Yummy Happy Rainbow

Transitioning to Vegan

2010-04-12T08:19:00.000-07:00

Hello all. Some of you who know me on Facebook or in person may be aware that I've been focusing a lot on animal rights issues, baking vegan treats, and talking about a vegan diet in general. I have decided that I am transitioning to a vegan diet and lifestyle mainly for animal rights reasons but also for health and world sustainability/green reasons. For me, it feels like the right thing to do!

It's been a gradual process but I am making a lot of progress. I've gone from eating meat or fish about twice a day to eating meat/poultry about once per week and fish a few times a week. I remember a while back when someone mentioned the idea of just eating meat once per day I thought, wow, that would be so hard. But really, it has just become easier and easier. I've also transitioned slowly from drinking lots of milk at home, almost two gallons per week between me and my boyfriend, to about a half gallon of raw organic milk per week. In fact, yesterday when my boyfriend who is loving all of the new milk choices grabbed almond, coconut, hemp, and cow/s milk at the store and I asked him to put one of them back he chose to put back the cow's milk! I knew we were really making progress then. The final frontier will be the half and half in my coffee and sea food for sure.

It's a progression because it's about not only saying good bye to all of the things you are used to eating but learning to prepare new things in new ways.. and with our busy schedules that takes time. I'm also just learning about all of the restaurants and stores in the area that offer vegan choices and it's going to now take a little bit of time to swap out the places that don't have those choices. However, the more I educate myself I find that I am not really sacrificing much but rather refocusing on a whole new culinary world of delicious, healthy food!

In addition, I have decided that the culinary career I am pursuing will be vegan. So, I am currently seeking out vegan chefs in the area that will allow me to assist them so that I can learn the ropes. I am also experimenting at home with cooking vegan dishes and baking with vegan ingredients.

Where will this leave Yummy Happy Rainbow? I am not sure yet. In an attempt to simplify my life I have not been taking pictures and posting about everything that I eat. One of the reasons I quit my full-time job almost 2 months ago was to reduce stress. I'd be stupid to swap that stress out with the stress of trying to create some great blog.. even if my handful of readers want that. There is also not much of a reason for me to document my vegan finds and progress when there are a ton of resources out there for anyone interested in those kinds of things. So, I am taking a break from the blog for now until I decide what I want to do with it. Once I kick off some sort of vegan career I may start a new blog then.

Thanks everyone!!

-Alexis

Chicken-less Chicken Noodle Soup

2010-03-29T16:21:00.000-07:00

This sounds really strange but one day when I was making my delicious chicken noodle soup I realized that I needed to go buy chicken so I did everything I had to do with the soup except add the chicken. It tasted so good without it that I thought, "I could make this without the chicken and it would still be great." So, that is just what I did this time.

I am trying to cut back on meat and poultry for many reasons but I still love the taste of meaty things. I have found lately that a little goes a long way, if any at all. So, I used my delicious celery and carrots from JR Organics, along with the other ingredients in my soup recipe. It tastes nice and chickeny because of the Better than Bouillon and the poultry seasoning I use (I know, this is not a true vegetarian recipe). I also tried using organic whole wheat angel hair pasta with Jerusalem artichoke flour, it's funny how angel hair shaped pasta is often the easiest to use whole wheat, brown rice, etc because of it's fine texture.. it tastes just like the regular stuff.

You might not miss the chicken at all.. don't knock it 'till you try it. : )

Farfalle and Salmon Salad

2010-03-16T18:03:00.000-07:00

This is a quick salad with a straightforward formula: pasta plus cold veggies (salmon or tuna optional.)

In this case I mixed up my JR Organics (JRO) spinach, lettuce, and carrots. Then, I boiled some bow-tie shaped pasta (farfalle) and towards the end of the boiling process I threw in some JRO peas. I drained the pasta and peas and then added a can of salmon (preferably you would use fresh salmon because of the BPA in the cans but this is good in a pinch.) I tossed everything with the veggies in our favorite dressing and voila! A one-dish healthy and light meal.

Sauteed Broccoli with Radishes and Garlic and more JR Organics Produce

2010-03-15T20:49:00.000-07:00

I never ever would have thought to cook radishes but now that I have my weekly box of fresh organic produce, it's so much fun thinking up new recipes to make.

I just chopped the broccoli with the stems and sliced radishes and garlic very thin. I sauteed everything up with the some olive oil and it made a great side dish or mini-meal (pictured below). I topped it with some coarsely shredded Pecorino Romano cheese.

For our second week of produce, we received many of the same items as last week but instead of chard we got spinach. Instead of regular carrots and oranges we got blood oranges and red carrots! I also swapped some celery and radishes with some kale and peas.

Here are the lovely red carrots we got, light orange on the inside!

Blood oranges

And here are the super cute peas and spinach!

Cupcake Weekend

2010-03-14T10:54:00.001-07:00

Got some cuppies from Vanilla Bakeshop: passion fruit, chocolate peanut butter, and chocolate raspberry. Also got from BabyCakes: Banana, Red Velvet, and Chocolate. YUM!

Oh, I must have eaten the chocolate peanut butter one before I took this picture.

Cooking with JR Organics Farm Produce

2010-03-09T20:03:00.001-08:00

With the eleven items in our first box of produce, I can already tell we'll have more than enough fabulous fresh fruits and veggies each week to keep us healthy and happy! It's also exciting to have a bunch of things that I might not normally put together so I consider it a challenge to work with some new combinations. I feel like I am cooking in an episode of Chopped.

First, nothing beats fresh fruit for breakfast to get the day started right. I often find that folks who might not grab fruit from the kitchen have no problems grabbing fruit that's nicely chopped and placed in front of them, such as these delicious apples and strawberries:

I LOVE the smell of fresh Rosemary, so I put it out on the coffee table as an air freshener.

I happened to have some organic chicken breast in the house, and since I love chicken with rosemary, inspiration struck! I decided I would make a roasted vegetable pasta primavera with chicken and rosemary.

I started by marinating the chicken in rosemary, sliced spring onions, white wine, and a little olive oil for a few hours.

Then, I sauteed the chicken up. The onions and rosemary became nice and tender with a little char. Yum.

I

I sliced up carrots, broccoli (stems and all), more scallions, and more rosemary. I tossed these veggies in a little oil and then put them in the oven at 375 for about 45 minutes until they were soft and toasty. This picture shows the veggies raw.

In the mean time I cut up the chicken and cooked some organic whole wheat penne. When the veggies were done, I tossed everything together with some olive oil and salt and made sure it was all heated through. Then I topped it with Pecorino Romano cheese. We had this for dinner with a delicious salad of butter lettuce, radishes, and avocados.

Yay for LA Food Trucks!

2010-03-07T10:43:00.000-08:00

Can you believe there are dozens of food trucks on the streets of LA now? I am not just talking about your typical Mexican food truck, but rather gourmet Korean tacos, cupcakes, dim sum, and so much more. A few weeks ago many of them participated in the First Annual Street Food Fest. I've only tried a couple of these trucks' fare but I plan to try a whole lot more.

One that I have tried is the NomNom Truck which serves up Banh Mi (Vietnamese Sandwiches). The pork and lemongrass chicken in the yummy baguettes were delicious. This is great for folks like us on the west side with limited access to Vietnamese food. We also stumbled upon the Dim Sum Truck on its soft launch day and tried their very tasty turnip cakes (see photo above). I can't wait to try more truck food!

The best way to keep track of where these food trucks are is Twitter. But if you don't feel like signing up for that, this awesome site : Find LA Food Trucks has widgets with all of the Twitter feeds.. it's a one truck stop! : )

Oh, and About.com has a list of some of the trucks with quick summaries.

Got our first box of produce from JR Organics Farm!

2010-03-06T14:20:00.000-08:00

I am so happy about our first box of fresh, local organic produce from JR Organics. Everything is just so fresh and beautiful and I can't wait to try everything. We got (all for $30!), organic:

2 heads of lettucs (red and butter)
Swiss chard although to me it looks like bok choy
Easter egg radish.. now I see why they call it that because of the beautiful mix of round radishes that look like Easter eggs!
broccoli
FAT Spring onions
cute bumpy little carrots
rosemary
strawberries
four avocados
four oranges
three huge apples

Check out the photos below. Any recipe ideas??

Yummy egg "salad" sandwich brunch!

2010-02-25T12:00:00.001-08:00

I just love adding greens or other veggies plus a tasty dressing to a fried egg and toast. It just lightens everything up. Here I fried up a free range egg and threw it on my favorite toasted bread. I blanched some kale and put it in there too. What you don't see is the "sauce" made of olive oil and a thin restaurant-style salsa. I spread it on the bread and dipped the sammy in the extras. YUM!

Yummy Healthy Juices!

2010-02-23T10:50:00.000-08:00

I've been using my new Breville juicer a lot lately. Mostly, I have been making carrot orange juice (pictured above) and Natalia Rose's Green Lemonade (pictured below) which is just:

1 head Romaine lettuce
a handful of dark leafy greens such as kale
1 lemon
1 apply

Juice it all up and drink! Surprisingly, it tastes excellent and is a great way to get a bunch of antioxidants, enzymes, soluble fiber and other goodness all in one yummy glass.

I can't wait to juice more!

It Aint Easy Being Green

2010-02-21T09:55:00.000-08:00

My boyfriend and I watched an interesting documentary last night titled "No Impact Man." It's about a NYC family who decided to go "no impact" for a year, meaning they produced no or little trash (including no toilet paper or paper towels), used no cars or planes, ate only local foods, bought nothing except food, and even went without electricity. It was really inspiring and so it's renewed my interest in being more green and also being aware of the chemicals in the products we use. I actually found the wife in the film particularly inspiring because she was very used to drinking Starbucks and shopping and eating out and she reluctantly gave up all of those things for the project and turned out very happy in the end.

I'll keep this quick, but I just want to share a few resources with you. To learn more about the No Impact project and ways that you can lower your impact, check out the links below. Particularly interesting is the experiment to go no impact for a week. No Impact Man provides full instructions on doing this at his site.

Also, check out a few new resources I found for re-usable, BPA-freee, Phthalate-free products. This is a follow-up from my previous post about using plastics.

What have I been doing you might ask? Well, my transformation is slow but steady:

I stopped using my non-stick pan (Telflon gets into your food).
I stopped microwaving in plastic except for the occasional Lean Cuisine when I am feeling desperate. I actually stopped microwaving in general except when I am in a pinch.
I replaced my plastic cutting boards and cooking utensils with wooden and metal ones.
I found a Phthalate-free, Paraben-free, No-animal testing shampoo that I actually like and so I am going to try their conditioner next (Nature's Gate Organics)
I stopped using plastic water bottles and have been using metal instead
I bought a bunch of fabric shopping bags and I always bring them to the grocery store with me. I also bring plastic bags I have used before for putting meats and loose veggies in.
I stopped buying and eating canned foods (the can lining contains BPA) with the exception of Eden Organic Beans because they don't use BPA in their cans.
I recycle everything (but what I really need to do is reduce.)

For my next steps,

I am going to get rid of all the plastic in my kitchen and replace it with glass, metal, wood, etc.
I am going to get glass, metal, and cloth lunch containers and use them to pack my lunches and my boyfriend's lunches.
I am going to replace our skin and hair products with Phthalate-free products.
I am going to decide upon a Community Supported Agriculture program in my area and sign up!
I am going to make an effort to reduce trash. I really need to read up on how to do that though.
I am going to start using natural cleaning products like the ones mentioned in the film such as vinegar and Borax

Resources

No Impact Links:

No Impact Project: Learn the techniques they used and how to do it yourself.
No Impact Man Blog
No Impact Man Book
No Impact Man Film: Watch it and get inspired!

Other Resources:

BPA, PVC, and Phthalate-free food storage containers
Lunch Skins: Super cute re-usable sandwich and snack bags
Graze: More super-cute re-usable bags, all organic
Nicole Harter's Healthy Pregnancy Blog: Nicole was a fellow-student at Bentley with me and has since become a holistic health counselor and started a great blog about healthy pregnancies including information about chemicals to avoid. Check it out!

Canyon Ranch Albondigas

2010-02-15T18:12:00.000-08:00

I made this Mexican meatball soup for a friend a few weeks ago and she really liked it so I am fulfilling my promise to post the recipe. There are a couple of things to note and a couple of modifications I would make.. For one, I didn't feel like dirtying up a food processor to puree the Pico de Gallo. I liked the way it came out but if you do puree it you'll probably get a more tomatoey broth. Second, I think I'd prefer to use rice instead of potatoes next time because I am not a big fan of potatoes in my soup. Finally, I would use more of the herbs because I didn't taste a lot of the cilantro and mint coming through. The recipe posted below however is how it is written in the book,.

This recipe is taken from the "Canyon Ranch Cooks" cookbook. I usually don't post recipes from cookbooks but this book has been out for a while so I am making an exception. It's a good book and I'd recommend checking it out.

Albondigas

Meatball Ingredients

1 pound ground turkey
1/2 cup cooked white rice
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 Tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
1 whole egg
1/4 cup minced yellow onion
1/2 teaspoon salt

Soup Ingredients

1.5 quarts chicken stock
3/4 cup Pico de Gallo, pureed
1 cup peeled diced potatoes
1 cup peeled diced carrots
1 cup peeled diced celery
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325. Lightly coat a baking sheet with olive oil.
Combine all ingredients for meatballs in a large bowl. Mix well. Portion about 2 Tablespoons, about 1 ounce, and form into a ball with wet hands. Place on baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes until cooked through. Do not overcook.
Heat chicken stock in a large saucepan. Add pureed salsa and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Add vegetables, cilantro, salt, and meatballs. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.

Makes 10 servings, 135 calories each

Quick, Easy, and Healthy Week-Night Dinners

2010-01-19T20:26:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I'm gone most of the day working hard and earning my pay check. By the time I get home at 7:00 pm I'm tired and hungry and most days am in no mood to start chopping and cooking and messing up the kitchen. So, most of my week-days we have simple to prepare but healthy meals that are cheap but also low in calories. How do I do it???

One way I do it is with Trader Joe's. There are a hand-ful of items I try to keep in the house that, when paired with a salad (also made with Trader Joe's pre-washed greens, baby tomatoes, olives, and other things that don't need a cutting board) make a fantastic meal. Check out the freezer section of Trader Joe's and pick out your own items or try my picks below:

- Gnocci alla Sorrentino (frozen - shown above)
- Flatbread pizzas (frozen)
- Any of the Indian entrees for two (dry goods) paired with frozen naan thrown in the toaster.\

Check out the stir-frys and frozen complete meals for 2 or more. But check the calories per serving and determine what would be realistic for your portion size.

