maybe I need to rethink my assertions...

So I decided to go crazy and make some deviled eggs, or my take on them, to see if perhaps I do like them?

As the regular deviled egg recipe never did it for me, I decided to murder it and make up my own recipe. But first off, I learned that when I made hardboiled eggs in the past I cooked them way too long. I guess only a few minutes is necessary, rather than the 10+ I was usually boiling them.

After boiling the eggs, letting them cool and then peeling them, I sliced them in half and removed the yolks. I mixed the yolks with homemade mayo, paprika, red pepper flakes, some bacon pieces and lemon juice - then dolloped the mix back into the firm whites. (sorry about the crappy pic)

Topped with chopped cilantro, these devilish eggs make a great snack or a meal along with a salad.Yum yum! I see endless flavor possibilities for these eggs. You could make curry spiced eggs, pesto flavored eggs, harissa eggs, jalapeno cilantro lime eggs...the options are limitless.

I am still not the biggest hardboiled egg fan, but adding spices and flavors makes them a lot more exciting! Trivia...did you know that another name for deviled eggs is "eggs mimosa" - from the french. Ooh I like that! These would go wonderfully with a mimosa! :)

By the way, you do buy free-range eggs right? I am lucky to get mine at the farmer's market and I never go back to grocery store eggs if I can help it. The free-range ones taste soooo much better and have more nutrients, not to mention the obvious benefits to the chickens.

Ta ta for now!

Odds n Ends

2009-11-28T14:29:00.000-08:00

Hi y'all! How is everyone? Did you have a good Thanksgiving?

Here's a dish I made for the big meal that turned out yummy. Cubed butternut squash sprinkled with olive oil, salt, garam masala, cinnamon, red pepper and cumin then broiled in the oven. After it was softened and browned, I tossed in some cilantro, lime juice and pomegranate seeds. Made a pretty and tasty dish!

Oh I had such a great time on vacation - lots of fun with old and new friends. A little party time, a little beach time, a little nature time. All in all a great trip!

The beach was lovely, but the highlight of the trip was the fantastic people we met. I love love love meeting cool new people, and Miami was filled with friendly international travelers ready for fun! We hung out with people from Chile, Italy, Las Vegas, Denmark, London, Netherlands, San Francisco, Mexico, etc etc. It was great!

I know some of you also took trips over the holiday week - did you have a good time?

Have a wonderful weekend! I missed you my friends! xoxo

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T16:58:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

My first Thanksgiving, gnawing on a turkey bone. I look like a butterball myself! Hehe!

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday!

Sashimi

2009-11-25T08:14:00.000-08:00

I had the most fantastic sashimi dish the other night, so I thought I'd share a photo with you. Sorry for the crappy photo quality, it was very dim in there.

This was red snapper with thinly sliced cucumber, tomato, jalapeño, micro cilantro, and a spicy, citrusy sauce. It was unbelievably tasty!

I hope you are all having a wonderful day!

Just a little lamb

2009-11-23T02:22:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday everyone!

Here is a meal photo from the other night. We ate at a place called Meat Market. Sounds likely to be paleo-friendly right? (and a little dirty...haha!)

Pretty much a typical steakhouse with a twist. I ordered these yummy lamb chops which were served with olive tapenade and a sour cream sauce. The chops were perfectly cooked...yum yum!

Winter squash

2009-11-20T04:00:00.000-08:00

I came across a really cool feature in the LA Times - a photo album showing different types of winter squash. This is very useful to me as I see many different varieties at the farmer's market and am not sure which ones are which. However, I haven't ever noticed most of those pictured...there are some very cool looking squashes!

Click here for the gallery: WINTER SQUASH

Hokkaido/Potimarron squash - I'm trying this when I find it!!! It's supposed to taste like chestnuts! Yum!

Just in time for Thanksgiving in case you are planning to cook with some winter squash!

Vacation

2009-11-19T02:22:00.000-08:00

I'm off on a little vacation for a few days. I'm very excited! Woo hooo!

Now that's relaxing on vacation!

Hopefully while I am away I can do a few posts on some of the yummy restaurant meals I'll be enjoying. My friend already selected an interesting dinner location that looks terrific from a paleo standpoint, other than the several cocktails I am sure to imbibe...hehe!

Those in the USA started planning your Thanksgiving feasts yet? I think maybe I am having duck instead of turkey...

Have a great weekend!

Green curry with fish

2009-11-18T09:19:00.000-08:00

Good morning!

I made thai green curry with fish last night. It was delish! I know this is a repeat meal, but I added a little something special this time...cauliflower rice! It made the meal even more like what you might eat in a restaurant. I tried to give the cauliflower a bit of flavor by adding grated ginger and garlic and a few drops of fish sauce. It was really tasty!

Have a fantastic day!

Skirt steak with guacamole

2009-11-17T02:22:00.000-08:00

Hi all!

This weekend I was craving some fat so I made a meal of marinated organic grass-fed skirt steak with guacamole. Yes, I ate almost 1/2 lb of steak and a small avocado and I liked it! (this was after fasting all day but still quite a big meal - I didn't feel overly full at all though)

I marinated the steak in chile powder, cumin, olive oil, garlic, lime juice, champagne vinegar and salt for several hours. I was too lazy to fire up the grill so I just threw it in a hot pan on the stove. I also made some guacamole with a small avocado, chopped jalapeno, lime juice, cilantro and salt.

It was sooooooo good! Sometimes you just crave a hunk of meat, right? :)

Enjoy the day today!

Caesar salad

2009-11-16T09:39:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a fantastic weekend!

Last night I made a tasty caesar salad for dinner with some grilled halibut. Yummy! I marinated the halibut chunks in lemon zest, lemon juice, rosemary, garlic and olive oil for about an hour. Then I threw it on the grill pan. Meanwhile I made caesar salad dressing by whisking together egg yolk, lemon juice, anchovies, minced garlic, worcestershire sauce and olive oil.

Once the halibut was cooked, I tossed romaine lettuce with some of the dressing, a few grates of parmigiano and lots of black pepper. It was a delicious meal!

Have a fabulous week!

Walnut salad

2009-11-13T01:13:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday the 13th! :)

A few weeks ago I picked up some walnut oil at the farmer's market. Have you had walnut oil before? It has a terrific nutty flavor for salad/veggie dressing and contains Omega 3s.

Here's a little seasonal salad I created to go along with my walnut oil - haha! Greens, persimmon, pomegranate seeds, toasted organic walnuts, blue cheese, and bacon. A little walnut oil and a little lemon juice and voila! Dinner served. Sooooooooooooo tasty!

Of course you can leave off the cheese, but that would be so sad. ;) A sliced hardboiled egg would be good instead of the cheese but can you believe I do not like hardboiled eggs?

Have a wonderful weekend!

Lamb chops

2009-11-12T02:22:00.000-08:00

I love grilled lamb chops! LOVE!

I finally picked up the free-range lamb chops I had ordered from a vendor at the farmer's market. The first time they accidentally handed me chicken gizzards instead of lamb chops. I was quite sad when I got home and opened the package, believe me. Then each week when I returned to trade for my lamb chops they had run out. So I was very happy to finally get them in my hands!

I marinated the chops in oregano, thyme, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and red pepper all day while at work. When I got home I heated up the grill pan and liberally salted the chops. I grilled them while in another pan I sauteed zucchini and red peppers in the left over marinade. YUM! I served this with some greens, a few pomegranate seeds and a glass of spanish red wine.

