Thursday, December 30, 2010

Best of 2010

Is it just me or did this year go by at lightening speed? I feel like it was just January!! Though the year started out a bit rough, but it ended on a high and so many great things happened in the last twelve months.  Here are some of the highlights:

I attended more food themed events in the last year. The first and one of the best was Good Food Live featuring cooking demonstrations with a variety of Australian chefs and Evan Kleiman. Despite the rain, we had a great time and got to meet Curtis Stone.

LA Food Bloggers with Curtis Stone at Good Food Live

Desserts are always the most popular posts on my blog. It's not hard to see why Crack Pie and Sticky Meyer Lemon Rolls were two of the most popular posts this year. In fact, the lemon rolls were so good, I didn't share which is unusual for me when it comes to baked goods.

Momofuku's Crack Pie Bars

Sticky Meyer Lemon Rolls

I celebrated two years of food blogging with delicious cookies and an even more delicious giveaway sponsored by me, myself, and I.

Nutella Sandwich Cookies

I explored different areas of Los Angeles and found one of my favorite shops in Koreatown. I used many of the goodies I picked up to make a variety of Korean dishes like this spring-themed rice bowl.

Korean Rice Bowl with Steak, Asparagus, and Fried Egg

One of the main events in 2010 was my 30th birthday. I had a low key celebration with a fabulous cake and fried chicken and beer.

Yellow Cake with Chocolate Buttercream

I explored LA's food scene a lot more this year and had quite a few epic meals out (and some not so epic, but still delicious).  Restaurants like Animal and Bistro LQ tested my pickyness and I found I can be an adventurous eater when I want to be.

Cod with lentils, blood sausage, and octopus wrapped in pimenton

A couple of years ago a made a goal to meet at least three food bloggers in person. Well since then I have far exceeded that goal and met even more people this year.  As expected, everyone is great and it was nice to congregate at events like Blogger Prom to discuss our mutual interests (and nerdiness).

Esi at Blogger Prom

To end 2010 and hopefully start 2011, I'm finally diving into some catering which has been a long time dream of mine. I recently got started with a four course dinner for the cast of the new show "Better With You" and it was an incredible evening. This soup was one of the best courses. I hope the new year will provide many more opportunities for such events.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Shrimp, Farro, and Leeks

Overall this has been one of the best years in recent memory and it has me really excited for the coming year. I'm looking forward to sharing many more recipes and restaurants and perhaps delving into other categories like lifestyle, photography, and design.  I hope you all have a wonderful, fun, and most importantly safe New Year's Eve. Cheers and Happy New Year!

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Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Thomas Keller Oreos

Thomas Keller Oreos

Over the last two and half years of food blogging, I've noticed that people like to posts certain recipes in waves. For instance, lately, I've been seeing a lot of homemade marshmallow posts.  I'm proud to say (brag) that I made them two years ago (and again recently for Eat My Blog). Other times, I fall way behind on the trend like with these homemade Oreos.  I've had the recipe saved for ages, but I'm not sure why I never got around to making them.  In any case, I finally got the chance to make these last week...just in time for my oven to crap out on me. It was insane. I put the cookies in and three minutes later my fire alarm was going off like crazy and I had a burnt mess instead of little flower shaped cookies.  It was not pretty. I did manage to get a couple of usable cookies, but my oven remains on the fritz. Maybe there will be a new one in my near future...and possibly a new apartment as well. The recipe below is how I made the cookies. The filling was still pretty liquid even after the 6 hour hardening time so I whipped it with a hand mixer to get a thicker consistency. I definitely want to try making these when I have a correctly functioning oven because was little I could taste around the burnt parts was absolutely delicious. The cookies are slightly salty and reminiscent of World Peace Cookies without chocolate chips and help balance the sweetness of the filling. I normally hate white chocolate, but it works well here.  Fingers crossed that I have a new oven soon!




Thomas Keller Oreos
(From Essence of Chocolate)

Makes 18-24 sandwich cookies

For the filling:
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped (I used chips and did not chop)

For the cookies:
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
15 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 3/4 inch cubes, at room temperature

To make the filling:
In a small saucepan, bring the cream to boil over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat and add the white chocolate, making sure it is immersed in the cream. Let stand for 1 minute, then whisk to completely melt the chocolate.