Yummy Asian Shrimp Salad

2010-01-17T20:01:00.000-08:00

I threw this really simple salad together last weekend and it came out really well. See those dark green things on the top? Those are strips of teriyaki nori and I am really enjoying throwing them on all kinds of stuff lately. They have a ton of nutrients but are pretty salty so watch out for that. This salad consists of:

Baby spinach
Arugala
Shrimp
Tomatoes
Edamame (cooked)
Sliced almonds
Dressing of toasted sesame oil and seasoned rice vinegar
Topped with teryiaki nori strips
YUMM

Homemade Brown Rice Sushi

2010-01-10T17:35:00.000-08:00

I made some delicious brown rice sushi this weekend. It's pretty simple to make, very healthy, and low-calorie. Start with some regular short-grain brown rice and once it's cooked, add seasoned rice vinegar to taste. You don't need to buy special brown sushi rice. You'll also need some sheets of nori seaweed and a bamboo sushi roller. You can get this kind of stuff cheaply at a Japanese market like Mitsuwa. The rest of it is up to you. I made some California rolls and some vegetable rolls. Sea weed like nori is highly nutritious with a lot of calcium, iron, potassium, vitamin A, protein, and trace minerals (all things that are good for the pre-natal ladies ; )

Juicetastic!!

2010-01-09T12:41:00.001-08:00

We just got our new juicer in the mail and made our first fresh, organic juice with carrots, oranges, and apples. It was delicious!!

We got the Breville JE95XL Two-Speed Juice Fountain Plus It's super-powerful! Here are some photos below.

Gingered Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup

2010-01-06T22:37:00.000-08:00

I'm really enjoying having veggie soups for dinners this week. I hope I can keep this healthy habit up! I found this recipe in the January/February edition of Women's Health Magazine. It's delicious, healthy, and pretty quick easy to make if you have a food processor.

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium chopped onion
1 cup broth
1 medium sweet potato (really yam) peeled and chopped
5 large carrots, peeled and chopped
About an inch of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
Greek yogurt, cream or other garnish (optional)

Instructions:

Heat oil in a pot or large saucepan. Add onion and cook until soft, a few minutes.
Add broth plus 2 cups water, then add sweet potato, carrot, and ginger.
Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer until veggies are tender, about 15 minutes.
Strain out veggies and place in food processor. Puree until smooth, adding a bit of broth if needed. Pour puree back into pot and stir until well-blended and smooth.
Season with salt and pepper, garnish (optional) and enjoy!

4 Servings, 119 calories each

North Meets South Soup

2010-01-02T18:34:00.001-08:00

I just made my first real healthy recipe of the new year (besides those beet greens I made earlier today which were really a throw-together.) It came out great so I am sharing it with you here. I call it "North Meets South" soup because it uses "great northern beans" which seem to be from the north and "collard greens" which we know are from the south. This tastes like a Tuscan soup and I adapted it from the Escarole and Bean Soup recipe here. As an Italian, I love escarole but they didn't have any at the store today but they did have some beautiful organic collard greens. Collard greens are really a super food, especially if you are pregnant, because they are loaded with vitamins K, A, and C as well as calcium and folate. And the beans are great too, also with a lot of folate, fiber, calcium, and protein. It's about 200 calories per serving and super easy to make. Enjoy!

Ingredients

5 cloves minced or crushed garlic
1 medium onion, chopped
2 (15 oz) cans great northern beans, rinsed. You can substitute navy bean or another white bean. I used Eden beans because they are organic and BPA free.
1 quart (4 cups) chicken broth. You could also use veggie broth to make this vegan. I use Better than Bouillon because I love the taste and it's convenient.
2 cups collard greens, washed, then cut into quarters lengthwise (keeping the stem in). Then, cut that into 1/2 " strips and measure out.

Instructions

Use a few tablespoons of the broth to cook the onions and garlic together over medium heat in the bottom of a soup pot until they are transparent but not brown.
Add the rest of the ingredients and cook until the greens are tender.
That's it! Serve with fresh ground pepper and grated Parmesan or Romano cheese if desired.

Healthy New Year's Resolutions

2010-01-02T17:44:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone. So, I've pretty much been eating and drinking anything I've wanted over the past 6 weeks. It was the holidays! Now that it's January I am excited to be getting on to a healthier track. It can be a full time job just keeping up with the latest in nutrition and health, but what I have learned in my spare time this year has convinced me to make the following changes. Note that I am NOT giving up my chicken wings and churros and all those other yummies that make life happier. But, when I am cooking at home I resolve to do the following most of the time (this is stuff I have been building up to so it's not as drastic a change as it seems). Now, if this bores you and you're disappointed that you might not be reading about yummy unhealthy foods, no need to worry, as I've mentioned, this is not a full-time thing so there should still be something for everyone on this blog.

Buy only organic unless there is no choice. This includes fruit, veggies, grains, dairy, eggs, and meats/poultry.
Try to eat poultry or meat only once per day.
Make sure I get three servings of fish/seafood per week (that's pretty easy for me).
Eat only low mercury fish/seafood (no swordfish, king mackerel, shark, or golden snapper).
Supplements: Take my omega 3's and experiment with coconut oil supplements as well. Take 1000mg of folic acid a day or make sure I get it from food.
Eat more super foods, especially those for pregnant women (I am NOT pregnant but it's never too soon to start loading up on calcium, iron, and zinc, if anything just to get into the habit.
I've gradually replaced my plastic and non-stick utensils and cookware with only metal, wood, and bamboo. This included cutting boards, spatulas, etc.
Never microwave in plastic. Try to reduce microwaving as much as possible.
Replaced plastic water bottles with metal.
No more canned foods unless they are BPA free. This pretty much just leaves Eden beans. This is pretty ridiculous since I grew up eating canned tomatoes but what can I say.
Minimal processed foods such as frozen dinners (which pretty much forced me to microwave in plastic).
Slowly incorporate more raw foods into my diet.
Start juicing! Ordered my juicer yesterday and I can't wait to get it. My goal is to get at least one good veggie juice in me per day.

I'll post stuff as I go along. Wish me luck!!!

A healthy start to the new year

2010-01-02T11:45:00.001-08:00

Just picked up some local, organic beet greens at the farmer's market. Sauteed them up with a little onion, soy, and sesame.

Leftovers!!!

2009-12-25T10:28:00.000-08:00

One plate, four fishes (salmon, shrimp, squid, smelts : )

San Francisco Treat

2009-12-11T05:28:00.000-08:00

I've been in San Francisco all week for a training class and have been trying some tasty new restaurants. My classmates have been great about wanting to try places so I've been lucky. I am staying in the SOMA area and there are so many great places here!!! I am jealous.

Anchor and Hope
Got a couple of tasty happy hour oysters and fried calamari with a beer. Then, got the trout with Brussels sprouts and butternut squash. The sprouts were particularly amazing and served totally flaked out, not round, with almonds and shallots.

Yank Sing
Dim sum for a business lunch!! Need I say more? This place totally redeemed SF after a bad Chinatown dim sum experience a few years ago. I'm back baby, I'm back!

Taylor's Automatic Refresher
YUM!! Beer, blue cheese burger, garlic fries.. : ))

Osha Thai
This is place was awesome. I might actually go back before I leave. I got this amazing seafood curry. Osha has many of your typical Thai dishes but they're more refined ans flavors better put together than the usual. I usually don't get seafood in Thai restaurants because the places seem a little questionable but I felt totally fine getting it here.

Maya
This is a Mexican restaurant where I had some of the best tacos ever.. shrimp tacos as well as a slow-cooked pork belly taco. The pork taco was amazing.

Stefan's at LA Farm

2009-11-15T10:40:00.000-08:00

We've been focusing lately on some of the restaurants favorite Top Chef contestants own and/or work. Stefan Richter, a finalist on season 5, was a favorite because he consistently came out on top with his dishes, but for some reason lost in the end. In my opinion, either he, Carla, or Jamie should have won. But, oh well...

So, when we found out Stefan's restaurant, Stefan's at LA Farm, is literally right around the corner from our apartment, my boyfriend was sweet enough to take me there a couple of weeks ago for a nice dinner. Here is my review:

The food was pretty good. We started with a couple of "small plates." We got the Beef Tartare with Poached Quail Egg and Breadstick. This was pretty gross.. it tasted more like cat food than anything else. This was the most disappointing dish of the evening. We also had the Truffle Arancini with Cracked White Pepper, Smoked Salt and Griddled Brioch which was tastier, bu not as flavorfull as I would have liked and it was TINY. These are two dishes I could not resist on the menu because for some reason I am compelled to try any tartare I see and arancini is a traditional Italian snack I am used to getting in Boston. Stefan's version of arancini was obviously much more gourmet than the fried rice balls we used to get at the bakeries in Boston.

I need to now start commenting on what I didn't like about this restaurant and why I wouldn't return. The service and atmosphere were both terrible. The waiter was just horrible. Here are some of the things he did:

When he first arrived at the table, he asked if we wanted any wine. We had not received a wine list yet so I said I was not sure yet as I looked for the wine list. He took our two wine glasses and walked away! When he returned a while later, I asked him for a wine list. Maybe he didn't hear what I had said initially because the place is so LOUD, but shouldn't they automatically give you a wine list?
It took him FOREVER to return to our table in between the basic stuff. When he eventually returned and we were trying to order, he didn't know much about the menu. I asked him what kind of vegetables came with a dish and he had to guess and did not offer to go find out. As I scanned the menu to try to make another choice and didn't see anything I particularly liked, he said, "I know, there are so many good choices on there." ! Contrare mon frere!!
As I was scanning the menu, my boyfriend asked if there were any specials. The waiter was like, "yeah" and he pulls out his notebook. HE DIDN'T EVEN OFFER TO TELL US THESE BEFORE. And, not to be super picky, but he should know the specials by heart.
I ordered a glass of wine and he never brought it to me. I sat there staring at it on the bar because the bar tender had poured it, the waiter just never picked it up! After we finished our small-plates sans-vino, I got up and picked up the wine myself!
In terms of atmosphere, the place was SO LOUD we couldn't hear each other. I couldn't hear what the waiter was saying either. I don't know if it's the acoustics or what. I mean, yes, you are sitting 4 inches from the next table which sucks but in some places they manage to make the acoustics work anyway.
For a $100 plus dinner, I just expect more.
We also sat as far away from the open patio as possible and we were still freezing the whole time!

Back on to the food. I did end up getting a special they had which was a Stuffed Quail. The bird, greens, and stuffing were good. The potatoes were pretty flavorless. My boyfriend got the Halibut dish on the menu which was tasty and interesting. We also got the Apple Crisp with Vanilla Ice Cream. OK, a CRISP should have something crispy on top, not just a crust at the bottom. That would make it a PIE. Also, I don't think the ice cream was homemade, but I am not sure.

Overall, there are too many fine dining establishments with tasty food in the LA.. I don't need to settle for one with crappy service and atmosphere.. I don't care if Stefan is walking around everywhere (he was) or if the food is tasty.

The pictures that came out OK withmy iPhone were the Tartare, Halibut, and Apple Crisp shown below:

My first attempt at truffle fries

2009-10-28T20:01:00.001-07:00

If you've never had truffle fries, you need to get yourself down to Josie or a similar establishment and order them now! The flavor and aroma are just so amazing. I created a post about this before but basically the deliciousness comes from truffle oil. Now, you wont really find oil from a truffle anywhere. What you will find is oil infused with truffle aroma. So, I finally picked the oil up and attempted to make some "oven" fries with it. I used russet potatoes because they are on the "high levels of antioxidants" list. I knew the fries would be good tossed with the oil at the last minute, but since I needed to put something on them to go in the oven I drizzled both olive and truffle oil on the raw potatoes and immediately saw it was too much. The potatoes just didn't need that much oil and they soaked it up like a sponge. Then, the aroma of the truffle burned off! So, I just had to throw some more truffle oil on the cooked potatoes. They did come out quite tasty, but my goal was to create something that wouldn't be crazy fattening. SO, next time I plan to just spray the taters with some olive oil spray (which currently I am out of) and then toss the fries in the truffle oil at the end. I also tossed in some salt and finely chopped (or "dusted" as my cooking teacher called it) parsely.

Kale Stuffed Mushrooms

2009-10-28T19:46:00.001-07:00

I just threw these together and they came out quite delicious with some nice, complex flavors, lots of nutrients, and not a lot of fat and calories. I didn't measure things but here's what i did:

I took about 7 large crimini mushrooms and pulled the stems out. I chopped the stems very small and threw them in saute pan with a few tablespoons of water and then I chopped up the leaves of two stems of kale and threw that in too. I covered the pan and steamed everything until soft. Then, I crushed in 1 small clove of garlic and cooked that up a but. Then I turned the heat off and stirred in about a 1/2 cup of fat free ricotta cheese and a tablesoon of grainy mustard. I then stuffed the mushroom caps with this mixture and then put the mushrooms back in the pan. I poured in about 1/2 cup of white wine and put the lid on and steamed everything for about 8 minutes or until the mushrooms are cooked.

Delicious~

Even more low calorie deliciousness from Hungry Girl

2009-10-25T20:35:00.000-07:00

Just tried the Boneless Buffalo Wings and Egg Foo Young! Check it out below..

Hey ya'll. Most folks who know me personally are aware that I do watch my figure (watch it pretty much stay the same..) but nonetheless, when I am home I try to stick to really healthy foods that are supposed to be good for the waistline. This year I have been eating super healthy like veggies, lean protein, nuts, omegas, coconut, you name it. But then of course I like to go out and eat some not so healthy things., but in general I try not to eat very many carbs or sugar. But, I am getting kind of sick of eating all of these salads and I need a change. The point here is that I am going to try counting calories for a while to see if that helps with the weight and not worry as much about the carbs. I think it will add some variety to my diet even if it adds some not so great things like processed foods, and hopefully it will help me lose some inches. Don't get me wrong, I am still eating many of the healthiest foods on earth like blueberries, etc. I think if I lose fat, that will offset any of the bad affects of the processed foods, right? That is what I am telling myself anyway. I am also going to try to exercise more...

I picked up the Hungry Girl 200 under 200 book and am a little obsessed with it right now. It's 200 recipes under 200 calories which is great for me because I am really a mini-meal kind of person. Most of the recipes are simple and quick. I made a bunch of recipes last week that I really liked and I am already back to my pre-cruise measurements (I haven't owned a scale in 5 years), but I am not going to post the recipes because she just published the book and that wouldn't be right. You can browse all the recipe photos and stats on her website here.

Here are the recipes I 've tried:

Boneless Buffalo Wings
I love buffalo wings.. so I just had to try this recipe out. They are very tasty. When making them, be careful flipping and removing the chicken from the baking sheet as the "breading" can stick a little if you don't whip it into submission.
I served these up with a slaw salad and some celery with a mixture of low fat ranch dressing and a little full-fat blue cheese dressing mixed in to get the right flavor for dipping. I also put a little extra Buffalo sauce on top of my "wings" because that's how I roll.

Egg Foo Young!
Where has this recipe been all my life?? This is why I love Hungry Girl.. she takes all the stuff we love that isn't so good for the waist-line and creates a low calorie version that is amazing. I love Egg Foo Young.. maybe because my grandmother used to order it or maybe because I love gravy so much. Whatever the reason.. this recipe rocks my world AND, you wont find it in the book, you can get it right here for free.