These were the best lamb chops I have ever made. Perfectly salty, perfectly cooked. A little fatty but tender and delicious. Tasty treat!!!

I saved the bones for stock. Do you think I could combine them with chicken bones or should I wait until I have enough beef and lamb bones to make "ungulate" stock? :)

I hope you are all having a terrific week! My job has been sucking lately...sucking the life out of me! haha! Is it crazy that cooking is such a good outlet for me to escape the stresses of work? I am going on vacation next week though, can't wait!!! YAY!

It's almost Friday!!! Any exciting plans for the weekend?

Spicy pork stew

2009-11-10T03:33:00.000-08:00

This weekend I picked up some free-range pork at the farmers market and decided to make a spicy stew from ingredients I had lurking in the refrigerator. With a few old tomatillos, half an onion and some jalapenos...I could make a chile verde inspired meal!

I sliced up the pork and mixed it with a combination of herbs and spices: garlic, coriander, cumin, red pepper, salt, garlic, thyme and oregano. I let it sit in the fridge for an hour or so, then browned it in a pan and set it aside.

I chopped up the half an onion, two jalapenos, and three tomatillos and sauteed them in the same pan until a little caramelized. I added some lemon juice and zest to about three cups of homemade chicken stock, then threw the pork back in the pot. I put the cover on and let it simmer away on the stovetop for an hour or two. The pork softened, the veggies melted and the stock thickened to a spicy liquid.

Served with a squeeze of lemon and some fresh cilantro...a hot and satisfying meal for a cool autumn evening spent watching Weeds on dvd. Terrific leftovers too!

Have a great day!

Tandoori chicken

2009-11-09T09:25:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday!

It seems I have been on quite the chicken kick lately. This weekend I cooked up some tandoori style chicken thighs.

I went to the farmer's market on Saturday and then to some local ethnic markets. I got some greek yogurt at the greek market and some spices at the indian market. I also picked up a jar of this tandoori paste. Aside from acidic preservatives, there didn't seem to be any weirdo ingredients in it, so I thought I'd try it.

I made a mix of the yogurt and tandoori paste, slathered it on some skinless bone-in chicken thighs and let them sit in the fridge all day. Later I cooked them up in my grill pan and served them with some cauliflower rice flavored with ginger, garlic, onion and spices. Alongside, a little yogurt with grated cucumber and lemon juice.

Yummy!

Does anyone else go through phases where they cut themselves in the kitchen a lot? Last week I almost sliced the end of my left thumb off, and this weekend I grated off the side of my right thumb. I guess I am just really clumsy! :P My hands kinda hurt! hah!

Be careful in the kitchen! Have a wonderful day!

Panel discussion on Sustainable Food

2009-11-06T09:29:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday!

I went to an interesting event last night - a panel discussion about how farmers, purveyors, customers and chefs are working together to revitalize traditional farming and cooking practices by growing and eating everything on the farm. They are calling this the Nose to Tail movement. Mostly they discussed the challenges for small sustainable farms.

A selection of panelists spoke including local farmers and chefs. It was cool! Our local farmer's market sponsors these events every few months and I always try to go. It is interesting to hear from our area farmers and chefs, and to hobnob with our local food celebrities. I sat next to a popular cookbook author! :)

Before the event we enjoyed a glass of vino and a snack at a little wine bar. Gambas al ajillo and a glass of Albarino...yummy!

Have a fantastic weekend!

Pimenton chicken thighs

2009-11-05T02:22:00.000-08:00

Oh my friends, this recipe is very tasty! Not so quick, but tasty!

Get out your heavy, lidded casserole pot and preheat the oven to about 275. Take a bunch of boneless, skinless chicken thighs and liberally coat the chicken with pimenton de la vera (I used picante) or sweet hungarian paprika, some cumin and some salt. Quickly brown the thighs on the stovetop then take the thighs out of the pan.

Thinly slice two medium yellow onions and lay down in the pan as a bed for the chicken. Put the lid back on the pan and place in the oven for about 2 hours.

The onions release their liquid and braise the chicken thighs, producing a lovely sauce and the tenderest chicken imaginable. If the sauce is too thin you can reduce it on the stovetop.

Serve with cauliflower rice, mashed cauliflower or potatoes if you eat those. Some fresh herbs like cilantro on top and a squeeze of lime adds a bit of brightness.

You could also make this in a crock pot I would guess...I don't have one so I used my lovely Le Creuset.

Have a terrific day! :)

Chimichurri

2009-11-04T03:33:00.000-08:00

We went to an Argentinian restaurant the other night. It was a far cry from the parrillas of Buenos Aires. Sadly it was not great, but I did eat some steak with chimichurri which made me think about making some for my own little 'parrillada' at home.

I marinated a bison flank steak in red wine vinegar, olive oil, oregano, parsley, red pepper flakes and garlic while I was at work. When I got home, I threw it in a hot hot pan due to lack of a grill. I also made some chimichurri (a few days before and let it sit) with fresh parsley, oregano, thyme, garlic, red pepper flakes, olive oil and red wine vinegar. Sliced the meat up and served over an arugula and tomato salad.

YUM YUM! Create a wonderful day for yourself and those around you today!

Spicy chicken soup

2009-11-03T02:22:00.000-08:00

Doesn't this look tasty? Chicken tortilla soup without the tortilla!!!

This is the best soup ever in my opinion and a great weight loss food. Studies show that eating broth based soup helps people consume fewer calories throughout the day. This soup is a fantastic meal that I can eat all week long. It's spicy and savory and filling.

I found the recipe (adapted below) from this Rick Bayless cookbook many years ago. It's been my favorite soup ever since. Have you watched his PBS cooking show? He seems like such a nice guy.

Making this soup involves several steps, but none are difficult. Let's get started...

Ingredients:
Dried chiles (I used 5 anchos/pasillas, 5 chile de arbol, and 2 chipotles)
1 medium chopped yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
1 tomato
10 cups broth
bunch kale or chard or spinach (I used dinosaur kale)
cooked chicken bits
zucchini or other veggies
cilantro
lime
cotija cheese
cumin
salt

First, add a little oil to a hot pan, and toast the stemmed, seeded chiles. Throw them in some hot water for 30 minutes to soak. In a big pot, saute the onion and garlic until browned, add a dash of cumin. Meanwhile, blacken the tomato over a flame.

Blend the chiles, tomato, and about a cup of broth in a food processor or blender until smooth. Add the paste to the onions, and saute for a minute, then add the broth. Add the chopped greens, zucchini and chicken and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add salt to taste.

When ready to serve, add chopped cilantro and a big squeeze of lime juice. Sprinkle the cotija cheese (queso anejo) on top. Eat happily!

Have a fantastic day my friends!

Feet

2009-11-02T06:02:00.000-08:00

The other day while reading this fabulous NYT Michael Pollan article about food TV and how people don't cook anymore I came across an article on foot health. Curious, I read it to see what advice they would give.

Some of the advice was good: don't wear high heels, walk a lot to strengthen your feet, don't be obese.

The NYT article did not mention walking (or running) barefoot as being healthy for legs and feet. However, there are many sources who believe this is a good idea, here are some:

- MDA's article How to Strengthen Your Feet
- Barefoot hiker and runner Barefoot Ted
- Barefoot Sensei at Exuberant Animal
- The amazing Erwan Le Corre's MovNat (eye candy alert!)
- Cool site Birthday Shoes

I'm curious, what do YOU think?