Transfer the filling to a small bowl and let it stand for 6 hours, or until it thickens enough to spread. If the filling hardens too much, it can be re-warmed in the microwave.

To make the cookies:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place the racks in the upper and lower third of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt on low speed until combined. With the mixer still on low speed, add the butter a few pieces at a time until it is all in the bowl. The dough will be sandy at first, but it will come together. When it does, stop the mixer.

Transfer the dough to a work surface and form it into a block about 5 by 7 inches. Cut the block into two pieces. Working with one half at a time, roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface until it is 1/8-inch thick. Using a 2 or 2.5-inch round cutter, cut rounds from the dough and place them 1/2 to 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. Scraps of dough can be re-rolled to cut more cookies.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the cookies cool on them for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let the cookies cool completely.

To assemble the cookies, turn half of the cookies so the flat side faces up. Whisk or beat the filling until fluffy and has soft peaks. Transfer the filling to a pastry bag and cut a small hole in the tip of the bag. Pipe about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the filling on the center of each of the flipped cookies. Top with another cookie and gently press the cookie together until the filling spreads evenly to the edge. The cookies will keep in an airtight container for 3 days.

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Monday, December 27, 2010

Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Shrimp, Farro, and Leeks

Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Shrimp, Farro, and Leeks


I've been on vacation for the last week and it's been grand! It feels luxurious to be sitting around drinking cups of tea at 3 in the afternoon without stressing about how I'm going to get my work done before the end of the day. It's also left me with some time to cook so I decided to make this soup again last week. It's the soup I served to the cast of "Better With You" and it was definitely one of the highlights of the evening. In fact, one of the guests declared it the best soup he's ever eaten!  The recipe is quite labor intensive, but most of it can be done ahead of time. I made the soup base the night before the dinner and then cooked the farro, shrimp, and leek mixture the day I served it.  There is so much flavor in this bowl of food. The roasted squash, caramelized shallots, fennel, and leeks bring a lovely sweetness while the sage adds a savory punch. There is a kick from the chili flakes and the farro and shrimp give it texture. The original recipe calls for thyme, but believe it or not, the vendor at the farmers market was sold out of thyme that day. Instead, I used savory which is kind of like a cross between thyme and rosemary. A little goes a long way with savory so you may need to adjust the amount accordingly or just use thyme leaves. This soup was so comforting to have during the crazy intense rain storms we experienced in SoCal last week.  In fact, if this soup was less work, I would be making it at least once a week, but for now, it's for special occasions. Vacation is certainly a special occasion.



Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Shrimp, Farro, and Leeks
(Adapted from Scott Conant)

Makes 12 servings

4 1/4 pound pumpkin, cut in half and seeds removed
1 pound butternut squash, cut in half and seeds removed
Olive oil as needed
Kosher salt to taste
3 tablespoons butter
9 shallots, thinly sliced
1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1/2 bunch sage, chopped
1/2 bunch of savory, chopped (If you can't find savory, use thyme)
Large pinch red pepper flakes
2 whole star anise
4 cups vegetable stock
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons farro
3 dozen shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on
2 leeks, sliced about 1/4 inch thin
Chives for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with foil. Place the pumpkin and squash halves flesh side up. Lightly drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Cover with more foil and roast until fork tender, 40 minutes to an hour. Set aside to cool. Scrape out the flesh with a spoon and set aside.

Melt the butter in a medium saute pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil over low heat. Add the shallots and slowly caramelize, about 20 minutes. Set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Saute the fennel until slightly caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add the roasted pumpkin and squash, caramelized shallots, sage, thyme, chili flakes, and star anise. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the vegetable stock and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer gently for 30 minutes.

While the soup is cooking, bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the farro and a pinch of salt. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the farro is tender, about 20 minutes. Drain any additional water and set aside.

Discard the star anise. Transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Pass the soup through a fine-meshed sieve. Return the soup to a clean pot and keep warm over low heat. Taste and season with salt as needed.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Saute the shrimp in batches until just opaque, about 5 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan and add another tablespoon of olive oil. Cook the leeks until softened and slightly caramelized, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the farro and shrimp and toss to combine. Season with salt as needed.

Ladle the soup into bowl and top each serving with a mound of the farro, shrimp, and leek mixture. Garnish with chives.