I did make a couple of flavor modifications because I am not as sodium-conscious as I could be: I added salt and pepper to the egg mixture and to the gravy I added a drop of Gravy Master and a drop of oyster sauce.

Crispy Tuna Croquettes
These are fantastic!! The picture shows only two of them which make a fine appetizer or mini-meal, but one serving is 4 croquettes for only 170 calories! A great find. I will be making these often.

Gooey Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing
These are pretty tasty, but pretty small. One of them is 126 calories but it's pretty impossible to eat just one. So, for 250 calories for 2 I think there are probably some better breakfast options out there. I won't be making these again.: (

Redhot chicken salad
This can be as mild as you like, so the name is a little deceiving. It's basically a chicken salad with a "mayo" dressing with ingredients that make it taste like buffalo chicken, which I LOVE. It has buffalo chicken sauce, celery, and carrots mixed in. I made it twice already and have been eating it within a sandwich or on its own. I also served it to the boyfriend yesterday and he couldn't tell it was "diet" food. This was 142 calories per serving.

Chinese chicken salad
Another great salad.. a light version of what you might get in a restaurant. It is very tasty and healthy with a lot of veggies and some sliced almonds. Big hit with the boyfriend as well. (In case you haven't noticed.. he actually eats pretty much anything I make since he doesn't cook and doesn't have a choice.) This was 199 calories per serving.

Key lime mousse pie

This was an awesome treat for me. A big slice is only 100 calories with a dollop of cool whip on top and it was a light, refreshing, and satisfying dessert. I am a lime lover but I think you could probably make this with any flavor of Jell-o. I usually eat about 100 calories or so of chocolate covered nuts for dessert but as I mentioned above, a girl needs some variety!

I have a list of things I am going to make this week so I'll post again next week and let you know how they went.

Delicious meatball sundae at Ikea!!

2009-10-24T14:25:00.001-07:00

I am a guest blog poster!

2009-10-04T09:12:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Check out my blog post at A Daily Dose of Dieting (http://adailydoseofdieting.blogspot.com/). My low-calorie butternut squash risotto recipe is featured there. Thank you, Ashley, for sharing my recipe!

Thin crust pizzas made with lavash bread

2009-10-02T19:39:00.000-07:00

I've been using Trader Joe's whole wheat lavash bread to make some very tasty, quick, and easy "pizzas" lately. Lavash bread is very big, so try half of the piece worth of pizza paired with a side salad for a great, balanced and low calorie meal.

Here is the basic recipe:

1 piece whole wheat lavash bread
A few squeezes Contadina Pizza Squeeze
1/2 cup shredded fat free mozzarella or cheddar cheese
Fresh basil on top! (if you have it.. I've managed to keep a basil plant alive for a couple of months now, yay me)
Toppings! Try turkey pepperoni, roasted veggies like eggplant, pepper, or zucchini, or any of your favorite toppings. I cubed up a serving of meatloaf and that was really tasty.

Preheat oven to 400.
Spread sauce, then cheese, then toppings, then basil on your pizza.
Bake on a cookie sheet until bread is crisp and cheese is melted, about 12 minutes.

Tip: You can keep the lavash in the freezer and go straight from freezer to oven, just cook it a few minutes longer. Between that and the pizza squeeze in the fridge, you always have what you need for a quick, tasty meal!

Turkey Meatloaf smothered with Mushroom Gravy

2009-09-26T18:40:00.000-07:00

This is a fantastic, comforting meal and the whole thing is under 350 calories (including the veggies). The meatloaf is a recipe from Weight Watchers and is published all over the web so I might as well post it here too. The mushroom gravy is my own recipe and I make GREAT gravy. The veggies on the plate are a combination of the baked cauliflower with herbed chevre and some roasted garlic green beans. DELICIOUS!

Weight Watchers' Turkey Parmesan Meatloaf
Makes 8 servings, 181 calories each

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1.25 pounds lean ground turkey
4 slices whole-wheat bread, made into fine crumbs (I lightly toasted the bread and then ground them up in the coffee grinder)
1/2 cup fat free milk
1 egg white, lightly beaten
3 Tablespoons ketchup
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt (or some garlic powder and salt)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350; spray an 8 x 5 loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a small skillet, heat the oil. Saute the onions until tender, about 5 minutes.
In a medium bowl, combine the onion, turkey, bread crumbs, milk, egg white, ketchup, cheese, garlic salt, basil, thyme, and pepper; blend well.
Spread the mixture in the pan evenly. Bake until browned and cooked through, 50-60 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Mushroom Gravy
2 generous servings!

10 medium sized mushrooms, sliced.
1 Tablespoon light whipped butter
1 Tablespoon all purpose flour
1 cup broth, I make mine with Better than Boullion
1 teaspoon Gravy Master
1 pinch of thyme
ground pepper to taste

Spray a saute pan with nonstick spray and saute the mushrooms over medium heat until tender. Remove the mushrooms from the pan.
Turn the heat down to the lowest setting, and in the same pan add the butter and flour and stir constantly to make a roux.
Carefully stir in the broth a little at a time to gradually dissolve the roux, eventually adding all of the broth. Stir in the Gravy Master, thyme, and pepper. Add the mushrooms.
Turn the heat back up to medium and simmer, stirring occassionally, until the desired consistency is reached.

Baked Cauliflower with Herbed Chevre

2009-09-26T15:35:00.000-07:00

This is a really great, hearty side dish that I came up with myself.

Here goes it:

Baked Cauliflower with Herbed Chevre

1 bag of frozen cauliflower florets
1 oz of herbed chevre (goat cheese)
1 Tablespoon of light whipped butter
2 teaspoons greated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350.
Steam or microwave the cauliflower until tender.
Toss the cauliflower with the chevre and butter. Place in a baking pan.
Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top.
Bake for about 20 minutes.

The entire recipe is 280 calories. It makes about 3 good-sized side-dishes.

A few low calorie finds

2009-09-26T14:37:00.000-07:00

This calorie-counting thing, along with more exercising, is definitely working. I just need to keep it up! Along with fruits and veggies, there are some packaged food I've really been enjoying, so I thought I'd share:

Spectrum Coconut Spray Oil
I usually use an extra virgin olive oil spray when cooking, but I was really excited to find this because coconut oil is so good for you. I use it when preparing desserts or anything that might be complemented with the taste of coconut. Actually, I haven't even tasted the coconut in the food.

La Tortilla Factory Low Carb Tortillas
I can't find a good picture of these but look for them with the other tortillas in the super market. These things are awesome! They're only 50 calories with fiber and protein and are very filling. So far I have only made sandwiches with them but the Hungry Girl 200 under 200 book has all kinds of recipes.

Single Serving Cottage Cheese
These are awesome to bring to work for a snack. The 2% fat kind is creamy and delicious and 90 calories. With protein and calcium, it's really a healthy choice, especially for peeps like me who don't like yogurt : P

Shutters on the Beach

2009-09-25T22:13:00.000-07:00

Just got back from hanging out at Shutters on the Beach with my good friend, Anna. Thanks Anna for not giving up on me.. I feel so much better!

The cocktails (grapefruit rickey for me and pomegranite martini for her) were so yummy that again I forgot to take pictures of the snacks we had:

Tuna Tartare
Yummy yumyum.. some of the best I've had. Just wish there were more of it.

Shrimp on Crostini
Delicioso!!

3 Greek dips or something
Grody! The bean dip was kind of grey and vomit-like, and another dip was just pretty much plain yogurt. The hummus was OK but tasted like store-bought.

Westside Tavern

2009-09-19T13:30:00.000-07:00

I went to the Westside Tavern for the second time last night and decided it's good enough to post about on my blog : ). The atmosphere is nice, as my boyfriend says, very much like Houston's. It's nice enough to get dressed up on a Friday night or to dress down and feel like you're at a pub.. just a really good in-between like that. It is also in the same building as the Westside Pavilion movie theater so it's easy to plan a little evening out. They have a great selection of beer, as well as wines, and seasonal appetizer and meal specials.

So far I have tried the items below ( I need to see if I can find some photos). There is a lot more I would like to try.

The grilled cheese and tomato soup combo
This is a decadent but simple meal that really satisfies in a comfort food kind of way. The idea is to dip the thick melty sandwich into the tomato soup. Delicious.

The roasted corn soup
Soup just has the most amazing potential for flavor, and this one maximizes that potential. The taste is sweet delicious ripe corn.

Lamb french dip
I am a huge french dip fan and this one is awesome. Although I would have liked some more jus.

Fried green beans
These were awesome. I would get these every time I visit. Crispy tempura-like outside and sweet and fresh inside.

Grilled chicken sandwich
Eh, boring.

A friend got the pot roast and said it was too fatty for him

Westside Tavern
10850 W. Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90064
(310) 470-1539
www.westsidetavernla.com

The healthiest foods on earth

2009-09-14T20:45:00.000-07:00

Again, I must apologize for not posting much lately. I actually have been cooking lately but many of the things I cook are from cookbooks and I feel bad posting the recipes... plus many of the restaurants I've tried I have not been crazy about. But, those are all excuses. I did come up with a really tasty dinner tonight that I will post about soon, I didn't know it was going to be so tasty so I didn't take a picture. Isn't that always the way it goes?

Anyway, the point of this post was to tell you about a book that my dad gave me for my birthday. It's called "The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth..." by Jonny Bowden. The book goes through the health benefits of each food in detail, but not too much detail. It is also surprisingly unbiased and modern, bringing together knowledge from a variety of sources where consensus exists for the most part among nutrition experts on what is good for you and why. It is NOT the kind of book that advocates the main-stream food pyramid, but rather the sources are more legitimate and independent. It also discusses the importance of organic foods and other information to look for regarding the growing and production of food. It doesn't have a plan for menus, recipes, or any particular diet. It's a great reference for what we should strive to incorporate into our diets on a regular basis. I recommend you check it out.

Misasa

2009-07-26T12:15:00.000-07:00

There is a place I love to go for Japanese "fast food" that I want to tell you about. In the Mitsuwa Japanese market at the corner of Venice and Centinela, there is a little food court with noodle shops and other little places. My favorite spot there is Misasa. It's at the back in the corner and it serves up lots of great meals like katsu and broiled fishes. My favorite is the grilled mackerel pictured here. You can also see my boyfriend's meal in the background.. he likes to get the salmon. You get a TON of food with all the little accouterments like tofu, pickles, miso soup, etc. It's a delicious, healthy, cheap, and authentic meal.

Misasa (in the Mitsuwa Food Court)
3760 Centinela Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90066

Is storing food in plastic bad for your health?

2009-07-11T02:06:00.001-07:00

I consider myself somewhere in the middle when it comes to being green and up to speed on the latest healthy practices. By that I mean, I am way behind folks who seem to have known about certain health risks and green issues for years and are part of a whole subculture who are really up-to-speed on these things. On the other hand, I am ahead of any of many folks I personally know who are surprised when I tell them things like coconut oil is good and canola is bad.

Anyway, my point is that I believe I am jumping on the "plastics are bad" bandwagon now. This is going to be a weird change since I store pretty much all of my food in plastic bags and my boyfriend and I bring our lunches to work every day in plastic and I even microwave in plastic.

I recently read Jillian Michaels' "Master Your Metabolism". I was NOT expecting her to go off on so many every day practices that she and many folks believe are disrupting and hurting our bodies. I was really scared away by many of her suggestions that seem like drastic changes. I really needed time to let it sink in and do some more research. One of these include the use of plastics for food storage and heating.

So, what is wrong with plastic? I am very new to this but I'll give you a teaser. Apparently some types of plastic leach chemicals and other bad things into our food, especially when used to microwave or when storing fats. These things can can have all kinds of effects from disrupting your hormones to causing cancer.

You don't have to eliminate all plastics for food immediately; I personally am going to try to do this gradually. Here are some immediate things we can do:

Do not microwave any foods in plastic. Use glass or ceramic instead.
Check the bottom of your plastic containers and look for the recycling code. If it says 3 or 7, stop using them for food.
Start using glass, stainless steel, and wax paper storage products. If you drink a lot of water on the go, get a stainless steel water bottle.
Check out the resources below and search for more info. Decide whether you want to take more steps to reduce or eliminate your use of plastics or buy special plastics.

Resources:

Cupcakes for a BBQ

2009-06-30T03:34:00.000-07:00

I made some cupcakes for the boyfriend's bosses BBQ last weekend and they were a big hit. I opted for the vanilla/vanilla flavor combo because of its general likeability. People really loved them, but I honestly felt they were not as moist as I would have liked. I have to say the most moist cupcakes I have made have been from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World, despite the obvious lack of butter. I used the recipe for cake and frosting from Bakeralla's site.

Also, apologies for my last of posts lately. I've actually been to a lot of restaurants and have made some tasty food lately but I have been so busy during the day with my new full-time job (4 month mile stone in a couple of days, yay for me) that I have not been in the mood to spend much time on the computer when I get home. But, I must try harder.

Cheerio

Delicious Birthday

2009-06-08T03:58:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful birthday. My boyfriend made it truly special and I am very lucky to have him. He not only puts up with me.. he makes life more and more amazing with each passing day, week, and year we are together. : )

The day started out with breakfast in bed, followed by a nap, then a 6 mile hike through the Santa Monica mountains, followed by dinner at Yamashiro. I had never heard of the place but it's this really cute Japanese-inspired Cal-pan-Asian restaurant in the Hollywood hills. It was awesome!

Hanging Rock, Santa Monica Mountains

View from Insiration Point, Backbone Trail, Santa Monica Mountains

Mango martini... so delicious!!

Spicy tuna and snow crab napolean. A refreshing, pimped out version of tuna tartare. The arugula on the side had a delicious dressing.

Asian baby back ribs with five-spice cornbread and mashed sweet potatoes. The meat just fell of the bone. I loved the Asian flavors in the BBQ sauce.

I liked this dish the most. The black cod was cooked to buttery perfection and the wasabi mashed potatoes were amazing.

Ice cream sandwich! Warm chocolate peanut-butter cookies with dulce de leche ice cream, toasted walnuts, and chocolate and caramel sauces. Loved these flavor combos.. especially the nuts with the sauces.

I didn't know they were going to bring this too! Light cake with tasty strawberry sauce.

Sweet lounge over looking a pool. Not sure who swims in it.

Beautiful views of the city.

Thai Supermarket: Silom Market at Thai Town's Thailand Plaza

2009-05-30T14:37:00.000-07:00

This morning I ventured out to Silom market in Hollywood's Thai town. Thai town is a small, nohing like Chinatown or Koreatown, but it does hold a little microcosm of Thai culture and food that is worth exploring.

Silom market is part of Thailand Plaza, a building with a restaurant and stores. Parking in the complex is free with a receipt from one of the merchants. Getting there right when it opened at 9:00 am, I successfully avoided the traffic!