I have always loved being barefoot. In high school I had to wear horrible uniform shoes to school. Instead I walked barefoot around campus which almost got me expelled (they were very strict with the uniforms). I walked barefoot all over the city. Yes, sometimes I got glass in my feet and my soles were dirty. I did break the bones in my foot twice - from jogging on hard surfaces wearing running shoes (stress fracture)...can I say I hate jogging?

But friends suffered worse consequences than that, maybe from wearing shoes all the time? Many of them already have foot problems - flat feet, athletes foot, bunions, shortened achilles, etc etc. My mom has plantar fasciitis and let me tell you it is horrible. I'm afraid of something like that!

Now I wear shoes most of the time out in the world because I grew up and cared a bit more what people thought of me. I wear high heels because they look nice and I am short! But I always take off my shoes as soon as I get home. I like to walk barefoot outside too, and sometimes run/sprint/hike barefoot.

Vibrams and that sort of thing, I don't know if I can do it. They are just so funny looking! Plus I don't think I like things between my toes...maybe I have to try them, but I'm afraid then I will want to buy them...and then I will have to wear them! ;)

What about you? What do you think about the need to wear shoes? Do you wear Vibrams or other funky non-shoes? Do you go barefoot a lot? Do you have foot problems...what do you do about it?

Chicken stock

2009-11-01T02:02:00.000-08:00

Hey y'all!

Got some goodies at the farmers market and then decided to spend a few hours making some chicken stock. Is it weird that I am young(ish) and single and can do anything I please and yet I want to spend Saturday making chicken stock? Yes. Yes, it is. I fear I may be a loser. Oh well. At least I am a happy loser with a bunch of chicken stock!

Easy to make stock, if you haven't done it before - save your chicken bits/carcass and veggie peelings in the freezer until you are ready. Then throw them in a pot and simmer away for a few hours. Voila! Chicken stock! To this batch I added red onion, chanterelle bits, thyme, cilantro, garlic, dried peppers, and half an apple. Random.

Here was the final product after simmering for about 3 hours - a container of chicken pieces and two containers of stock. Coming up...I'm gonna make my favorite soup! It's the best weight loss food ever, in case you are interested in these things...

Have a fabulous Sunday!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T02:22:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween everyone!

In case your friends don't send you silly spam emails and you haven't seen this one...

Don't leave beer near your pumpkins! (gross huh?)

We went to a fun Halloween party and I wore a sailor costume I had lying around. I look very tired and rumpled because we took pics when we got home - I forgot to take photos before we left. Next year I am determined to be a cavegirl!

This morning I'm going to the farmer's market to pick up some free range lamb chops I ordered and get some fresh fruits and veggies. Then it's time to watch football (GO TROJANS!) and hand out money instead of candy to the trick-or-treating kiddies.

Happy Halloween to you all! Boo!

Breakfast

2009-10-30T01:11:00.000-07:00

Enjoyed breakfast on the front steps watching the squirrels in the trees. Chai tea with a splash of cream. Scrambled egg with bacon and orange tomato. Nice way to start the morning!

This is my typical weekday breakfast except I often have coffee made in my mini french press. YUM YUM!

Have a fantastic day today! :)

Books

2009-10-29T01:11:00.001-07:00

I absolutely love information. I don't know how I survived before the internet made knowledge readily available at all times with a few clicks on the keyboard. Since I got an iphone, this access has become even more awesome! Having a debate with a friend over what countries share a border with Greece? Look it up instantly! Trying to remember the spanish word for sweetbreads? It's at your fingertips.

I love it.

But do you know what gives me the information I crave along with a deep sense of tranquility and happiness? A used bookstore!

I LOVE used bookstores, always have. I love their dusty smells and their creaky floors. They are dinosaurs in this internet age. When I find one still in business I am so thrilled!

These are photos of one of my very favorite used bookstores in LA. I was there the other day and I got 10 books for $40. Good books too! Look how the floors have been worn down by years of shoppers wandering the isles in search of information.

I adore the internet, but you just can't get that same sense of quiet peace as you feel in an old bookstore.

Sorry this has nothing to do with food! Just rambling...have a great day!

Randomness chicken

2009-10-28T01:11:00.001-07:00

Hey all!

Happy Wednesday!

Last night was another randomness from the refrigerator leftovers one pan meal challenge! Man, how can these random dinners be so darn tasty?

Sauteed red bell pepper with lots of chopped garlic and red pepper flakes. Adding the red pepper flakes to the oil is a good trick instead of just adding them as seasoning at the end, it creates depth of flavor. When the red peppers were cooked a bit, added sliced yellow and green zucchini, shredded chicken leftovers, chopped olives, and fresh oregano. Easy, simple, done in 5 minutes. I sprinkled a little cheese on top for some salty yumminess.

This was meal #4 from a small roasted chicken. I think maybe there is one more left and then time for stock!

Punishment

2009-10-27T13:19:00.000-07:00

I was supposed to be fasting today but then I just got really hungry and decided to go to the gross cafe in my office building to get something for lunch. Knowing how large the portions sizes are, I thought I'd just ask for a scoop of tuna.

This is what I got. It's not even the size of a golf ball!

I guess the insignificant size was my punishment? I should have just stuck with fasting as planned. haha! I'm still very hungry so I guess it didn't interrupt the fast that much...

Halloween and squash

2009-10-27T01:11:00.000-07:00

I love Halloween! Dressing up is so fun and I especially like seeing everyone's costumes at this wild party we go to every year. Here was a funny one from last year!!!

Last year I was a beer girl (appropriate for my German heritage haha) - this year I haven't quite decided...any ideas?

In honor of upcoming Halloween, here is a yummy pumpkin recipe. Well, OK... butternut squash. A very simple recipe!

Dice up the butternut squash or whatever squash you like best. I have to say that this is definitely the hardest part of the recipe, especially if you peel it. What a pain! You need a big sharp knife and strong wrists.

Once you have your squash cut into cubes or slices, throw it on a baking sheet and sprinkle with olive oil and salt. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes until the squash pieces are softened and golden. Just before it is done you can toss in some chopped garlic and rosemary for extra yumminess. Or instead of rosemary, try adding a dash of cumin, and fresh cilantro on top with a squeeze of lime. YUM!

This is a great side dish or I even add it to salads. It is a wonderful thing to have in the fridge for making lunches, or eating with leftover meats. It's one of my staples in the fall months.

Do you like butternut squash, pumpkin or other winter squash? How do you cook them?

Lamb koftas - Gosht kae Kofta

2009-10-26T01:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a fun and relaxing weekend!

I mentioned the other day that I wanted to make lamb koftas from 1,000 Indian Recipes by Neelam Batra but I didn't have any cilantro handy. Well, I got the cilantro so I tried the koftas. Yum!

A very interesting recipe...You cook the meat with the spices first, then add egg and form it into meatballs and fry them. Hmmm. I had never thought to cook the meat first before making the balls. Ostensibly the cooking is supposed to help remove the moisture from the meat - I think I screwed that part up. Oops!

I added a bit more spice in relation to meat than was called for in the recipe, so here is my adaptation:

1/2 lb ground lamb
1/4 red onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
4 dried red chiles (I used chile de arbol)
1 quarter size piece fresh ginger, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon garam masala
salt and black pepper
1 egg (recipe called for two egg whites - what is the diff?)
oil for frying - I used a mix of coconut oil and bacon grease
chaat masala for sprinkling on top

Saute the onion, garlic, ginger, chiles until the onions are mostly cooked - then add the meat, cilantro, garam masala, salt and pepper and cook on medium-low until moisture has evaporated. Let the mix cool, then add to food processor with 1 egg. Mix until spices etc are ground up into the meat and mixture is sticky.