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Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Spicy Truffle Mac and Cheese

Spicy Truffle Mac and Cheese

As part of Foodbuzz's Tastemaker program, I recently received a large package of goodies from Hickory Farms.  The smoked cheddar went quickly because I'm strangely addicted to smoked foods (cheese, salmon, etc). I wasn't a huge fan of the sweet turkey sausage, but the beef sausage was quite good with cheese and crackers. Great for a party. The spicy cheddar packed a punch and I knew it had to be put to good use. I'm sort of obsessed with the truffle cheese at Trader Joe's and have been wanting to make an interesting mac and cheese with it for a while. The combined cheeses were great and this mac and cheese is kind of addicting. Bacon would certainly make this infinitely better, but I wanted to keep it less heart attack inducing so I used nonfat milk and spray oil to grease the ramekins. The butter in the sauce and the cheese kept this rich enough for me and a decadent weekday dinner (and breakfast...shhh...don't tell anyone).


Hickory Farms Basket

Hickory Farms Basket

Merry Christmas to those that celebrate!

Spicy Truffle Mac and Cheese
(By Esi)

Makes 4 servings

Kosher salt
2 cups elbow macaroni
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 ounces grated truffle cheese
3 ounces grated spicy cheddar cheese
3/4 teaspoon truffle salt (or to taste)
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and grease an 8x8 pan or 4 ramekins with butter or spray oil. If using ramekins, place them on top of a foil-lined baking tray and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a healthy pinch of salt and then the pasta. Cook for about 6 minutes or until al dente. Drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the milk over low heat. Make sure the milk doesn't come to a boil. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Slowly whisk the heated milk into the flour and butter and cook for another 5 minutes until thickened and smooth.

Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the cheeses and salt. Taste and adjust the seasonings as necessary. Add the pasta to the cheese mixture and stir to combine. Pour the macaroni and cheese into the ramekins. Top each ramekin with a tablespoon of panko and a light sprinkling of truffle salt. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the panko has browned and the cheese is bubbling. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

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Monday, December 20, 2010

Little Ethiopia

I've recently had several opportunities to dine in the neighborhood just south of where I live called Little Ethipoia. It's named this as it's the largest Ethiopian community west of Adams Morgan in DC. I've now tried three different restaurants in the area and have had a good experience at all of them. Most recently was a newer addition to the street called Addis Ethiopian. The night my group visited Addis was our lucky night. We were the only five people in the restaurant!! We ended up ordering quite a few things on the menu so we got to taste a bit of everything.

The veggie plate was varied and full of interesting flavors. I couldn't place what each item was, but everything tasted delicious.

Addis Ethiopian

Beef with jalapenos and onions (Awaze Tibbs) wasn't as saucy as I thought it would be given the description, but it added a nice heat to the meal. I wish the meat had been cooked a little bit less, but it was still good.

Addis Ethiopian

The lamb stew (Kiay Wot) was one of the favorite dishes of the evening. The sauce was subtly spicy and flavorful. I'm sure I could eat bowl after bowl-full of this over rice.

Addis Ethiopian

Assa or fried fish was good and reminded me of Ghanian cuisine. I wish it had come with a sauce, but it was light in comparison to some of the other dishes and a welcome change for our palates.

Addis Ethiopian

When we ordered the Liyu Kitfo, the waitress brought out the cook to make sure we were sure that was what we wanted. Raw beef with greens and "cottage cheese" may not be a dish for everyone, but we were all game to try it. It wasn't my favorite, but definitely interesting to try.

Addis Ethiopian

Before my trip to Addis, I visited Rahel which is completely vegan. At first I was worried about a bunch of overcooked vegetables in sauce, but I quickly realized I needn't have feared. Everything was cooked perfectly and was really flavorful. Three of us shared a veggie platter for two and it was the perfect amount of food for what we wanted that night.

Rahel Ethiopian

Even though it had a strange texture, I was sort of addicted to the vegan cheesecake. I think it had a lot to do with the strawberry topping.

Rahel Ethiopian 

These restaurants are both great. If you ever find yourself in the Little Ethiopia neighborhood, I strongly suggest checking them out.