Silom had all of the things I needed to make an authentic Panang curry. This market is about 4 or 5x the size of Simpang Asia over on the west side. I was able to get fresh galanga, kaffir lime leaves, lemon grass, Thai chiles, and other ingredients. I also picked up some tasty little pastries right outside the back door. A nice guy was loading them hot and fresh off of his truck. I just loved the big pieces of fried banana he was selling. Pastries pictured below.

My experience here was actually one that reminds me of why I love food so much. Food isn't just about eating, it's a door into the lives of the cultures and people who cook, share, and consume it. I say this because as I walked out the front door I saw a beautiful procession of Buddhist monks, all dressed in their bright orange robes. They were lined up and walking past the many Thai people who were putting food in the monks' baskets. This is a tradition that takes place in Thailand and I had only seen it on TV. I did some more research on it and learned that this is the daily alms round that provides Buddhist monks with their food and is part of the monk's philosophy which promotes dependence on well-wishers. They only eat between dawn and noon. I was lucky to have arrived at 9:00 am when this was happening! I hope I explained all of that correctly. I felt like I shouldn't just stand there and stare at them.. although I wanted to because it was quite beautiful. It was a very quiet and solemn ceremony and the people greeted eachother with praying hands. I was the only whitey there and felt a little bit like a tourist all of a sudden. So, I slowly walked back into the store and then went home.

Silom Supermarket
5321 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90027
Open 9-9 every day

First Annual Yelp Restaurant Week

2009-05-30T08:30:00.000-07:00

That's right. Restaurants are offering prix fixe menus this week in honor of Yelp! Check it:
http://www.yelp.com/events/park-la-brea-1st-annual-yelp-restaurant-week-and-lacma-muse-artwalk-specials

Quest for the Best: Cornbread Recipe

2009-05-24T10:27:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, I recently finished a 6-month culinary program. This has really sparked my desire to work on my cooking skills and stop messing around. So, I think part of that is to really find the best recipes I can and learn to execute them as well as I can. I figure I'll start with things that are the basic foundations of cooking, as well as things I just love to eat. Since cornbread and corn muffins are pretty much in my top ten of favorite foods, I am working on finding a great recipe I can use. I have alluded to my love for corn muffins in a previous post. I love a really moist, sweet corn bread. I found and tried this recipe for buttermilk cornbread from Allrecipes.com (photo above). It was really good, and pretty much what I was looking for. I've already gobbled down 1/3 of the pan with some orange maple compound butter.

BUT, I am not satisfied. A recent trip to Austin Texas opened my eyes to the Southern cornbread. This is the cornbread that's less sweet, more "bready" if you will, and is delicious when sopping up BBQ sauce and eating with ribs. So now, while I love my sweet cakey New England corn bread, I am on a quest for the best Texas cornbread. Got a good recipe?

Awesome Tuna Tartare Salad

2009-05-22T12:40:00.000-07:00

I just polished off this great salad that i brought into work using the tuna tartares from the previous post. I didn't want to have just tuna on rice because it would be a lot of fat, carbs, and cals. So, I took some arugula, dressed it with a little bit of rice wine vinegar and sesame oil. Then I added a small portion of Japanese rice and some of each kind of tuna tartares. I then chopped up a whole tomato and added that in and put a little more of the vinegar on those. Then I topped the whole thing with edamame, sesame seeds, and scallions. Yummy!!

Tuna Tartare Two Ways

2009-05-21T21:17:00.000-07:00

I love tuna tartare. If I see it on a restaurant menu I pretty much have to order it, even if it's in an Italian restaurant (true story). Tuna tartare is pretty much just raw tuna cut up really small and blended with a dressing and maybe some other finely chopped ingredients. It's usually served with some kind of fried chip to dip with. Just like many other delicious treats I order in a restaurant, I often never think to try to recreate these dishes at home. If my cooking classes have taught me anything, it's that I can make well-known but intimidating things like quiches, souffles and pretty much anything I want at home. It's not rocket surgery!

So, when I found myself with two 6 oz ahi tuna steaks I thought I'd try something new. For the first tartare I basically made Japanese spicy tuna like you would find in a maki roll or on brown rice as a spicy tuna bowl. For the second, I threw together a sauce using a few ideas from some different recipes and working with what I had in the house. You can pretty much do whatever you want if you mix some kind of fat, an acid, and maybe some sweetness and a little extra flavoring, herb, or spice. Asian flavors work really well for this. Ready?

Spicy Tuna Roll Tartare

6 oz raw ahi tuna, cut into 1/8 inch cubes

2 Tablespoons mayonnaise (I use my homemade mayo, it's fabulous)

2 teaspoons Siracha hot sauce

Scallions for garnish

Mix the mayo and hot sauce together well.

Mix the sauce with the tuna. Sprinkle with scallions and enjoy!

Tuna Tartare 2

6 oz raw ahi tuna, cut into 1/8 inch cubes

2 teaspoons lime juice

1.5 teaspoons sesame oil

1 teaspoon soy sauce

.5 teaspoon mirin

Little bit of grated fresh ginger to taste

Toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Mix together everything but the tuna.

Combine the sauce with the tuna. Garnish with sesame seeds and enjoy!

Salmon Buttermilk Chowder

2009-05-06T19:57:00.000-07:00

This came out awesome! This is a hot yet refreshing and light soup. At the same time, it's hearty enough for a main meal. Hard to believe it is all of these things but it's true. Plus, it is super healthy. You're getting the benefit of omega 3's from all the salmon, the onions are a great detoxer and naturally stimulate the body to create healthy antioxidents, the turnips are a great source of vitamins, and you're getting low-fat dairy which is good for the bones. I adapted this recipe from one in the South Beach Cook Book.

Salmon Buttermilk Chowder

2 turnips, peeled and cut into small cubes

1 onion, chopped

1 rib celery, chopped

1 teaspoon dill weed

1 bay leaf

2 cups vegetable broth

1 6 oz can pink salmon

Approx 5 oz cooked salmon fillet, skin removed and flaked into 1 inch pieces

1 cup buttermilk

8 oz fat free plain yogurt

1 Tablespoon butter

2 teaspoons hot sauce

salt and pepper to taste

fresh lime juice to taste

fresh lime slices for garnish (optional)

In a large sauce pan, combine the turnips, onion, celery, dill, bay leaf, and broth. Bring to a boil over high heat.

Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 12 minutes or until the veggies are tender.

In the mean time, mix together in a bowl the buttermilk, yogurt, and hot sauce.

Reserve 1/4 cup of the freshly flaked salmon for garnish. Reduce the heat to low, stir in both the canned and the rest of the fresh salmon, the buttermilk mixture, and the butter. Cook on low-medium or until heated through.

Taste and season with salt, pepper, and lime juice to taste.

Serve garnished with the extra salmon slices and fresh lime slices.

Success!!

2009-05-05T08:48:00.000-07:00

Well, last night was the last night of my culinary class. There is actually one more next week but I will miss it because I'll be out of town for a conference. I was so nervous to take my last test. Luckily, the first dish was one that I practiced the night before so I was psyched about that. For the main course, the teacher actually went out of her way to tell me that it was the best in the class!!! I couldn't believe that because I was totally guessing when preparing that dish. I am so happy to have taken this course and I can't wait to continue my cooking journey with all of my new skills, friends, and appreciation for amazing food!

Mediterranean Eggplant Salad

2009-04-30T07:57:00.000-07:00

OK! Now that we've got our batch of roasted eggplant, let's make a salad. I just love making this to bring to work for lunch. It's delicious a little bit warm, room temp, or cold so it's very versatile. It also holds up to the "dressing" so it's great to bring on picnics and such.

I don't have measurements here, but here's what goes in it. If you don't have something, you could leave it out of course.

Diced roasted eggplant
Diced ripe tomato
Kalamata olives cut in half
Chick peas/ Garbanzos
Crumbled feta cheese
Chopped herbs like parsley and basil
Lemon juice
Extra Virgin Olive oil
Little salt and pepper to taste if you like

That's it! You can toss it all together ahead of time and let the flavors mingle. I have photos here of the before and after toss.

Veggie Basics: Roasted Eggplant

2009-04-30T07:31:00.000-07:00

I roast a lot of eggplant. It's quite common for me to be sitting watching TV in the evening and periodically running back and forth to the kitchen to tend to my batches of roasting eggplant. Actually, what I do is broil the eggplant. If you don't have a broiler, you could bake the eggplant at a high temp in the oven.

This is super simple. Turn on the broiler. Wash and dry your eggplant. Then, cut it into 3/4 inch slices. Place some foil in a broiler pan (washing broiler pans is awful) and lay the eggplant slices down. Spray or brush them with a little oil. You don't have to do this, and sometimes I don't. It wont effect the moisture of the eggplant because they are loaded with water. Without the oil however the slices are more likely to char a little bit.

Now, roast then for about 4 minutes on each side, spraying the other side when you flip them. Take them out and eat them right away or let them cool for use later.

You can do all kinds of things with these. I like to make a salad (recipe coming next post), or a sandwich with chevre and maybe some roasted red pepper, pesto, and sprouts. Yum! You could just add some tomato sauce, basil, and mozzarella for a quick eggplant parm.

(Sorry..I just realized I left photos on other PC. Will add them when boyfriend brings PC back from conference.

Beautiful Rose

2009-04-29T14:15:00.001-07:00

This is my favorite kind of rose.. Yellow in the middle and then it
fades out to orange and pink. Can't believe how nice this looks even on the iPhone.

Culinary Course: Test Time! Plus Photos

2009-04-27T23:03:00.001-07:00

Tonight was the first of 3 "test" nights in the culinary program I have been taking since last November. It has been an amazing experience. I've learned so many things in the kitchen and have tasted some of the best food I've ever had. It's been so much fun and when I am there I truly feel like I am in my element.

The photo on the right shows the pavlovas I made in the last class. You can see a nice photo album of many of the great things we've made throughout the course from one of my classmates. Click here to go to the album.

Tonight was just nuts! I felt like we were on Top Chef! We each had to prepare a 3-course meal, perfectly timed, in 2 hours. We received the ingredients and some simplified recipes. This kind of thing is much more challenging than you'd think. I was actually shaking when I was preparing things. Overall, I averaged an 8/10 on things. Next week we will have to prepare another 3-course meal with only the ingredients and no instructions. YIKES!

I will definately be practicing this weekend. Who wants to come over for creme brulee, souflee and hollandaise?

Simple and Delicious Jicama Salad

2009-04-26T16:42:00.000-07:00

You simply have to try this recipe. It's not even really a recipe it is just so simple.. but this is one of the most delicious things I've ever eaten. You'll agree with me if you like jicama. It's a root that looks like a turnip but is sweet and tastes a little bit like an apple or pear. It's very light and crunchy and refreshing.

Start by peeling. To peel a jicama root, a little apple or cucumber peeler isn't really strong enough so use a knife. Once you get all the peel and thin underlying coarseness off, dice up the jicama. Squeeze fresh lime juice over it and toss with freshly chopped cilantro. If you don't like cilantro, you could leave it out and it will still taste good. If you like, serve with some fresh, ripe avocado slices for texture contrast. So delicious..

Santa Monica Farmer's Market

2009-04-26T16:37:00.000-07:00

Bought a ton of veggies and herbs yesterday at the market. So excited to make some great things with them. Look at these beautiful lilacs!! My mom would love these..

Amazing Sticky Buns

2009-04-10T13:09:00.000-07:00

This is another recipe from my culinary course that I got to make last week. It came out so delicious and beautiful! This would be fabulous for an Easter brunch.

Sticky Buns
Makes 10 buns

Dough:

1/4 cup warm water
1 Tablespoon warm water (105-110 degrees)
1 Tablespoon dry yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup milk
2 ounces butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
3 cups all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the warm water, yeast, and 1/2 teaspoon of the sugar. Allow to proof until creamy, about 10 minutes.
Heat the milk just below the boiling point and add the butter. Cool to 105 degrees. Stir in the egg, salt, and remaining sugar. Add to the yeast mixture.
Incorporate about one half of the flour and stir until smooth. Add the remaining flour. Work into a stiff dough. Knead until smooth and elastic.
Place the dough in an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled. Punch down the dough and roll out into an 18" by 10" rectangle.

Topping:

4 ounces butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup pecan halves, about 12-14

Melt the butter in a saute pan. Remove from heat.
Add brown sugar and stir (whisk) to dissolve.
Divide the mixture between two 8 inch round pans.
Top with the pecans. Set aside to cool.

Filling:

3/4 cup brown sugar
2 ounces butter, softened
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/3 cup raisins - plumped in hot water or bourbon
1/3 cup pecans - roughly chopped

Cream together the butter and brown sugar. Add the cinnamon and a pinch of salt.
Spread the sugar/butter mixture over the dough, leaving 1.5 inches bare at the end. Sprinkle the raisins and pecans over the sugar mixture. Roll it, jelly roll style, lengthwise.
Cut the rolled dough with a pastry cutter into 10 slices. Place in the prepare pans over the topping. Allow to proof another 20 minutes. Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown in a conventional oven. Let it sit for 2 minutes and then turn it onto a plate. Cool a little and serve!

Carrot, Fennel and Orange Soup

2009-04-07T20:32:00.000-07:00

The Easter bunny is going to love this! This is one of my favorite dishes from the culinary course I am taking. It is super creamy and delicious because it's pureed and there is just a touch of creme fraiche. You can easily reserve the creme fraiche and use it as a topping for the soup instead. Or, skip it all together and/or just add a tablespoon or two of half and half to the soup when it's ready to serve. The flavor combo of carrot with the fennel and orange just sings in your mouth. It's also power-packed with vitamins.

Carrot, Fennel and Orange Soup

Serves 6

2 medium fennel bulbs, stalks trimmed flush with bulb, and bulbs sliced thin crosswise
1.5 oz unsalted butter
3 pounds carrots, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin or crushed
6 cups vegetable stock or water
salt and white pepper to taste
1/3 cup fresh orange juice plus 1 teaspoon orange zest
1/3 cup creme fraiche

In a soup pot, cook fennel in the butter over moderate heat, stirring, until softened and beginning to turn golden.
Add the sliced carrots and garlic. Cook, stirring, 2 minutes.
Add stock or water and salt and simmer, covered, 20 minutes or until carrots are very tender.
(Now, I suggest you cool things off in the fridge before blending because I put the hot soup directly in the blender and the heat popped the top off the blender and it was a mess. I cooled it overnight and blended the next day and it came out great.) In a blender, puree mixture in batches with orange juice, zest, creme fraiche, and salt and white pepper to taste until smooth.
Transfer the soup back to the pot and heat through. Serve with fresh black pepper and creme fraiche, if desired.

Healthy, Light, and Delicious Cinnamon French Toast Cooked in Coconut Oil

2009-04-05T10:22:00.000-07:00

I believe that coconut oil is good for you. It has a special kind of saturated fat that is healthy. You can do the research yourself and see if you agree. That being said, I try to think of ways to incorporate coconut oil into my diet..without adding a ton of calories. Virgin, unrefined coconut oil is the best for you, but it does bring with it a coconut taste. So, I make foods where the coconut flavor complements the taste and I am not trying to cover it up.