Form into little balls and fry in the oil. You can deep fry them which would be super tasty, but I just kind of pan fried them.

OK so, these are supposed to be meat balls - they turned out to be meat "shapes". hahahaha!!! I think I didn't get the moisture out and my balls were not sticky enough. I've got balls, cylinders and disks, oops. Not the most photogenic food...

They were tasty though!!! I was going to eat them with a salad or some veggies but I got to eating so late and I was so hungry I just ate them with a little yogurt sauce - yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, mint, cilantro - my favorite lamb condiment. Leftovers too!

Thanks for reading!

Funny junk

2009-10-24T15:33:00.000-07:00

Whew! My trip to Las Vegas was tiring! Between work and play I did not get very much rest at all. My feet hurt something awful!!!

I managed to not eat junk at the show, thanks for your words of encouragement! Well, I did try one super spicy dorito, it was delicious and so hot it made my tongue swell!

Lots of energy products and enhanced waters were showcased (one booth complete with a water slide and pool for the bikini clad models to slide into). Water to make you skinny, sexy or smart - energy gum, drinks, candies, mints, even chips! I am not a fan of energy stuff, but a colleague found this energy nasal spray thing that he loved and kept sniffing. I think it kept him going for 48 hrs haha!

Collecting free crap and eating/drinking the samples is very popular at the show and my coworkers always go crazy. Unfortunately this year they were not able to attend so they asked me to bring stuff back for them. I just did not have it in my heart to bring back bags of candy and snacks, so I collected other things that I thought might be useful or at least give them a laugh. You can see for yourself...hehe!

On a side note, there is something cool about Las Vegas that I hadn't really thought about until this trip. Most everyone there is traveling and out of their comfort zone and routine. They are a little more open and friendly than usual. So it is a really great place to meet people! I think I made some really fantastic new friends and have fresh enthusiasm for sin city. Good thing since I am back in a few months for another conference!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Have a wonderful weekend!

2009-10-23T03:33:00.000-07:00

I'd like to start the weekend with a quote I heard recently, I think it is one of the most beautiful quotes I have ever heard.

"Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it."
-Mark Twain

I hope you all have a terrific weekend!

Vegas...again

2009-10-20T11:11:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm off to Las Vegas again! This time not for fun, but for work. I get to stand in the booth all day and repeat myself 10 million times like the good little sales person that I am! :)

The conference that I am attending is a HUGE one devoted to convenience stores. All the wonderful items that are sold in convenience stores are showcased at the convention: candy, beer, cigarettes, chips, soda, gasoline, hot dogs, pizza, porn, knickknacks, magazines, coffee, gum, ice cream, fried foods, and most of all - energy drinks! A bonanza of junk food sampling.

I'll report back from the front lines of the junk food battles, and promise to take some photos for you of the interesting "food items" at the show! Scary stuff!

Wish me lots of luck in avoiding the consumption of dangerous junk food temptations!

Roasted chicken

2009-10-19T10:14:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday to everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

I had a nice trip to the farmer's market and purchased some lovely veggies and herbs, some eggs and a free range chicken. (you can see the raspberries are half gone already. I eat them as I wander the market!)

Do you make roasted chicken? I guess it is one of the simplest meals you can think of, but supposedly it is not foolproof to prepare. The chicken can come out dry as dust, or with flabby skin, or raw in some parts and overcooked in others.

I use my own variation of the Zuni Cafe roast chicken recipe and it works beautifully. This method involves salting the chicken and letting it rest for about a day, then patting it dry and roasting in a very hot oven.

First I cut up a butternut squash into large chunks as a bed for the chicken. Then I cooked the chicken breast side up at 475 degrees for about 30 minutes. After that time I flipped the chicken and cooked breast side down for 15 minutes, then flipped it again for 15 minutes to get the breast skin crisped. It came out perfectly done and the butternut squash pieces were soft and filled with the chicken juices. I threw some chopped basil in there at the last flipping, those are the blackish blobs you see.

The chicken doesn't look beautiful enough for Gourmet magazine but the skin was crispy and the meat was juicy. The bottom appears burned but those were just bits of delicious "fond". After pouring off the extra fat, you can make a wonderful pan sauce by adding some wine, lemon juice or vinegar and a little water to the fond. Yum yum!

Driving to work this morning I saw a peregrine falcon chasing pigeons over the 10 freeway. I think it was a good sign! Have a terrific day! :)

Duck leg dinner

2009-10-18T03:33:00.000-07:00

Of course I love to cook, but sometimes it's nice to go out to a fancy meal for a change of pace.

Check out this pretty plate: duck leg over cauliflower, grapes, dates and I think elderberries?

VERY rich and super yummy-licious with a glass of Poppy pinot noir from Monterey. (do you know how hard it is to type "Poppy"? I typed Poopy like 10x before getting it right haha)

I looked up the wine later - it is $9.99 for a bottle. Not bad since my glass was $11! Whew what a mark up! I'd drink it again, but I don't think it is that much different than my regular cheapo pinot noir from Trader Joe's at about the same price.

Wishing a great weekend to you all!

Best burger ever!

2009-10-15T03:33:00.000-07:00

I was feeling kinda bleh...my throat hurt, I felt a little hot, a little cold - you know the drill. I have been around A LOT of sick friends lately so I was very afraid that the dreaded cold was upon me. But I refuse to give in!

Starve a fever, feed a cold? Or is it the opposite? Either way, I was craving a comforting decadent meal. Mmmm, a burger sounded great. I went off to the grocery store for some ground lamb, but they didn't have any so I opted for the grassfed beef. Funny thing, I noticed that I have blogged about ground turkey, pork, bison (ad nauseum) and lamb - but never basic ground beef. haha!

While at the store I was buying feta in the bulk section and saw they had a big tub of roasted garlic. Normally I make my own but I thought I'd throw a bunch of cloves in with my hunk of cheese. An excellent decision!

To go with the burger I thought I would make aioli. OK so I have never made aioli before, because I am a mayo hater. Therefore you can probably guess that I have never made mayonnaise before either! I refuse to buy it at the store because it is made with canola oil which I think is scary. I have seen recipes for olive oil mayo on many of the excellent blogs so I figured I could try it myself. SUCCESS!!! Thank you to everyone who has posted recipes! I am happy to report that it was incredibly easy even though I did not measure anything and I don't understand why the stupid food network etc makes it sound impossible and complicated...

Question for you mayonnaise makers - since all egg yolks are different sizes, how do you know when to stop adding oil? Until it firms up? How firm? or unlike me do you simply follow a recipe? :)

In case you are curious, here are the details for my tasty meal.

Burger: I chopped up a ton of the roasted garlic and mixed it with a blob of ground beef and a dash of salt. Cooked it in bacon grease, and threw a little aged gruyere cheese on top.

Sweet potato fries: love these!!! Sliced up a sweet potato and baked in 400 deg oven until done, prob 20-30 minutes? Salt and thyme added afterward. Threw some onions on the pan to caramelize as well.

Pimenton aioli: mixed my homemade mayo with pimenton de la vera, chopped roasted garlic and a drop of lemon juice. SO DELICIOUS!!! I am so happy to have learned something new and added mayo to my repertoire. Thanks you guys!!!

This was a simple meal, but took more effort than usual because I made several things at the same time. It was worth any minimal energy I put in because it was the best burger ever! The beef was so juicy and tender (I think I am used to bison), and it didn't need the added cheese - I ended up taking it off once I took the first bite. The sweet potatoes were yummy and the aioli was killer. Killer I tell you! Try it!!!