Cinnamon is also very good for you .. so I add it to my cereal and try to think of other ways to incorporate it into my diet as well.

So, when I came up with this easy delicious recipe for French toast this morning.. I just had to share!

There are some variations to this depending on your preferences. First, I added some virgin coconut oil to the pan and heated it up. It melts very quickly. Then, I coated some light (45 cals per slice 100% whole grain, Sarah Lee makes it) bread with some egg whites. You could use another kind of bread or whole eggs if you like. I put it in the pan and then sprinkled a lot of cinnamon on it. I cooked it on both sides and then topped it with Mrs. Butterworths sugar free maple syrup. It's about 10 calories per Tablesoon.. which is nothing. Now, you may not want to use this kind of syrup because it is made with fake stuff, chemicals, etc. Instead, you can use some honey, real maple syrup, or agave syrup. In any case, you are getting a deliciously sweet breakfast and getting some coconut oil, whole grain, and cinnamon at the same time. Another variation I tried was mixing some dried, flaked coconut right into the Mrs. Butterworths and spreading it on the French toast, as shown in the picture. Delicious!!

Overall, I thought I would actually taste the coconut oil more than I did.. it was actually barely noticable to me.

So, there you have it. A healthy meal that can be incorporated into a low-calorie diet. Bon Appetit!

Happy Easter

2009-04-04T13:35:00.000-07:00

Hi! I am re-posting last year's Easter photos because I don't think I am going to be cooking or making treats this year. I made these pretty cupcakes last year. My cupcakes came out too dry, but basically you can make any cupcake you want, then, pipe frosting in a circle around the edge of the cupcake. Color some coconut with green food coloring in a bowl, and then place that in the center. Top with a few tasty candy eggs and you have some lovely little nests! Have a great Easter everyone! = : )

The Veggie Grill

2009-03-31T19:36:00.000-07:00

A vegetarian friend at work recently introduced me to a vegan restaurant in El Segundo which is aptly named "Veggie Grill." They specialize in dishes featuring their "veggie proteins" including Chillin' Chicken, Too Good Tempeh, Veggie-Steak, and Veggie-Steak Burger. These proteins can be served in some super-fresh and vibrant salads or as sandwiches on their whole grain rolls. They also have some fabulous sweet potato fries.

I just love both the dishes I've tried here: first it was the Carne Asada sandwich with marinated Veggie-Steak on a delicious roll with a side of slaw. Next I tried the kale salad with blackened Chillin' Chicken.. delicious! I felt like I was getting my week's worth of nutrition in this light but satisfying dish.

Fake meats have seriously come a long way. I also want to post about a vegan cafe in San Jose next.. but it seems these places have in common a way of making delicious marinades, sauces, and cooking styles to really make these proteins pop.

I can't wait to go back!

The Veggie Grill
720 S. Allied Way
El Segundo, CA 90245
http://www.veggiegrill.com/

Daikokuya's yummy yummy pork bowl

2009-03-27T10:59:00.000-07:00

I've been posting a lot of quick reviews on Yelp.. so my apologies for the lack of restaurant reviews here. I usually just post here if something is very good and leave the mediocre reviews for Yelp.

Anyway, I decided last night as I took a bite of leftover pork bowl that it was in personal top 10 list of the best things I have ever eaten.

I am talking about the Shredded Pork Bowl at Daikokuya in Little Tokyo. They actually specialize in Ramen. The most popular meal there would be a big bowl of Ramen with a "side" rice bowl with shredded pork, chicken teriyaki, tuna sashimi, or other items. But, I love the pork so much that I just get the meal-sized portion and skip the ramen.

For $7.50 you get an amazing small cabbage salad dressed with a magically delicious creamy dressing, oh, and some miso soup. Then .. dum da dum.. enter the pork bowl. It's bit sized pieces of fatty pork belly and cooked onions covered in an amazing sauce. This sits on perfect Japanese rice and is topped with a bunch of sliced scallions, pickled ginger, and a sprinkling of nori (toasted seaweed). It's heavenly. It's also a great deal because I always take half of it home.

You can find Daikokya on one of the main drags in Little Tokyo, East First Street. There are a ton of Ramen shops on that street, most of them empty, but you will always see a crowd waiting outside of Daikokuya. The wait is never long though, and I don't mind sitting at the bar..I've never actually gotten a table. This place is great comfort food on a weekend afternoon..

They also have a location in Costa Mesa and they will be opening one in Monterey Park. Check it out, they even have their own Youtube channel.

Daikokuya
327 E. 1st Street
Los Angeles, CA

Coq au Vin

2009-03-17T05:31:00.000-07:00

I've been taking the amazing Pro 1 course at the New School of Cooking. There have been so many wonderful lessons and so many delicious recipes that this whole time I've been overwhelmed when thinking about what to post. I started writing this long post about the first class with everything I learned about stocks.. but it became too much and I gave up on it. I wish I had time to write posts like that. Alas, I decided to just start posting some of my favorite recipes from the class.

Coq au Vin
This dish was part the second of two classes on poultry. We've made a ton of delicious chicken over the past two weeks, but this one was one of my favorites. I made this dish last night and was really happy about it because I think it's a beautiful thing to learn how to make the classics. Coq au Vin literally means "rooster in wine". The sauce uses a lot of wine and actually turns the chicken a red color. The flavors are bold but they meld together very harmoniously. My teacher tells me this is a classic "braised" dish wherein the pieces of meat go through two steps.. first a browning and then a slow cooking in liquid. I think this dish is great for entertaining a large group because it is almost a one pot dish and much of it can be prepared ahead of time and then pulled together right before serving. Plus the name surely impresses : )

6 oz pancetta or super thick cut bacon
One 3 to 4 pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
salt and pepper
12 pearl onions
1 cloves garlic, minced
12 cremini or button mushrooms, whole or halved.
as the pearl onions.
2 Tablespoons flour
3 sprigs thyme (a sprig is a small bunch of branches, not one twig)
1 bay leaf
1 cup chopped tomato, no skin or seeds. Use the concasse method, or canned is ok.
2 cups red wine
1 cup chicken stock
2 Tablespoons butter
chopped parsley for garnish

Prepare your mise en place so everything is ready to go. Slice the bacon into 1/2 inch pieces so that the areas of meat are uniform. Most of the fat will cook off. To peal the pearl onions easily, drop them in boiling water for a few seconds, then remove. The onion should squeeze right out of the skin.
Cook the bacon over medium heat in a straight-sided saute pan large enough to accommodate the chicken pieces. When most of the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, remove from the pan and set aside. Remove some of the small black bacon bits from the pan before adding the chicken.
Brown the chicken in the fat on both sides. Start with the skin side down. The chicken is ready to turn when it doesn't stick! Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add the onions and mushrooms to the pan and saute until the onions are slightly browned and the mushroom liquid has evaporated. Remove the mushrooms if they are cooking faster than the onions. Add the garlic and cook one minute more. Add the flour to make a roux. (Keep stirring everything).
Stir in the wine, tomato, thyme, and bay leaf. Stir in the stock and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken and cover. Cook until tender, or until a meat thermometer reaches about 170. (About 30 minutes or so).
Remove the chicken and onions from the pan. Set aside. Strain the liquid into a sauce pan. Bring to a simmer. Simmer/boil on medium-high to reduce by about a half inch. Remove from heat. Stir in the butter.
Pour sauce over the chicken, onions, and mushrooms. Garnish with the bacon and parsley.

Serve with egg noodles, rice, or potatoes.

Variations/additions: We added a little sherry in addition to the wine. Julia Child also used to finish her sauce with a little raspberry jam.

Below is a photo of the dish.. I guess it didn't come out so great on the iPhone.

Carnival Cruise Food and a New Indian Restaurant go-to in Santa Monica

2009-03-07T14:35:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't posted, folks. I was sick for a week, then I went on vacation for a week, then I started a new job this past week so I've been really busy. We went on a Caribbean cruise last week on Carnival. I've posted in the past about how good the food was on the Princess cruise we took. Well, sorry I can't say the same about Carnival. The breakfast and lunch buffets were straight up bad. We ended up getting continental breakfast delivered every morning (cereal and milk, or very good bagels with salmon and cream cheese) so, that was a good option. You could also get pizza and burgers practically anytime, and those were decent. Sometimes there was a good dish during the lunch buffet. We never tried the "seated" breakfast or lunch. The seated dinner was decent overall. A few times the meals missed the mark.. the red meats just weren't of good quality, but I do remember the lobster bisque, shrimp, and some other dishes being very good. The coffee was straight up awful! I would like to go on another Carnival cruise though, because it really is fun with all the entertainment and fun things going on, but I will have to bring my own coffee next time.

And now for something completely different.. last night we were driving around looking for some Indian food and we stumbled across the All India Cafe on Santa Monica Blvd. It was great! We got the Lamb Saag and the Chicken Nirvana which were both very tasty and interestingly spiced. The ambiance, service, and price was also very good. This will now be our go-to Indian food close to home.

All India Cafe
12113 Santa Monica Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA
310-442-5250
http://www.allindiacafe.com/

Restaurant Week: Dolce Enoteca

2009-02-10T10:17:00.001-08:00

Restaurant Week here in LA is turning into restaurant month... with most of the participating restaurants opting to extend their prix fixe menus for another couple of weeks. Last Friday night we went to Dolce Enoteca, one of the Dolce Group restaurants. The place described is often described as being pretty "sceney", but it wasn't as elegant or cool as I was expecting it to be, the tables were really close together, and it was really loud. Most of the food was good. I started with the tuna tartare, which I thought was a weird dish for an Italian restaurant. But, I can almost never pass up a tuna tartare. Both of my dining companions got the fried squid and veggies for their app. They were good, but the apps were probably the least exciting part of the meal. Also, both the apps were fried, with heavy wonton skins for the tuna tartare and a large portion of deep-fried calamari, it left us feeling fuller than we should for a first course.

My entree was the pumpkin ravioli which was great. The pasta was light and the filling very flavorful. The sauce was a buttery but also very light. The shrimp linguini dish both of my companions ordered was uninspired, but still light and flavorful, although my ravioli was the best.

I loved my dessert: super light and crispy tiny canoli with a ricotta cheese filling specked with chocolate chips and candies citrus. They may have been better than my mom's.... the chocolate lava cake was super chocolaty, almost too much "cocoa" taste for me. The tiramisu wasn't very good: it was too light and airy without enough richness and flavor to it.

Dolce Enoteca e Ristorante
8284 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA
323-852-7174
http://www.dolcegroup.com/

Baked Pasta

2009-02-06T12:51:00.000-08:00

I made a delious baked pasta recipe a few weeks ago to bring to a friend's house. It was a great dish for that.. I was able to grab it from the oven and put it directly in my car. It rested in the car and by the time I arrived, it was ready to serve. The original recipe is actually a Baked Ziti with Sausage recipe from AllRecipes.com but I made a couple of modifications, one of which was pureeing the onions which I think really made a difference. You could leave out the sausage for a vegetarian dish and probably use a ziti, penne or even maybe a medium-sized shell pasta. I used a rigatoni because the supermarket here didn't have ziti, but it came out great. Try to pick a pasta with lines as opposed to a smooth pasta because the lines will hold the cheese, sauce, and/or meat.

Baked Pasta

1 (16 ounce) package dry ziti pasta or other shape

1 pound mild Italian sausage, ground or links (optional)

1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese

1 egg

1 cup chopped onion

2 teaspoons chopped garlic

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce, divided

1 (8 ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Fill a large pot with salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the ziti, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.

While pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat. If you are using a link sausage, cut the links into 1/2 inch pieces before cooking. Add the sausage, and cook and stir until brown, about 10 minutes. Drain sausage and set aside.

Put the chopped onion, garlic, and about a 1/4 cup of the ricotta in a food processor and puree. Add the rest of the ricotta, egg, and spices, and puree until smooth. Add to a large bowl.

If using ground sausage, stir the cooked, ground sausage into the ricotta mixture. If using linked sausage, don't mix in the sausage. If using no sausage, ignore this part!

Stir the drained pasta into the ricotta mixture and add 1/2 of one jar of the pasta sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Now it's time to layer the dish. Cover the bottom of your baking dish with 1/2 jar of sauce, then layer in 1/2 of the pasta/ricotta mixture, then the sausage link slices if you have them, another 1/2 jar of sauce, then 1/2 of the shredded cheese. Then layer the remaining 1/2 of pasta, 1/2 jar of sauce, then 1/2 of the cheese.

Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.

Bake in the preheated oven until heated through, about 20 minutes. Uncover; return to the oven and bake until cheese is melted, 5 to 10 more minutes.

Mexican Sloppy Joes

2009-02-06T12:13:00.000-08:00

I just made such a delicious, quick, healthy, cheap meal that I have to share it with you. Of course, I was just throwing things in a pan and not thinking anything great would come out of it so I don't have exact measurements but here goes:

Mexican Sloppy Joes (for one)
Delicious and less than 300 calories!

1.5 Tablespoons diced onion

4 oz lean ground turkey (I crumbled up a pre-portioned turkey burger, you could use beef if you prefer).

A little less than a Tablespoon of taco seasoning. I keep a big container of this in the house.

A squeeze of Contadina pizza squeeze (I like to keep this in the fridge, that way I can always throw together an English muffin pizza). You could also use a little tomato sauce or ketchup for this recipe.

I used Orowheat (or Thomas') on the east coast Double Fiber English muffins for a bun, but you could use any bun or bread really.

Spray a pan with olive oil spray and heat it up. Add your onions for a minute.

Crumble in the meat, add the seasoning and sauce.

Cook until browned and place on the bottom of the toasted English muffin or bun and top with the other one.

Restaurant Week: Akasha

2009-01-31T13:18:00.001-08:00

I went to Akasha for the restaurant week lunch special the other day. Click here for Akasha's menu. Overall, the food was pretty good, not great. The service there was pretty bad. I plan to write a more detailed review about the service on Yelp when I get a chance.
I had the carrot ginger soup and my companion had the grilled artichoke. Both were quite good. The artichoke came with a tasty aoli. We both had entree salads. The greens were OK, the dressing was nothing to write home about, but the grilled shrimp on my salad, which is one of the restaurant's popular dishes, were delicious. Nice grilled flavor on the outside spiced with Masala and juicy on the inside. I think my favorite part of the meal however was the dessert. We each chose three different flavors of sorbets and ice creams. The sorbets were delicious. Very fresh flavors in the blood orange and other fruits. My almond ice cream was flavorful and my dining companion's chocolate hemp ice cream was dark and rich, just the way I like it. Next up is going to be Dolce Enoteca.

Akasha
9543 Culver Blvd.
Culver City, CA
310-845-1700
http://akasharestaurant.com/

Restaurant Week: Nine Thirty at the W Hotel

2009-01-28T11:46:00.000-08:00

Our first restaurant week meal was at the Nine Thirty at the W Hotel for lunch on Sunday afternoon. I just love the W hotels because of how beautifully they are decorated. The restaurants are the same way so the ambiance was very nice. Click here for Nine Thirty's menu.