Thanks for reading this lonnnnnnng post! You deserve an award!

Do you have any secrets for a great burger? Try adding roasted or raw garlic to the meat and tell me what you think. And try the pimenton aioli, ok? :) Next time I am having it with fish. YUM!

Arugula pesto, cool kitchen gadgets

2009-10-14T01:11:00.003-07:00

Hey my friends! How are you today?

Another simple but yummy meal for you... arugula pesto with fish! This is sole but any fish or chicken would be good for this meal.

Have you made arugula pesto before? It's the same as regular basil pesto, only obviously you use arugula instead! Add garlic, nuts (I used macadamia), arugula, salt, olive oil, lemon juice, red pepper flakes and blend in a processor. I add a little water if it won't mix up well. You can add cheese too, sometimes I do!

Do you make pestos with different herbs? What's your fav?

I had sauteed zucchini along with the sole. I sliced the zucchini on my mandoline, that way it cooks instantly. I like it to get a little browned too. And some lovely orange tomato for pretty color and tangy-ness.

Do you have a mandoline? I have two. They are cool and cheap, I recommend looking for one if you don't have one already! Don't you love the bright colors? The one on the left makes little shredded matchstick shapes and the one on the right makes thin slices. (my hands look really scary, no I don't bite my nails!)

Enjoy your day today!

Simple one pan meals

2009-10-13T01:11:00.002-07:00

Hi my friends!!!

I enjoy cooking, but I don't pretend to be an amazing gourmet chef. I just know what I think tastes good and make things I like to eat. Sometimes I try to go the extra mile and prepare something that requires a bit more effort, but for the most part I make quick, simple meals.

I am sure the vast majority of you are much better cooks than me! But perhaps one or two of you are visiting because you need a little encouragement to get into the kitchen and turn up the heat!

Today I just want to say that preparing food can be so simple and easy.

Here is a meal I made -again- the other night: lamb and peppers. Total chopping time 2 minutes, total cooking time maybe 10 minutes, only one pot to clean. (only one dish if you ate out of the pan! haha) Total ingredients: 8 including salt. And let me tell you, it was DELICIOUS.

Cut up peppers and red onion, saute in bit of bacon grease. Cut up lamb, garlic, and thyme - throw in same pan with a bit more bacon grease. Sprinkle lamb with pimenton de la vera and salt while it sears to medium rare. Done.

Eat. Make mmmm sounds. Lick plate. Pat full belly. Smile contentedly.

Tell me - do you often cook elaborate meals or do you make simple dishes like this? Which do you prefer to eat?

On another topic...

The other day I was listening to NPR and happened upon an interview with Eckhart Tolle. Are you familiar with him? He is AMAZING. Take a moment to listen to the interview if you get a chance, or watch this video series. I am re-reading The Power of NOW, what a great book. I have not read his more recent book - A New Earth - have any of you?
At the same time I am also reading I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell. Quite disparate material...haha!

Have an awesome day!

Involtini di Melanzane

2009-10-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

This turned out to be quite the comical looking recipe!

I had some nice shiny eggplant and decided to make involtini di melanzane. I sliced the eggplant lengthwise and baked in a 400 deg oven for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile I mixed together the following: chopped sundried tomatoes, dash of olive oil, grated parmiggiano, fresh basil and oregano, chopped pine nuts, a little prosciutto. (btw you can totally leave out the cheese) When the eggplant slices had softened, I spread a little (tablespoon or less) of the mix on them and rolled them up.

The comical part came when I realized, whoops!, no toothpicks to hold the involtini together. haha! I searched the kitchen...uh incense sticks...nooooo. Matches...no. AH- metal kabab skewers might work! (everything I make lately is stuck on those dang skewers, probably the best purchase I ever made haha!)

I also made a little tomato sauce to go on top of the involtini. You want to know a little tomato sauce secret? When I was a kid I would play at my good friend's house all the time - she had Atari AND ColecoVision AND a pool! Invariably her Hindu mom would make us spaghetti for dinner. I loved it! Her mom's spaghetti tasted so different and so much better than my mom's! Why?

Years later I realized the secret - she added a dash of cumin to the sauce. Just a tiny pinch gives an exotic flavor. I also add a pinch of cinnamon. Just a tiny pinch. You can't put your finger on it but the sauce tastes yummy! I sauteed some garlic, thyme and red pepper flakes in olive oil and then added a can of chopped tomatoes and a splash of red wine, plus the spices. Simmer for 10-15 and you have a nice sauce.

After the involtini are rolled up and stabbed with (hopefully) toothpicks, top with some tomato sauce and pop back in the oven until the eggplant is cooked - 10 minutes or so.

Enjoy! :)

The Source of Joy

2009-10-10T01:11:00.000-07:00

"No one knows what makes the soul wake up so happy! Maybe a dawn breeze has blown the veil from the face of G-d...Love is a river. Drink from it."
- Rumi

Enjoy the weekend!

Evil peanut butter

2009-10-08T01:11:00.002-07:00

Peanut butter...evil or not so evil?

Pictured here is one of my favorite fall/winter snacks - a small apple and 1 tbsp chunky peanut butter. Probably has some sort of childhood association...maybe snack time in preschool? Organic natural peanut butter, no added crap.

I think the paleo/primal crowd believes that peanuts are bad because they are legumes, not true nuts, and also for the aflatoxins and the anti-nutrients. But I am not 100% convinced that peanuts are any more evil than other nut butters.

Peanuts are not evil?

Nutritional facts for 1 tablespoon peanut butter:
100 calories
70 calories from fat (70%)
8 g fat
3.5 g carbs
1 g fiber
4.5 g protein

Nutritional facts for 1 tablespoon almond butter:
101 calories
85 calories from fat (85%)
9.5 g fat
3.4 g carbs
.6 g fiber
2.4 g protein

The main difference I see is that peanut butter is slightly lower in fat and slightly higher in protein than the often recommended alternative, almond butter*. So what gives? Does your body REALLY know that a peanut grows on a vine and an almond grows on a tree? Gimme a break! :)

Let's look at the aflatoxin issue. Aflatoxins (toxin from Aspergillus fungus) are very bad for you. According to wikipedia, crops which are frequently affected by aflatoxin "include cereals (maize, sorghum, pearl milllet, rice, wheat), oilseeds (peanut, soybean, sunflower, cotton), spices (chile peppers, black pepper, coriander, turmeric, ginger), and tree nuts (almond, pistachio, walnut, coconut, brazil nut)."

Yep that's right - TREE NUTS and COCONUT!!! (and boo hoo chile peppers??? Now I am upset!) So when you hear from the "experts" don't eat peanuts cuz they have aflatoxins, notice that some of the same people say that almonds, ginger, coconut are the best foods on earth...?

Peanuts may be a bit evil?

Are there really more anti-nutrients, in particular lectins, in peanuts than real nuts? This might be one thing that is true. Beans and grains, especially wheat, have a ton of lectins. Nightshades - tomatoes, peppers, eggplant - also contain lectins. And eggs and dairy! I'd starve...haha. Looks like I have to do Jezwyn's amazing carnivore plan!
What about Omega-3s? Indeed, peanuts are low in Omega-3s. You shouldn't live only on peanut butter but it seems to me that 1 tablespoon or a handful of "pea-legumes" is OK once in a while.
Peanuts are a common allergen and you could die of anaphylactic shock. That's BAD. If you are allergic, don't eat them! haha!
For some people, nut butters are evil because they cannot stop eating them. They are super high in calories. But that is not just peanut butter.