I am re-posting the review I wrote on Facebook where I was the only one to write one because people on Facebook like to join groups and then do nothing else in the group. But anyway..

I had the Roasted Kobacha Squash Soup (picture above) which I think was delicious and better than the two salads on the menu, both of which my companions ordered.

I got the Chicken Frite for the entree (picture to the right). The chicken was good but the Truffle Oil Fries and Wilted Spinach were the best things on the plate.. but I love fries with truffle oil..

My boyfriend's salmon was good (pictured below), but the star of his plate was the spaghetti squash.

Finally, we all had the Pear Upside Down Cake (picture at the bottom) which was pretty good, a little dry, but the accompanying maple ice cream was delicious.

I am on a quest now to find some truffle oil to cook with. I was at the regular 'ol supermarket yesterday and they had two kinds, black and white, both for 20 bucks each. This is going to take a little research...

Nine Thirty at the W Hotel
930 Hilgard Ave
Los Angeles, CA
310-443-8211
http://www.ninethirtyw.com/nine-thirty.html

It's Restaurant Week(s) in Los Angeles

2009-01-25T18:59:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year when "fancy" restaurants offer prix fixe menus.
Dates: Jan 25-30, Feb 1-6
It is basically running Sun-Fri 2 weeks in a row. It's a little tricky because when selecting restaurants, you need to double-check which ones are actually open on which days. On Sundays, some restaurants aren't actually doing the prix fixe menus because they are doing their brunches instead, so call to double-check.
Check out the restaurants.

My Culinary Classes

2009-01-23T15:45:00.000-08:00

Well, folks, I am not sure if I've mentioned that I've taken some culinary classes recently including the basic and advanced sushi classes at the California Sushi Academy. These were the one-day classes, not the 15-week professional program. They were great classes. As some of you know, I have been making sushi for years, but this was the only class I've taken and it was very helpful to learn and see what the correct techniques are for cutting fish, rolling and forming sushi, and making rice. I even learned how to make shrimp tempura.

I can't explain how good it felt to take these classes. I am kind of a cynical person, and there aren't a ton of things I enjoy doing, but to be learning about something that I just enjoy so much anyway... it was a strange feeling of just belonging there. Anyway. It really combined my love of food and cooking with my love of all things Japanese.

I took a few pictures with the iPhone. The photo above is when he was showing us how to cut fish. It's important, especially when you're cooking in a restaurant, that the cuts are as consistent as possible. Then the other picture is a shrimp tempura roll with eel sauce that I made.

In addition to these classes, I am also enrolled in the Professional Program (They call it Pro 1) at the New School of Cooking. I'll start another post about this course specifically. I am very much enjoying it.. one of the best things I've ever done!

Risotto

2009-01-19T06:55:00.001-08:00

I'd never really made risotto until the other day when I didn't have much in the house for dinner but I did have a box of Trader Joe's Aborio Rice which I'd never opened along with a bag of frozen cooked shrimp so I thought, this could make a good meal along with the salad I just whipped up. The results: amazing, one of the best things I'd ever made and surprisingly it's naturally low in fat and calories. It's naturally creamy because of the starch in the rice, but you don't actually add any cream to it and in my opinion you can leave out the butter and cheese which is traditionally added at the end, especially if making with seafood. I flavored my risotto with the juice from half a lemon, so it was pretty lemony and very good, but it tasted amazing even before I added the lemon. So, I think you can really take the basic recipe and modify the flavors in lots of different ways by trying different broths/stocks, wines, veggies, etc.

Lemon Shrimp Risotto
Makes 4, entree-sized servings

1 Tablespoon butter

2 big or 3 small garlic cloves, crushed or grated

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup finely chopped red, yellow, or orange bell pepper

8 green olives with pimentos, finely chopped

1 cup Aborio rice (or even better rices are supposed to be Carnaroli or Vialone Nano)

2 cups hot chicken broth (if using stock, will need to salt/season more)

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 teaspoon crushed saffron threads

1 lb cooked shrimp, tails off, frozen OK

1/2 lemon, juice and zest (separate)

Heat a medium saucepan over medium/high heat until hot. Add the butter and swirl and melt.

Add the onions and peppers, cook two minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and olives, cook two minutes more.

Add rice while stirring, cook 2-3 minutes stirring constantly until rice starts to brown.

Stir in the wine 1/4 cup at a time.

Add the saffron.

Stir in the broth 1/4 cup at a time with a minute or so between each addition. Keep stirring constantly.

When liquid comes to a boil, turn to very low and simmer, stirring frequently, until the rice is tender and there is just enough liquid left (should be a thick sauce, but not soupy). When done, stir in the lemon juice and add white pepper to taste (broth and olives have the salt).

While rice is cooking, heat up the shrimp with the lemon zest in a pan.

Serve rice with warm shrimp!

I'm Still Alive People! Plus, Christmas Eve Wrap-Up and Tiramisu Recipe

2009-01-17T10:34:00.000-08:00

Apologies for the MIA status. I was working on a super-hectic work project in December, then I took a couple of weeks off for the holidays and now I am just being lazy.

I went to Boston for two weeks over the holidays. My mother, my nephew and I cooked the Italian seafood Christmas eve dishes we usually make, as part of La Vigilia, the feast of the seven fishes. I counted them up and it came to six fishes this year as opposed to seven. This is because no one made the delicious salted-cod antipasto, Baccala, that I love so much. Thanks a lot! This recipe at the Boston Globe comes close to it. I just realized I have an eerily similar post from last year where I did post the Baccala and Stuffed Squid recipes. So, check it out.

The fishes we made were:

Scallops wrapped in bacon (bacon deviates from the tradition because it's meat)

Stuffed clams

Fried smelts (I really perfected the frying method this year - yes!)

Salmon with farfalle (bow-tie shaped pasta)

Grandma Phyllis' shrimp casserole

Stuffed calamari with spaghetti

Most of the dishes we make are some combination of the fish/seafood, tomato sauce, garlic, and Progresso bread crumbs. I swear we use like three containers of those breadcrumbs every Christmas.

We don't really do much of a meal Christmas day; we usually just eat leftovers. We do however have plenty of Panettone in the house for breakfast Christmas week. I looooove Panettone.. the best way to describe it is a light Italian fruitcake but it tastes nothing like regular American fruitcake. It is very difficult to make, so even most chefs don't recommend trying to make it at home.

My mom also usually makes her homemade cannoli but I talked her into letting me make tiramisu which came out awesome! I'll even post the recipe below. It is kind of a fake/poor man's tiramisu because it doesn't use marscapone cheese but it is awesome nonetheless. I got it from a Better Homes and Gardens magazine a few years ago. It's actually one of the reasons why a roommate and I parted ways.. but that's a story for another day.

Poor Man's Tiramisu

About 2 packages of lady fingers (cookies)

2 cups of heavy cream, freshly whipped. This will make the 3 cups of whipped cream which will be used for the filling and frosting.

Grated chocolate or sifted cocoa for topping/garnish

Filling:

2 8oz packages of Philly cream cheese, softened

1 cup sifted powder sugar

3 Tablespoons Kahlua

2 cups of the whipped cream

Frosting:

1 cup of the whipped cream

1/2 cup sour cream

2 Tablespoons Kahlua

For soaking the lady fingers:

1/2 to 3/4 cup strong, fresh coffee

1/4 cup Kahlua

Now, you can make this in 2 or 3 layers depending on the size of your dish, but you'll need one that's a few inches deep. You can use a longer dish with less height, or a smaller one with more height. The more cookies you use, the more coffee you'll need to soak them. So, go choose your dish and decide how many layers you'll be doing before you get started.

First you should make your coffee and whip your cream.

Prepare the filling: mix together the cream cheese, sugar and Kahlua. Then, fold in the whipped cream. Set aside.

Prepare the frosting: mix together the sour cream and Kahlua. Then, fold in the whipped cream. Set aside.

Combine the coffee and the 1/4 cup of Kahlua.

Now, you're ready to start layering. With the exception of the frosting, if you are doing two layers, use the cookies, coffee mixture, and filling 1/2 at a time. With three layers, use 1/3 at a time.

Arrange your first layer of cookies at the bottom of the pan evenly. If you need to chop off some ends of some cookies, do so. Pour the first part of the coffee mixture evenly over the cookies so that they are all covered.

Spread your first layer of filling over this.

Repeat with the remaining layers. With each layer, arrange the cookies in the opposite manner so as to build strength into the Tiramisu.

After the last filling layer, spread the frosting on top.

Chill until ready to serve. Sprinkle shaved chocolate or sift cocoa over the whole thing right before serving.

Sunset in Santa Monica

2008-12-06T16:50:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Post 4: Pies!!!!

2008-11-30T21:08:00.000-08:00

I made two pies we traditionally make for Thanksgiving: Cape Cod Cranberry Pie and Pumpkin Cheese Pie. The cranberry pie is pretty much my favorite pie in the world but it is definitely an acquired taste. You have to really like cranberries to enjoy this. If you don't, there are other recipes out there more like a tart or cake with just a few cranberries in it. As for the pumpkin cheese pie, it is basically like a pumpkin cheesecake. Because my mom always made this when I was growing up and never made a regular pumpkin pie, I always thought that this was pumpkin pie until I ventured out into the world on my own. Now, I am pretty much ruined for regular pumpkin pie. My mom usually uses a regular pie crust but I used a store-bought graham cracker crust because I think it goes well with cheesecake and it adds some variety to the table with the cranberry pie having a regular crust.

Cape Cod Cranberry Pie

This recipe is originally from the New England Yankee Cookbook, a nice reference if you're interested in New England cooking. This pie is very easy to make and delicious!

9" pie crust top and bottom, uncooked
3 1/2 cups fresh, washed cranberries (this comes down to about one bag from the grocery)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons water
2 Tablespoons melted butter
egg for brushing the crust

Preheat oven to 450.
Mix the cranberries with the remaining ingredients except the egg.
Fill the bottom pie crust with the berry mixture.
Arrange a lattice for the top crust. I have some tips for this in my apple pie post. Or, do something else with your crust. I used a small cookie cutter to cut out stars and then place them on the crust for a decoration.
Brush the top of the crust with egg using a pastry brush.
Place on a cookie sheet to catch the drippings and make the pie easier to handle.
Bake 10 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 350 and bake for 30 minutes more. Use foil or a pie crust protector to protect the crust's edges.
Tastes good hot, room temp, or cold. Don't have with milk.. something about the cranberries makes it taste bitter.

Pumpkin Cheese Pie

12 oz cream cheese, softened (this is 1 1/2 packages of Philly)
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 cup 100% pure pumpkin
2 eggs
1 graham cracker pie crust (just the bottom)

Preheat oven to 350.
Using an electric blender, mix cream cheese, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice in medium speed. Mix in the pumpkin.
Add eggs and mix until blended. Pour into crust.
Bake for 40 minutes. After cooling to room temp, cool for 3 hours in the fridge or overnight.

Thanksgiving Post 3: Turkey Dinner Photos

2008-11-30T21:00:00.000-08:00

This post only has photos because I didn't use any special recipes for turkey, stuffing, or mashed potatoes. I did want to show you how the meal came out. I did make a killer gravy, I think. I also wanted to tell you that we got our All Natural, Hormone-Free, Antibiotic-Free, Vegetarian-Fed, and Humanely Treated turkey at Trader Joe's. It was probably twice the price of a regular supermarket turkey but worth every penny.

Thanksgiving Post 2: Grandma Lydia's Candied Yams

2008-11-28T09:12:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving I made my late grandmother's candied yams recipe for the first time on my own. My mother makes this every year and I think it's the best yam recipe around. My boyfriend tried them this year and he agrees.

Candied Yams

6 yams/sweet potatoes
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the unpeeled yams and simmer for 30 minutes covered. Drain and let cool until they are easily peeled.
Peel the yams and slice them lengthwise. Lay the slices in a baking dish.
In a large skillet, combine the remaining ingredients and stir until the butter melts.
Boil for 3 minutes uncovered.
Pour the mixture over the yams in the dish.
I suppose this dish could be served as-is if everythying is hot but we always made this ahead of time and then heated it up in the oven at the last minute after the turkey came out.

Happy Thanksgiving!!! Post 1: Mom's Cheese Ball

2008-11-27T10:37:00.000-08:00

Hey folks! I am cooking today so I am going to bring you as-it-happens cooking right from the kitchen. The first thing I made (apart from the pies I made last night which I'll post about later) is my mom's cheese ball. I love love love this thing and it came out perfectly! It tastes so great right now. Here it is:

Cookie's (my mom) Holiday Cheese Ball

I made a relatively small-sized ball, but you could easily double the recipe

12 oz cream cheese (1 pack and a half)
1/2 oz an 8 oz can of pineapple chunks
1 really big scallion, greens and whites, or use 2-3 small ones
chopped walnuts to cover the whole thing

Make this and any other spreads or dips you are making a day ahead of time (I realize the date/time of this posting prevents that now, but for next year). This allows the flavors to really seep into the cheese.
Let the cream cheese get to room temp out on the counter.
Finely chop the pineapple and scallion(s) and cream them into the cheese.
After it's all creamed in, drizzle in some of the pineapple juice, like a tablespoon or two, just until it is slightly wet so that forming into a ball is a little difficult, but you can do it anyway.
Wrap plastic wrap around everything. Form into a ball using the plastic wrap to help.
Store in the fridge over night.
The next day, finely chop the walnuts and roll the cold ball in the walnuts pressing them into the ball covering the whole thing.
Serve it up with Stoned Wheat Thin Mini's.

I'm never hiring this guy again.

2008-11-01T11:42:00.000-07:00

Halloween Cupcakes

2008-10-30T00:19:00.000-07:00

Check out these adorable "mummy" cupcakes I made last year. I don't have time to make any this year : ( These mummies are super cute and pretty easy. I used the recipe for pumpkin chocolate chip cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, but you could really use any cupcake flavor with any white frosting. Get some mini-M&Ms for eyes. Use a flat ribbon piping tip make the mummies wrapping, then place two of the M&M's for eyes on each one. I used a small tube of the stuff you buy to write on cakes, black seemed to work best, and just dotted each M&M with that to make a pupil.

BOO!

From Tree to Pie: an Apple's Story

2008-10-23T11:37:00.000-07:00

Some of us here in southern California, mostly peeps who did not grow up here, try to have some semblance of a normal life by trying to pretend we have real seasons even though it is basically sunny and 70 degrees all year-round. That being said, my boyfriend and I took a little road trip out to Oak Glen California a couple of weeks ago where they are known for their apple orchards. It's a fun place to go because there are also farm animals, pumpkin patches, hay rides, and other things to check out. So, after tasting some yummy fruit wines, catching a tune from yodeling Merle, checking out the goats and sheep, and avoiding the ridiculous lines for cider donuts, we picked apples.