If you don't want to eat peanut butter, for whatever reason, DON'T of course! :) But think for yourself! Don't force yourself to make gado-gado with almond butter just because someone said you have to! Yucko! :)

So what do YOU think? Peanuts - evil or not so evil?

*btw not bashing almonds - I love almonds! My fav nut.

Sole with chanterelle cream sauce

2009-10-07T01:11:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

YUM YUM! I made a simple dinner that was quite tasty. If I had ordered it in a restaurant, I would have said "wow, this is darn good!" so I was pretty happy that I made it myself just with what randomness I had in the refrig.

Warning to you paleos: this has butter, cream and cheese in it. Probably that is why it was so good! hehe!

I had some chanterelles and so I sauteed them up in a bit of raw, pastured butter with a clove of garlic and a bit of thyme...I added a pinch of "truffle salt" to the mushrooms as they cooked. Meanwhile I cooked up two small dover sole filets in some more butter, seasoned with black pepper and lemon zest. Takes seriously 1-2 minutes! LOVE the dover sole - it's mild like tilapia only way better!

To the mushrooms, I added about a tablespoon of goat cheese and a tablespoon of cream along with the juice of 1/2 lemon and stirred until the cheese melted into the cream. Poured the sauce and chanterelles over the fish and dinner is served.

On the side a little orange bell pepper with some basil.

My friends, this was really good! Now I know some of you don't do dairy, but if you do, this was easy, quick, tasty. And not bad for you either, imho (less than 400 calories in case you care). If you did order this type of dish in a restaurant, I bet they would use a hell of a lot more butter, cheese, cream and salt. Plus they would serve it with buttery mashed potatoes and the serving size would be 8x as big.

Just an aside, did you notice there are no hot spices in this dish??? How unusual for me! :)

Have a wonderful day! :)

Picnic

2009-10-06T01:11:00.001-07:00

A friend and I had a little picnic snack on the grass the other afternoon. I thought I'd share a photo of the treats with you.

Chorizo (YUMMY!), olives, cheese and raspberries go great with a glass of wine, don't you think? That's what I had in my refrigerator so...

To me, this photo just screams autumn. Maybe it is the fallen leaves or the blanket...?

As we were sitting there, a family strolled by with a cute little girl, probably 4 yrs old or so. The little girl said to her parents "Uh oh, are they having a time out?" We all cracked up. I guess she thought we had been bad and gotten thrown out of the house?:)

Have a lovely day!

Happy Friday!

2009-10-02T01:11:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Happy Friday!

I just got this t-shirt and I love it. Cute huh? Combines my love for dinosaurs and meats. hehe!

It's almost like I designed it myself!

I thought all you paleos might appreciate it more than your average person on the street who sees me prancing around with a lime green T Rex on my boobs and wonders what is my mental problem. I'm too old for this stuff but I really don't care! :) (the vegans might get mad too, yikes!)

Thought I'd start the weekend off with a nice nature photo for ya! Here's a beach shot I took in the Santa Barbara area, where I am going next weekend~WOO HOO!

See the cute pelican in the middle? He was so patient, just standing there 10 feet away letting me take his portrait. I didn't even see him at first because he blended in with the rocks. (click the photo to see it larger...)

Laugh A LOT (at yourself, or even me and my stupid shirt if you must) and have a very happy fun weekend!

Uva di Troia

2009-10-01T01:11:00.001-07:00

I have to say that sometimes I question why I still live in Los Angeles. The smog, the traffic...BLAH! But on days like today I think well, Los Angeles does have it's good points!

When I was in NYC I tasted a sip of a yummy wine... back at home I did a little search to see if I could locate a bottle so that I could taste it again. Turns out it is a bit of a rare import...?

I found it at this great wine store that is 2 miles from my office! That's the nice thing about the big city - you can find what you need/want! (except nature and breathable air haha)

The guy at the wine store volunteered that they eat a lot of lamb in Puglia where the wine is made. So when I got home I cooked up some juicy lamb and drank some juicy wine while I chatted on the phone with a friend catching up on the juicy gossip! A nice evening!

steamy!

I'm starting to think I need to take a trip to Puglia, Italy...I love the wines! Primitivo has been one of my favs for a long while now, and this Uva di Troia is pretty tasty! Anyone want to do an Italian wine/food tour with me? :) Read this little article about Puglia...cuttlefish and eggplant? YUM!

Autumn

2009-09-30T01:11:00.002-07:00

Good morning everyone!

So it looks like autumn is here. A few weeks ago I'd walk or sprint in the morning and it would be nice and sunny outside at 6:30 AM. Now it is still dark and pretty gloomy, boo. I always get a little sad when fall comes, I love spring and summer so much, especially the nice long days.

But all is not sadness and despair, no! :) This morning I went for a nice long walk around my neighborhood and noticed something that I LOVE about autumn, and that is: MUSHROOMS!

I used to go mushroom hunting a lot when I lived up north. Now, well, I don't have any mushroom hunting spots in Southern Cal (except the poison ones growing in my neighborhood). Maybe it's time for a road trip soon!?!

But guess where I found awesome shrooms? At the farmer's market. I got some chanterelles this morning. YUMMY! Saute them up in some butter...heaven. Sure it's better when you find them in the woods yourself...
Any mushroom hunters out there? Ever notice that when you eat them you can get a rush...like some kind of primal energy? Wild mushrooms are so mysterious.

On another topic, do you listen to music when you work out? Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. But I notice that when I do, I want to go 2x longer. Only problem is that I really really have to force myself to resist singing and dancing in public. Typically I don't mind embarrassing myself, but that just takes it a bit too far. Well, I am a sucky singer too...

What do you listen to when you exercise? Pounding heavy metal or smooth jazz or rap or pop or podcasts or nothing at all? Do you have any recommendations for me? I think I need some new tunes. Please give me your song suggestions! What are your favs? (I like it all...)

Enjoy the day today! Dance and sing a little! :)

Tangy Shrimp with Mint

2009-09-29T01:11:00.000-07:00

My mom gave me a cookbook a few years ago and I decided to take it off the shelf and make a recipe from it. The book is 1,000 Indian Recipes by Neelam Batra. There are quite a few interesting meat and veggie recipes to try.

I was planning to make lamb koftas but I realized at the last minute that the recipe called for a substantial amount of cilantro, which I didn't happen to have on hand. HORROR! So I decided to make "Tangy Shrimp with Mint" because I had most of the ingredients.

Following is the recipe as I made it (1 big serving, or 2 if you eat something else with it):

2-3 tbsp ginger-garlic paste (basically equal parts fresh ginger and garlic ground up together)
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 tbsp tamarind paste (I used Goya's frozen tamarind, that stuff is great!)
1 tbsp coconut oil
1/2" piece chopped ginger
10 fresh curry leaves, minced (recipe called for 2x as much, but I think curry leaves have a strong taste)
1 large jalapeno, chopped
1 small tomato, diced
1/2 tbsp cumin (recipe called for coriander but I didn't have any)
1/4 tsp turmeric
5 jumbo shrimp (recipe called for 16-20 jumbo shrimp)
yellow squash, eggplant (I added these instead of the additional shrimp)
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint

Directions: Cook veggies 90% done however you like and set aside. In a medium saute pan, cook diced ginger in the coconut oil until golden, add ginger/garlic paste, curry leaves, jalapenos - cook on low heat for 1 minute or so. Mix in tomato, cumin, turmeric, tamarind paste - cook for 1 minute. Add shrimp and cooked veggies and cook for 2-3 minutes until sauce is pretty dry. Add coconut milk and cook an additional 3 minutes until sauce is thick. Serve with fresh mint on top.

OK so...now that I blabbed the whole recipe I will give you my review. It was OK. It did have a depth of flavor and tasted exotic. Would I make it again exactly like this? Probably not. I realized that I am not that into curry leaves. I guess they kind of remind me of these bushes we had in front of our house when I was a kid. They just don't taste like food to me...for some reason they taste like landscaping.

Have a wonderful amazing fabulous Tuesday!!!

Red curry chicken

2009-09-28T02:22:00.000-07:00

Hey kids! Happy Monday!!! I'm fasting today for Yom Kippur and sitting in temple, but I thought I'd share a simple simple meal idea with you. I think I even posted about it before.

I don't know if any of you reading (if anyone actually is reading...) is a flavor fiend like me? I love spices and flavor in my food. I am typically not a big fan of the bland and boring. But I also like easy, simple and quick meals.

I have found that curry paste is a great way to quickly add flavor to my meals. It keeps so well in the fridge, tastes great, and has no weird ingredients. In fact, all the spices have antibiotic qualities and make you feel like a million bucks!

So I mix up a TON of red curry paste with some coconut milk. I have said it before....Mae Ploy is my new favorite brand. If you can't find it, use whatever, or email me and I will buy some and send it to you! I slather this mix all over some cut up chicken breast and let it sit in the fridge for a while. Then I stick it on skewers and throw it under the broiler or on the grill. This time, I stabbed kaffir lime leaves in between the chicken pieces which added a lovely aroma.

Eat it up with some cilantro and lime on top and your favorite veggies. Makes great leftovers.

Saturday farmer's market

2009-09-26T09:09:00.000-07:00

This morning I went to the farmer's market. So much good stuff! Last of the figs and peaches. So sad. Summer is over. We're moving on to grapes and persimmons and butternut squash...

You can't really see it but the leaves in the little baggies are kaffir lime leaves. Have you had these before? They are excellent! We have this really cool farmer - Coleman - who sells all kinds of exotic greens and herbs. I love checking out his green leafy stand and seeing what is new and different. I'll take a photo of the bounty for you next time.

Here's where I wish I was today, floating along in a daze watching the clouds... This is my new computer desktop photo at the office! Only problem is that it makes it hard to work when staring at something so peaceful and relaxing.

Enjoy your weekend! :)

Syrian lamb recipe

2009-09-25T09:31:00.000-07:00

I just got the most awesome cookbook that I have been lusting after for a few years now called Aromas of Aleppo. It is a book of Syrian Jewish recipes and it is very cool.

I was craving some red meat so I picked up some free-range lamb at the store. I made lamb kabobs out of the ground meat, and ooh they were tasty. Here is the recipe from the book:

1 lb ground lamb
1 onion, finely chopped (I didn't really chop them very well as you can see)
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
t tsp salt

Of course, you may know by now that I am incapable of following a recipe...I added aleppo pepper and used fresh mint instead of parsley. I swear I meant to use parsley but...argh. I only used about 2/3 lb of lamb and I used the same amount of spices as specified. I made blobs out of the meat, stuck them on (oiled!) skewers and threw it all under the broiler for a while.

To go along with the lamb I scrounged in the fridge and found some shisito peppers, olives and cherry tomatoes. I threw them in a pan with some thyme and a sprinkle of allspice. YUM! I also made a little sauce for the lamb of lemon juice, aleppo pepper, yogurt, mint and cumin. I got this sheep milk yogurt at Whole Foods and I wanted to taste it. It was darn good.

A few red grapes for dessert. An EXTREMELY yummy meal if I don't say so myself! I really love the flavor of lamb. I must say that after being away it was nice to have a meal I cooked myself. After this I passed out cold since I had been awake for almost 24 hrs at that point.

Enjoy your day today! It's Friday!!! What's going on this weekend? I'm going to a football game tomorrow baby!!!

I'm back!!!

2009-09-24T12:16:00.000-07:00

I'm back from vacation, back at work in the office, back in a suit and heels - yuck! But with the addition of about 30 mosquito bites as souvenirs!

I had a blast! Did y'all miss me? I am sure you did not! :) But I missed you!

I thought I'd share a little meal we had in NYC one night. It was tasty! We went to this little wine bar and they had interesting appetizers so we selected a sampling. The meat platter was the most delicious...a grilled chicken sausage with herbs, some kind of thick cut homemade prosciutto, and duck mortadella. The mortadella was AMAZING! It had cranberries and pistachios mixed in, plus some kind of warm spices - maybe allspice and cloves?

We also had a salmon tartare with a curry flavor and boiled chicken meatballs with a cinnamon flavor. Very interesting. As you can see we also sampled some very yummy cheeses.

Can I go back on vacation please? Have a GREAT day!!!!

Happy New Year

2009-09-19T01:11:00.000-07:00

Shana Tova!

In case you don't know what the heck I am talking about and think I am in a time warp speaking nonsense, it's Rosh Hashana - the Jewish New Year. So Happy New Year to you all! I love how the new year starts with the beginning of autumn harvest season! I guess I am a pagan at heart.

One ritual for the new year is to eat apples with honey, to make the next year "sweet". I love this! I remember doing it in Hebrew school as a little kid. FUN!

Lucky for me I am in NY and so I am on the hunt for my favorite Honeycrisp apples. I first had this hybrid variety when I was here two years ago. I bought one at the farmer's market in Ithaca because the name sounded cool and they looked so incredibly pretty. I figured it better be good since each big apple was $1.00!!! Whoa. It was the yummiest apple ever! Perfect blend of sweet and tart.

I've had Honeycrisp from other areas but those ones from upstate NY are the best!

Look for different apple varieties in the markets this year...I make it a point to try all kinds of random heirloom varieties I find at my farmers markets. Some of them are yucky but there are a million to try.

I'll be eating lots of apples and honey in the hopes that this next year is the sweetest one for us all!

Off to NYC

2009-09-16T01:11:00.001-07:00

I'm off to New York for the weekend! Yay!

Here is a photo from two years ago when I was in NYC at the same time of year. I visited the Union Square farmers market because...well, I just had to of course!

This sign cracked me up! Can you see it?
It says the grapes have "foxy flavor"!

Have a good one, my friends!

Dinner

2009-09-15T01:11:00.000-07:00

Hi all, Happy Tuesday!!!

I had a few peeps over for dindin the other day and cooked up some vittles. I thought I would share some pictures with you!

A couple of snacks to start...

Sliced black mission figs, La Quercia prosciutto, arugula, balsamic vinegar - simple but decadent with some red wine.

And sauteed shisito peppers with cumin and hawaiian pink salt. Have you had shisito peppers before? I love them! I haven't seen them in any regular groceries before, only the asian grocers and the farmers market. I cook and serve them sort of in the style of pimentos de padron - have you heard of those? Popular tapa in Spain, I guess, though I haven't had them YET!
These are an awesome drinking snack...salty, slightly spicy, yummy. Goes great with beer, or my personal fav drink - champagne!

Then for the main meal, I made my chile crusted pork loin. It is coated with chile powder, cumin, garlic salt, red pepper flakes and olive oil. Then I throw it in the oven for about 20-30 minutes at 350-400. I take it out every 10 minutes or so, flip it, add more spices. Sometimes, I throw it under the broiler so the crust dries out a little. After it cooks, take it out of the pan to rest, then make a sauce with the drippings plus lime juice. I usually add more spices and olive oil because the sauce is the best part. Make sure to cook the spices if you add more, they taste gross "raw". You can do this on the stovetop or throw the pan in the hot oven for a few minutes.