It was fun, but not easy. Most of the apples were past their prime so it took a while just to find enough that were worth taking. We picked three kinds of Delicious apples: red, super red, and golden. They tasted so good right off the tree! We also picked Rome apples for making a pie. Rome apples, along with Granny Smith, are great for pies. But, Romes are a little sweeter than Grannys. After a nice walk around the area we headed to the Morongo casino. OMG I totally pigged out at the buffet! Then, we both won some cash on the Wheel of Fortune slot machines. Can you ask for a better day???

Making the Pie

I used a recipe from AllRecipes.com. I like the recipes on that site because they're made by normal shmucks like me and you, and there are thousands of user reviews so, like boiled clams, the best ones really rise to the top. I used Grandma Ople's recipe and it was a winner. The apples came out not too firm, but not too crisp. While my mom has shared with me many tips for making pies, she didn't really have a recipe for regular 'ol apple pie.

I am repeating the recipe here with a few of the changes I made. Also, please check out my tips for a good pie below. I didn't feel a whole stick of butter was necessary, so I used 2 Tablespoons less than that. The pie still still had a very rich, buttery, caramelly like taste. I also used 1/4 cup less white sugar because I used Rome apples instead of Granny smith. The interesting part of this recipe is that you melt the butter and sugar all down first. I urge you to lick the spoon!!! I should have counted how many cups of apple slices I used, because the number of apples is pretty much irrelevant given how widely apple sizes vary. I think I used about 10 small apples. The interesting thing about this pie, which I didn't even notice at all until recently, is that it has no spices.. no cinnamon or nothing. I didn't miss it! I think you could certainly add some in. Finally, I used store bought pie crust because I am working again and don't have time to make it myself. If you are vegetarian, check the labels on these crusts because many of them use lard. On that note, let's begin!

Apple Pie

1 recipe for a 9" double pie crust
6 Tablespoons butter (1 stick minus 2 T)
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
8-10 Rome apples, depending on size

The oven needs to be preheated to 425, but you can wait until you peel, core and slice your apples to set it, because it takes a while. (You will also want to have your crust/dough all made).
Peel, core, and slice your apples. I would not do this by hand. I always use an apple slicer. It's fast, easy, and makes for uniform slices.
Now, preheat your oven to 425.
Melt the butter in a sauce pan over low heat. Stir in the flour to form a paste. Stir in water, white sugar, and brown sugar. Turn the heat up a touch and bring to a boil. Turn back down to low and let simmer for about 8 minutes until it gets a little thicker, stirring occasionally.
While it is simmering, place your bottom crust in a 9" pie pan and put your apples in next. You can make a lattice top crust if you like. Directions and photos at the bottom of the posting. Another nice thing you can do is use a cookie cutter to cut out cool shapes from your top crust. There are so many fun options if you start looking around.
Let the melted mixture cool for a couple of minutes, then pour it slowly and evenly over the apples in the pan. Top with the top crust and pinch the edges of your crust to seal. I have a tip for this at the bottom of the page.
Use an eggwash made from a whole egg and 1 T of water (don't use just the yolk like I did). Brush this on top if your crust to encourage a golden, shiny crust. If you don't have a pastry brush, you can use your finger.
Put the pie on a strong cookie sheet and place in the middle of your hot oven. This will prevent juice drips from burning at the bottom of your oven and it also makes it much easier to remove your pie from the oven without breaking the crust. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes.
While it's baking, prepare a foil ring to go around the edges of your crust to prevent it from burning. Instructions and picture are at the bottom of this post. You can also purchase a metal or silicon pie crust protector for this purpose. I would not skip this step as there is a good chance the crust can burn.
Turn down the oven to 350, carefully place your foil around the edges of your pie, and bake for an additional 40 minutes.
Let cool for a little bit, then serve warm with vanilla ice cream!

Do what I do (Tips!)

Do bake your pie on a nice sturdy cookie sheet. It catches any of the juices that spill out of the pie and makes it easy to move the pie in and out of the oven without breaking the crust.
Do make a lattice top on a piece of wax or parchment paper and then flip it onto the top of your pie. I think it's easier to weave it on a flat, dry surface. Simply cut your top crust into strips and then "weave" the strips over and under each other.

Do cut out a round piece of foil and place it over the outside edge of your crust when you turn the temp down. It prevents it from burning.

Do pinch the ends of the crust to seal it and make it look nice. It's just like pinching your nephew's cheeks.

Don't do what I did:

Don't use your finger to spread only egg yolk all over the top. It comes out totally uneven. Instead, use a real eggwash which is a whole egg and a tablespoon of milk or water and use a real pastry brush.

Vote Yes on Prop 2 to Help Stop Animal Cruelty

2008-10-09T08:47:00.000-07:00

Updated: If you don't live in California (or even if you do) you can still help out by making a contribution to the Yes on 2 campaign. Just go to my 20/20 page to help. If you can't give $20, you can always donate a smaller amount here.

I'm not a vegetarian, as you may notice from many of my posts with meat and chicken. But, I am a big animal lover who's always been conflicted between my love for animals and the fact that I eat them. I have never eaten veal, because when I was just a kid I read an article about how they treat baby cows. While I don't think it's wrong to use animals for food, I do think it's wrong to treat them in an in-humane manner, even if they are about to be killed. So, I am supporting a modest measure on the California November ballot which would provide all farm animals with the right to stand up and move around in their small cages.

Some people may not know that chickens, baby cows, pigs, and some other animals are kept in tiny cages their whole lives. Many have barely seen the light of day and can't even stand up, turn around, or stretch their limbs or wings. This is wrong. You can watch the video below which is a very g-rated way of explaining it:

Thankfully, there are some farmers in the U.S. who already choose to treat animals better as part of the Certified Humane Raised and Handled program. You can use the tool on their site to find retailers selling these products. If prop 2 is passed, it doesn't mean that all California farmers would have to meet the standards of Certified Humane, but it's a step in the right direction.

Albert's Experience
Some folks might not think it's a big deal to be in a cage like that, but coincidentally, I have a story to share that happened the other day. I was taking my cat to a shyster oral surgeon. He was in his small carrier which does not allow him to stand up (I have this one because it's the only one small enough for me to use when I flew him out here.) On the way back from the dentist I said, what the heck, and I let him out of the carrier to roam free in the car. What a difference!!! No more sad crying kitty, he just sat in the passenger seat and looked so happy.

About Vegan Eating
As I get a little older, I think more and more about my place in the world and taking responsibility for my choices. Many things lately, including this measure, have been pointing me towards living in a way that is responsible and true to who I am. So, as Kathy Freston puts it, I am "leaning" into the idea of being a vegan. Lately I have been making choices not to eat animal products and am actually finding it quite easy most of the time. Since I pretty much like to eat everything, including eggplants, onions, fruit, etc, there are tons of good choices once I rule out meat. In fact, since I've been educating myself about the way animals are treated and actually finding the strength to look at what's happening around me, I actually prefer not to eat them, but not in a way that feels deprived, it actually feels good. While Kathy is far from the originator of conscious eating, the Buddhists have been doing it for thousands of years, she is part of an Oprah webcast where she explains things in a very modern, common-sense way. To watch it, go to the Oprah soul-series webcast archive and scroll down to Kathy Freston, part 2. I am also planning to buy the new cookbook: Veganomicon: the ultimate vegan cookbook.

I don't know if I'll ever be a full vegan or vegetarian. I will always eat fish. I actually just signed up for a professional cooking class! But, I can help just a little to make a few humans and animals happier while they are on this earth.

Information and Resources:
Vote Yes on Prop 2
Humane Farm Animal Care
Locate Humane Product Retailers
Humane Society of the United States
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

When Life Gives You Lemons...

2008-10-06T09:45:00.000-07:00

The economy is sinking, and I am between jobs right now. But that's not what this posting is about. This posting is about real lemons. 19 of them. In fact, this past weekend will forever be remembered as the weekend of 19 lemons.

My friend Katharine gave me these lemons. We don't one know exactly where they came from, she says a neighbor gave them to her. At any rate, since most recipes don't require very many lemons, except for lemonade which I'm not crazy about, I decided to store them. I did this according to The Best Way to Store and Use Fresh Lemons. On Saturday, I zested all of them. This took about an hour and half so luckily there were a bunch of Chris Farley movies on TV that I could watch while doing this. What is zesting? It's using a fine grater to get all of the yellow peel only, none of their white rind, off. On Sunday, I juiced them. I put one tablespoon of juice into each part of an ice cube tray. I am going to pop them and put them in a bag and put them back in the freezer. Before juicing, always roll the lemons on the counter to soften them up, or put them in the microwave for a minute. This took about an hour as well, since I only have a small, old-fashioned citrus juicer. Good thing Prairie Home Companion was on. I also made some low-fat lemon muffins that didn't come out very good. I plan to make a lemon meringue pie soon!

All of these lemons kind of soured me a bit, so I didn't end up going to the Chocolate Salon in Pasadena. Ce'st la vie!

Did someone say "chocolate??!"

2008-10-01T12:37:00.000-07:00

I don't think I will be counting calories this weekend. The Los Angeles Luxury Chocolate Salon is taking place on Sunday in Pasadena and I simply must go!
http://www.lachocolatesalon.com/

Eat Chocolate and Still Look Hot

2008-09-28T10:38:00.000-07:00

Like any girl living in LA, I try to keep my weight down. But I love food, and I love chocolate, so sometimes there can be a conflict of interest. I experimented with making some low calorie chocolate cupcakes, but they came out AWFUL-I had to throw them all out. So, I gave up on trying to make something healthy, chocolate and low-cal. Instead, I turn to the goodies shown in the photo above. OK, the cupcakes and brownies have refined sugar and white flour and even some chemicals, but sometimes, it's just necessary. Thankfully, the plain dark chocolate is quite healthy, so you could just stick with that if you want.

Trader Joe's 100-calorie 70% Dark Chocolate Bars
While any dark chocolate is good, these bars are pre-portioned and individually wrapped, so you can't "accidentally" eat too much of it. Plus it's smooth Belgian chocolate, so it tastes awesome. It also says on the package that each portion has more antioxidants than a 1/2 cup of blueberries. Sweet!

No Pudge Fudge Brownies
These have been around for a while for good reason. They're super chewy, chocolaty, and at 120 calories for each good-sized brownie, a good choco-calorie bargain. My boyfriend said they were the best brownies he's ever had. Wow, so that's a win-win.

Hostess 100-Calorie Packs Chocolate Cupcakes
Now, these have artificial stuff and chemicals, but they taste really good. You get three tiny cakes for 100 calories. Sometimes I just pop one of them for 33 calories and that's all I need to make it through the evening.

Albert likes the acorn candle too..

2008-09-26T16:09:00.001-07:00

These pictures sent from my iPhone!

Autumn is Here!

2008-09-26T16:06:00.000-07:00

Check out my super cute new acorn candle from Bath and Body Works. It
smells sooooooo good.

So bad but so good (the buffalo wings anyway) at Cafe 50's

2008-09-23T08:19:00.000-07:00

I stopped into Cafe 50's a couple of weeks ago. It's a diner-like restaurant (inside only, no train-car shaped building) in West LA with a real soda fountain and serious 50's theme. It's quite retro, and is technically on historic route 66 (although it's easy to forget that Santa Monica Blvd is more than just a place for car dealerships.) The walls are plastered with memorabilia, so it's kind of a fun little entertaining spot to have a meal or a treat.

Now, the only stuff I tried were the buffalo wings, the meatloaf, and the vanilla ice cream soda. I loved the buffalo wings! If you like mild to medium spiciness like me, these are absolutely perfect. They're meaty, have a nice crispiness to them before they are dipped in the tasty buffalo sauce, and are served alongside ranch or blue cheese dressing and celery. The wings are officially an appetizer but they make a nice meal!

My boyfriend got the meatloaf, which was way too mushy and soft, and an ice cream soda that rocked! You can get a soda or shake to-go in a super cute container (pictured to the left.) They have a very long menu of deluxe shakes that look tasty if you're into that sort of thing. Their website also has a quote from Zagat as "One of the best breakfast places in LA."

Cafe 50's

11623 Santa Monica Blvd

West Los Angeles, CA

310-479-1955

http://www.cafe50s.com/

Sunset in Palos Verdes

2008-09-20T21:00:00.001-07:00

Anisette Brasserie

2008-09-17T06:45:00.000-07:00

What's a "brasserie?", you might ask. Loosely interpreted from Wikipedia, it is a French eating establishment that is more formal than a bistro but less formal then a restaurant and supposedly serves the same menu all day. I'm not sure if Anisette is a true brasserie, but it looks cool, is expensive, and is near the Santa Monica promenade, and that's good enough for California.

The one time I went, I was surprised to see no Happy Hour specials, which was a bummer. So, my friend and I (Katharine, pictured below) got a couple of cocktails, which were pretty good and strong, and an amazing charcuterie et fromage tower (meats and cheeses). The three plates of breads, meats, cheeses, figs, capers, and other little goodies were very very good and could have served three or four people, so it was actually a good deal even at $30. Sorry I don't have reviews for any of the other food, but Katharine says she's had dinner there and it was good. You can also read a comprehensive review at Chowhound.

Bon Appetit!

Anisette Brasserie

225 Santa Monica Blvd.

Santa Monica, CA 90401

310-395-3200

http://www.anisettebrasserie.com/

Power Breakfast: Egg with Soy/Veggie Sausage

2008-09-10T08:17:00.000-07:00

The third installation in the Power Breakfast series: This b-fast has been a standby of mine for years now, plus it's super fast when you're on the go. I used to make it at the office all the time.

You'll need one egg. I use free range, grain fed, no hormone, no antibiotic, organic eggs. I know that's a mouthful already. The grain fed aspect means the hens are vegetarian (did you know some are not? yuck!) and you're getting more omega 3's than with the average egg. Then, I use a Morningstar fake sausage patty. See picture below for how the package looks.

How to make it (see photos below for reference):
1 serving, 150 calories

Put the frozen sausage in a small microwave safe bowl and nuke on high for 30 seconds.
Crack the egg over the sausage. Place a piece of paper towel over the bowl-this is important because the yolk can pop and make a real mess in the microwave.
Nuke for about 60 seconds more on 80% power. It might be a trial-and-error thing here because every microwave is different, plus I like my yolk runny. If you like it more firm you might want to nuke it for longer.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and enjoy!!

Testing from gmail account on iPhone

2008-09-10T08:08:00.000-07:00

Albert's tired.

This one's a winner, folks! Roasted Cauliflower with Peas and Onions in a Coconut Curry Sauce

2008-09-05T09:08:00.000-07:00

I think I've turned a corner here. I made a mental decision to start embracing my hidden culinary acumen at any and every opportunity. How else can I otherwise hone it? So, the other day, I wanted to cook something healthy and yummy but the only things I had in the house were a bag of frozen cauliflower and an open can of coconut milk. What to do? Well, before my mental decision, I might have just thrown it in the frying pan with garlic. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but where's the challenge? Where's the creativity? Hence, this recipe was born. I felt so alive making it.. it was as if chef Alexis was rising out of the ashes to a new, beautiful world. All this from one.. simple.. decision.