Served it up with cauliflower rice, and roasted zucchini and eggplant. Here's an overflowing plate!

A big thank you to Alisha who recommended just breaking up the cauliflower in the food processor instead of grating it. YES! It worked just as well. No bleeding grated fingers! YAY! I added turmeric to it to give it a pretty color.

Have a great day my friends!

Spices

2009-09-14T01:11:00.000-07:00

As promised, new poll about spices!

What are your favorites? Any you dislike?

Lately, you might have noticed that I am really into Pimenton de la Vera. People, let me tell you...this is some good stuff. REALLY GOOD!

I first heard of this spice on TV, yes I am a dork and I love PBS cooking shows. Have you seen Jose Andres' show Made in Spain? He's adorable, very enthusiastic! I also had the pleasure of dining at one of his restaurants here in LA called Bazaar (and I saw him there too!) Amazing experience.

Anyway you can find smoked paprika in some stores - specialty groceries and Whole Foods and the like. I haven't tried them all, but I will tell you my opinion anyway. Get the ones that say Pimenton de la Vera. It is totally different than the other stuff. Has an amazing smoky taste and great depth of flavor. The other ones I have tried in comparison are bitter and dull. Of course, I get the spicy one - but there are "hot" and "sweet" versions. (this container is so cute too)

Other favorite spices of mine are cumin - love it, and any chile. I love all chiles. I must have red pepper flakes in my house at all times.

What are YOUR favorites? Any you hate?

I will tell you one spice I don't like - and I will even foolishly tell you why! I have an aversion to nutmeg. The reason is that when I was a teenager I was insane. My friends and I heard that you could get a high if you ate nutmeg so we ate spoonfuls of it. DISGUSTING. Let me warn you, do not try this. Nothing happens except you feel really sick and you hate nutmeg! Stupid stupid stupid! haha!!!

Tell me - any spices you love or hate? Something I need to try??? My next foray is aleppo pepper.

Wine Festival

2009-09-12T01:11:00.000-07:00

I just bought my tickets to the Santa Barbara County Celebration of Harvest Wine Festival coming up in October. Woo hoo!!!!

I went two years ago and it was a blast. It is held on a ranch out in the Santa Barbara hills. What better way to celebrate autumn than to enjoy some wines and snacks in the sunshine amid the oak trees? About 50 wineries participate, some of which are really amazing. A few of my favorites are Palmina (their Malvasia Bianca is YUM), Alma Rosa (organic), and Sanford. Can't wait!

OK so this is really fingerlakes region in upstate NY...but I didn't have a pic of an SB vineyard

Lots of good food in Santa Barbara, I'm hoping to eat at The Hungry Cat where I had spot prawns last time! Yummy! I buy some of my veggies at the farmers market from a really cool farm in SB called Fairview Gardens. They are a non-profit community education organic farm, a very neat little oasis in suburbia. When I was there last the pomegranate bushes were going off!!! There is also the very beautiful Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, a wonderful place to take a stroll. I love visiting farms and gardens, they feel so peaceful to me, full of life energy - you know what I mean?

There is this great hole in the wall taco place in SB - Lilly's Tacos...the BEST salsa. They have tacos de ojo - yes, that is EYEBALL, and no, I haven't tried it.

Anyone else happen to be going to the wine festival? Let me know! We'll look for you there! :)

Drink and food porn

2009-09-10T01:11:00.001-07:00

Went to this really interesting bar the other night and I just had to share their crazy drink recipes with you. I love to try new things so we ordered a bunch of their funky specialty cocktails to sample the flavors. We ate some amazing too. Some restaurant food and drink porn follows for you...

First here are some of the very interesting drinks we shared.

This one had mescal, chipotles, red jalapenos and lime. It tasted like BBQ. Strange.

It was my friend's favorite, I thought it tasted too much like a fireplace. Interesting tho.

This one was blueberry, eau de vie, cachaca. It was fruity and sweet.
I'd make it less sweet. That's a giant ice cube.

I have recently gotten into drinks with cucumber and tequila. This was not as good as others I have had.
I had one in NYC with cucumber and jalapeno - so good. And one in LA with cucumber and mint - even better.

The one on the left one was tasty - it had red pepper, agave and whiskey. And basil. The bartender slapped the basil before he put it in the cup. That made me laugh! or maybe it was the prior cocktails that made it so funny.

In addition to these cocktails we also shared some food. Take a look...

I was so hungry I forgot to take a picture of this until we had eaten 75%. Sorry! It was SO good.
Ahi tuna "ceviche" but sashimi style.
It was over cubes of jicama, with salted avocado on the side and baby cilantro.
So so yummy. The fish was super fresh.

Baby lamb chops with olives, capers and peppers. WoW! I could eat 500 of these. I love grilled baby lamb chops.
They made a face out of paprika or something. Cool.

Oh no...now I just made myself hungry and thirsty...

Herbs

2009-09-09T01:11:00.001-07:00

Happy 9/9/9! :)

Poll time!

What are your favorite herbs to cook with and eat? What is the one herb you cannot live without?

What herbs do you not like?

Me? I love herbs. (that sounds wrong...)

My favorites are cilantro, thyme, basil, rosemary, oregano, mint.
If I had to pick one....gosh, cilantro? It's so versatile - goes with Latin, Asian, Indian foods. Second fav would probably be thyme. But please tell me that I never have to pick just one.

I do not really like parsley. Or dill.

There are so many others - marjoram, sage, lemongrass, shiso, epazote, curry leaf, lemon verbena, kaffir lime, bay leaves!!! YUM!

What about YOU? Any favorite or hated leafy seasonings?

Next time we will talk about spices! :) Perhaps you have noticed I am using one a lot lately? My new favorite!

Bragging

2009-09-08T15:37:00.000-07:00

Check out my awesomest seats at the game! I got so lucky! Last minute I got a free ticket ON the 50 yard line, 4 rows back. Yeah baby! It was FANTASTIC!

So so close!!!

Don't eat these, but aren't they cute?

I don't really know what this is all about...

Final score - yes, that is how we do it, bitches. hehe!

Just fyi, I really wanted a sausage but I did not partake in anything at the game except a $5 bottle of water. It was SO hot out sitting baking in the sun! Whew! Lots more food options than I remember - lots of BBQ, sausages, chicken. Good to know!

I'm in love!

2009-09-08T01:11:00.001-07:00

Oh darling readers...I am in LOVE!

I have found my dreamboat at last...let me introduce him to you...

Mr. Cauliflower Rice!!!

He is delectable, delicious, delightful. He is everything I ever wanted in a companion. Versatile, flexible, and oh so yummy!

Sorry to be a freak! but I have discovered the best food ever. I know that many of you have already tried this tasty treat, but for some reason, I never have! Thanks to Elizabeth's great blog Caveman Food, I finally decided to give it a whirl. Her food always looks SO amazing!

I ate this side dish with other scrumptious foods. I made these really fantastic spicy pork patties with tons of Pimenton de la Vera, garlic and thyme, sauteed some onions with turmeric, a little salad and my new love...HEAVENLY! Who gets this excited over cauliflower? But it tastes like rice! Only better!

My new passion has one drawback. It's kind of a pain to grate by hand. I'm afraid I will grate off my fingers in my zeal. Should I purchase a food processor with a grating attachment just so I can enjoy this delight on a regular basis?