Roasted Cauliflower with Peas and Onions in a Coconut Curry Sauce

Makes 2-3 main course servings or 3-4 side dish servings, the entire recipe is 650 super healthy calories

For the veggies:

1 Tablespoon unrefined peanut oil
16 oz cauliflower, either defrosted and drained or fresh
1 cup peas, frozen (no need to defrost) or fresh
1 medium onion, cut into about 8 big chunks
Salt and pepper

For the sauce:

2 teaspoons unrefined peanut oil
1 cup boiling water
2 Tablespoons raisins (my boyfriend is out of town so I can put raisins in something.. yess!)
1 Tablespoon chopped pickled or fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon curry powder (yellow)
1 teaspoon agave nectar or honey
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 cup light coconut milk
Salt and ground white pepper (if you have it)

Let's see if I can remember how I did this here...

Turn your broiler up to high. Spread out the cauliflower, peas, and chopped onions on a baking pan. I use the disposable aluminum ones for the broiler.
Drizzle the 1 Tablespoon of peanut oil on the veggies, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss everything up and stick it under the broiler.
While the veggies are in the broiler, put your 2 Tablespoons of raisins in the cup of boiling water and set aside.
Heat up a sauce pan over medium heat. When it's hot, add the 2 teaspoons of oil, ginger, and garlic. Sautee for 1 minute. don't burn!
Carefully pour in 3/4 of the raisin water, but not the rasisin, be careful because it will splatter at first.
Add the curry powder, agave nectar, and pepper flakes (add to the degree of spiciness that you like). Stir it all up.
Check the veggies, once they are crispy on one side, turn/stir them just once and then get them crispy on the other side.
Turn the heat on the sauce up higher and bring to a boil.
When it comes to a boil, turn the heat down low (but not too low), stir in the coconut milk and the raisins with the rest of the raisin water.
Let it cook on low, stiring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.
Salt and white pepper to taste.
Veggies are done when they have some brown/crisp marks to them.
Serve the veggies covered in sauce. This would taste good served over some fragrant Jasmine or Basmati rice.
YUM!!! It smelled so good my cat wanted some (he's a carnivore!)

Power Breakfast: Blueberry Coconut Smoothie

2008-09-03T09:38:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited to share this with you because I had an "ah ha!" moment when it all came together. This is truly a power recipe because it combines three very powerful ingredients: Coconut, Blueberries and Agave Nectar. I've been reading a couple of books about the virtues of coconut and its "miraculous" kind of saturated fat which, according to many nutritionists and contrary to popular belief, is actually good for you. These books also poo-poo some of the other fats that are supposed to be good for you, such as Canola oil, saying they are very very bad. So, it's pretty confusing, and I am still trying to make my final judgements on which ones have red devil horns and which ones have glowing halos.

So, if you're worried about the 4 grams of saturated fat from the coconut in this recipe, you can check out the following sources for information on why it's so good:

The Coconut Research Center

The Good Fat Cookbook

The Coconut Oil Miracle

As for the blueberries, I am sure you already know that they're super high in anti-oxidants which are necessary for preventing cancer and other diseases. And finally, the agave nectar is one of the best sweeteners you can get because it is all natural, unrefined, has a low glycemic index and is said to provide many other health benefits. If you don't have agave, no worries, you can use honey or any other sweetener you prefer or have in the house.

Blueberry Coconut Smoothie
1 serving, 155 calories, plus garnish

1/2 cup light coconut milk (or regular, but adjust calorie total)

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

2 teaspoons agave nectar

About 5 ice cubes

Just mix everything up in a blender and enjoy! Another nice thing about this smoothie is that for some reason it doesn't separate, so it always looks great and lasts a while.

For the garnish: brush agave nectar around the rim of a glass and then dip in finely shredded (preferably unsweetened organic) coconut.

Royal/T

2008-08-27T10:21:00.001-07:00

The other day while perusing LAWeekly.com I learned about a Japanophile cafe/gallery/shop right in Culver City. So yesterday, after visiting my client in the same area, I checked out Royal/T. It's like a Harajuku lovers' dream come true! Beautiful art, super cute items in the shop, a minimalist but gorgeous cafe with waitresses in Japanese maid costumes. They also serve what looks like an awesome high tea which I will definatly be back to try. Check out the photos (all taken with my iPhone):

Royal/T

8910 Washington Blvd.

Culver City, CA 90232

310-559-6300

http://www.royal-t.org/

M Cafe de Chaya

2008-08-25T14:28:00.000-07:00

M Cafe de Chaya is a macrobiotic restaurant in Culver City and is part of the Chaya family of restaurants in Los Angeles. I've been there a couple of times now and both times I have gotten the brown rice sushi and it is great. Everything else looks good there so I'd recommend you check it out even though I haven't tried too much of the food there. They are basically vegan plus fish there, so no meat, dairy, or eggs. I tasted the Seitan Katsu Bowl, my first foray into Seitan which is a meat substitute made with wheat gluten, and it tasted like meat! They've got some lovely bento boxes (my weakness) available to-go, as well as a nice assortment of baked goods along with healthy sandwiches and salads. Check it out!

M Cafe de Chaya
9343 Culver Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
http://www.mcafedechaya.com/

Johnny Cupcakes is Here!

2008-08-21T08:37:00.000-07:00

I am so excited about the new Johnny Cupcakes store on Melrose. They sell sweet T-shirts (no real cupcakes). Check out the pictures of the store! There are antique oven doors that shoot out steam, a neon-looking stove top, oh, and of course, t-shirts.

"Green" Bags

2008-08-21T08:35:00.000-07:00

Update (8/21): I checked on my bean sprouts last night. They were all slimy and I had to throw them out. They were in the fridge in the green bags for about a week. Pretty disappointing compared to the claims the product makes. I have an eggplant left too and it's a little wrinkled. So far, I really can't see any difference between these and regular bags : (

I picked up the new Debbie Meyer Green Bags. You put your fruits and veggies in them and they're supposed to extend the freshness of your produce. I put scallions, Chinese eggplant, broccoli, and bean sprouts each in their own green bag and placed them in the fridge a couple of days ago (8/14). I think I'll use the bean sprouts as a test and see how long they stay fresh. I'll let you know how it goes..

Grand Luxe Cafe: Like the Cheesecake factory but better

2008-08-18T16:16:00.000-07:00

We went to the Grand Luxe Cafe for dinner over at the Beverly Center. It's owned by the Cheesecake Factory, and you can see a lot of similarities in the layout of the restaurant, as well as the big, varied menu, and the huge portions. The decor is a little fancier ... looks like it's inspired by the Venetian casino in Vegas. Update: I was just checking out the locations and there IS one of these at the Venetian in Vegas. Can I call it or WHAT? At any rate, the food was great. It wasn't great in a fine-dining way, but kind of in a Rachael Ray way, if you know what I mean.

The menu has so much to choose from that it's hard to decide what to get. Lots of interesting flavor combinations and re-creations of things traditional. We went with the deep-friend Buffalo Chicken Spring Rolls. OMG.. those are like the ultimate bar food.
For the entree, I went with the Indochine Shrimp and Chicken and I LOVED it. It was sweet with just the right amount of curry. My boyfriend got the Shaking Beef. He thought it had a few too many onions, but I love onions so I loved this dish too. The beef had a wonderful, freshly grilled flavor and tenderness. Oh, and the Key Lime pie was delicious too. : )

It looks like there aren't very many of these restaurants around the country yet, but I am guessing it will catch on.

Grand Luxe Cafe
Beverly Center
121 North La Cienega Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90048
310-855-1122
http://www.grandluxcafe.com/

I finally signed up for sushi classes!!!

2008-08-18T16:06:00.000-07:00

Some of you who know me are aware that one of the reasons I originally moved to Los Angeles was to attend sushi school. Alas, I sold out and took a job and abandoned my dream. But I have decided that even if I am not going to do the intensive 12-week course, I am going to do two Saturday classes. This Saturday will be the Basic class and next Saturday will be the Advanced class.
I'll be taking the classes at the California Sushi Academy.
Wish me luck!

Vietnamese Chicken Salad

2008-08-15T17:33:00.000-07:00

This turned out so delicious, and it looks so nice when served, that I think it would be a great dish to serve to guests. Luckily, I got to eat most of it myself : ) I do have to say though, that the recipe was really made complete with Trader Joe's Asian Style Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette, photo of the bottle at the bottom of this posting.

The original recipe is actually for pork tenderloin salad, so I am providing that version below because it looks real tasty, but I only had chicken breast in the house so what I did was bake the chicken breast with soy sauce. Plain soy sauce flavors chicken breast wonderfully, but the run-off sauce does burn in the oven. I suggest using foil so you can toss the burnt sauce when you're done.

Of all places, this recipe comes from Women's Health Magazine.

Vietnamese Pork (or Chicken, see above) Salad

Four servings, 300 calories each (without the TJ dressing)

1 (12 oz) pork tenderloin
1/4 t salt
3 T lime juice
3 T sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T fish sauce
6 cups shredded cole slaw mix
1 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
3/4 cup chopped, fresh cilantro
1/2 cup lightly salted chopped peanuts

Preheat oven to 400.
Place pork on a foil-lined baking sheet; sprinkle with 1/8 t salt and cook until thermometer registers 160 F, 20 to 24 minutes. Leat meat rest for 10 minutes. Cut meat crosswise into four sections, then shred.
Place lime juice, sugar, and garlic in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with microwave-safe plastic wrap and microwave on high until sugar melts, 20 to 30 seconds. Let cool. Stir in fish sauce and remaining 1/8 t salt.
In a large bowl, gently toss coleslaw mix, scallions, and cilantro. Pour lime mixture over veggies, and toss gently. Divide evenly into four salad bowls and top with pork (or place on a serving platter as shown above). Top salad with chopped nuts.
As I mentioned above, I highly recommend serving with Trader Joe's Asian Style Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette.

Light Meals at Fast Food Restaurants

2008-08-13T17:50:00.000-07:00

Updated with El Pollo Loco! See below.

Like many of you busy folk, I tend to eat many of my meals while at the office or running around town, so it makes it difficult sometimes to find something light and healthy, quick, and hopefully cheap! I've managed to figure out what the best choices are for me at many of the fast-food chains around here। Seriously, I eat these all the time, so I didn't just scour the online menus and regurgitate them to you। These are tried and true. The only issue here is most of these choices contain chicken, so if you are a vegetarian, you probably wont get much out of this post, sorry!

El Pollo Loco
El Pollo Loco makes my favorite chicken in town. If you check out their Nutrition Guide by clicking on the link above, there are actually many good options, including those listed in the Lean for Life and Healthier Choices sections. This meal is my favorite:

1 Chicken Breast with Skin, 1 Garden Salad, and 1/2 pack of Creamy Cilantro dressing (not the light stuff.. it's gross)
370 Calories

Subway
Lately, I am ALL about the 5-dollar foot long. These babies tickle my cheap bone and my diet bone at the same time. One of these and you are pretty much set for food for the rest of the day (1/2 for lunch.. 1/2 for dinner : ).

While there are some great 6" subs with low calories such as the turkey, sweet-onion chicken teryiaki, and the subway club, I have been opting for the black-forest ham and the oven-roasted chicken breast because those are in the $5 foot-long category. Just skip the cheese and get one of the fat free sauces or mustard and you are good to go. I also get honey-wheat bread .. I hope there is whole-grain in there.

1/2 black forest ham foot-long sub (no cheese)
290 Calories
1/2 oven roasted chicken foot-long sub (no cheese)
310 Calories

McDonalds

Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich with NO mayo, with added Chipotle BBQ Sauce
400 Calories
This is my favorite meal here, and I get this every Tuesday and eat it while driving through mid-city LA. McDonald's grilled chicken is awesome, and it really puts BK's to shame. This sandwich is very big and filling.
Grilled Chicken Snack Wraps
260-270 Calories
They come in Ranch, Chipotle BBQ (my fave), and Honey Mustard
Hamburger/Cheeseburger
250/300
Ice Cream Cone
150 Calories
Apple Dippers with Caramel Sauce
105 Calories

Wendy's

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad with Light Ranch dressing
340 Calories
Side Caesar Salad with 1/2 packet of Caesar Dressing
200 Calories
Small Chili
227 Calories
Grilled Chicken Go Wrap
260 Calories
Junior Hamburger/Cheeseburger
230/270 Calories

Baja Fresh

Tacos!! There are many different varieties but most are about 250 calories or less each.
I usually get 2 Mahi Mahi tacos.. they come with avocado inside : )
The rest of the menu should pretty much be avoided.. even the Tostadas are crazy caloric.

Taco Bell

Taco Bell has a great new Fresco Menu, so I pretty much focus on that. I usually get two tacos or a taco and a burrito. Some of my favorites including beans from the regular menu:

Fresco Grilled Steak Soft Taco
160 Calories
Fresco Chicken Burrito Supreme
330 Calories
Pintos and Cheese
150 Calories

La Salsa

Tacos La Salsa w no chips, beans or rice
About 250 calories each for chicken, steak, or carnitas
I always get two at a time and load up on tons of salsa from the salsa bar.. I still count it as 500 calories total. veggies are free, right?

Jack in the Box

Chicken Fajita Pita
300 Calories
Grilled Chicken Strips (4)
180 Calories
Get 'em with a dipping sauce for a few more cals. I use half a BBQ sauce and count it as 200 cals total.

Another Super Healthy Vegan Bakery: Zen Bakery

2008-07-21T16:29:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure why it took me so long to buy something from the Zen Bakery.. maybe because most of the stuff there is super fiber-y and I am always looking for cupcakes and sweet stuff like that. At any rate, I finally picked up some Blueberry Mango Cranberry muffins from the Co-op grocer in Santa Monica. They are really good! Very moist and flavorful and lots of volume for the calories. You can get the muffins, cookies, and scones at a number of different places around California. And for my peeps back home, they even have a location in Milford Mass!

Zen Bakery
10988 Pico Blvd.
West Los Angeles, CA 90064
310-475-6727
http://www.zenbakery.com

BabyCakes: Super Healthy Baked Goods

2008-07-19T11:56:00.000-07:00

There is a bakery in NYC called BabyCakes. While I've never been there, I've been aware of their approach to baked goods: vegan, refined sugar-free, gluten free, and now soy-free. They also replace these things with things that are super healthy like agave nectar, coconut oil, flax meal, and other great ingredients. So, since they promised to open up a store in West Hollywood, I've been waiting with bated breath. While they've had to keep delaying the opening of the store, they have finally posted some of their recipes online!! I can't wait to try them.

To see a video about gluten-free baking with Erin McKenna, owner and master baker at Babycakes, as well as four recipes to try:

Click to go to Food Networks' Conscious Cooking videos, then click Gluten Free.