Addis Ethiopian
1025 South Fairfax Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90019-4402
(323) 965-1025
http://www.addisla.com/

Rahel Ethiopian
1047 S. Fairfax Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90019
(323) 937-8401
http://www.rahelveggiecuisine.com/

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Thursday, December 16, 2010

Roasted Sweet Potato Discs with Herbed Goat Cheese

Roasted Sweet Potato Discs with Herbed Goat Cheese

This was the second appetizer I made for the fancy-but-not-fancy dinner I cooked for the "Better with You" cast. I initially had a difficult time coming up with something and was hoping to avoid another appetizer with cheese since I knew I already wanted to make the crostini, but I could not get this out of my head. The original plan was to make baked sweet potato chips, but a few test runs at my apartment didn't get me the results I wanted. I decided to go with thicker discs that I had recently seen on Smitten Kitchen and they worked out well. Ordinarily, I shun goat cheese, but when it packs an herby punch, it is difficult to resist. I found myself sneaking tastes of goat cheese when I could and saved a little for myself to recreate the dish at home.

I made a few other dishes for the occasion, but didn't get pictures of them. Here are a couple from previous posts.

Arugula Salad with Squash and Pomegranate. This time I used delicata squash, which made for really pretty half moons on the mound of salad.

Arugula Salad with Pomegranate and Roasted Acorn Squash

Pumpkin Shortcakes. This time, I used regular vanilla bean ice cream and an cranberry-apple compote to balance out the sweetness of it all.


From Dishing Up Delights


I also did a rockin' squash and pumpkin soup that I will have to make again ASAP because it was so good and I didn't get a picture of it.

Roasted Sweet Potato Discs with Herbed Goat Cheese
(Sweet Potatoes adapted from Smitten Kitchen, Herbed Goat Cheese by Esi)

Makes 12 servings

3 pounds sweet potatoes, washed, scrubbed, and sliced into half-inch thick discs
Olive oil as needed
Salt and pepper to taste
11 ounces goat cheese, at room temperature
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Generously coat the sweet potatoes with oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread them evenly on a baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the bottoms have browned. Flip, and bake an additional 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are crisp on the outside, but soft on the inside. Set aside to cool.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the goat cheese until it is fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the herbs and beat until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon or pipe the goat cheese onto the cooled sweet potato discs.

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Friday, December 10, 2010

Braised Short Ribs with Autumn Root Vegetable Puree

Braised Short Ribs with Autumn Root Vegetable Puree
This was the main course in my dinner for the "Better With You" cast. I have been wanting to make braised short ribs for ages, but most of the time I cook for just me and it seemed ridiculous to make such a large amount of food for one person. This is great for a group and another dish where the flavors get better with time so it's best to prep it early. I'm not a fan of mashed potatoes, but I wanted something interesting for the short ribs to sit on. The root vegetable puree is very simple and sort of luxurious feeling with a healthy pat of butter. The slight sweetness of the puree compliments the sauce of the short ribs well. I was especially excited about this dish because it gave me a chance to use my new dutch oven...it's really the simple things in life that bring me the most pleasure :)


Braised Short Ribs
(Adapted from Gourmet, October 1995)

Makes 12 servings

*Note, I made such a large quantity I used two dutch ovens and split the ingredients evenly between them.

7 pounds beef short ribs, cut into 1-rib pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 medium onions, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/4 cups dry red wine
56 ounces canned whole tomatoes, including liquid, coarsely pureed in a blender
2 1/4 cups beef broth
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Nine 3-by 1-inch strips fresh orange zest
3 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
15 ounces pearl onions, boiled and peeled
2 pounds baby carrots
Freshly chopped parsley for garnish

Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a dutch oven (or similar heavy kettle, at least 5.5 quarts) over medium heat until the oil is hot, but not smoking. Brown the short ribs in batches then transfer the ribs to a large bowl using tongs.

Add the chopped onions to the pot and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add wine, tomatoes, broth, Worcestershire sauce, orange zest, rosemary and salt and bring to a boil. Add the ribs including any juices that have accumulated in the bowl and simmer, covered for 30 minutes.

Add the pearl onions, and carrots, stirring and pushing down to make sure they are covered by liquid. Simmer, covered for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the meat is tender. Transfer the meat, pearl onions, and carrots to a large bowl using a slotted spoon. Discard the zest and boil the braising liquid, stirring ocassionally until it has reduced to about 5 cups. Return the meat and vegetables to the pot and cook over low heat until heated through.

Serve stew sprinkled with parsley.

Printable Recipe

Autumn Root Vegetable Puree
(Adapted from Frank Stitt)

Makes 12 servings

6 medium turnips, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
6 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
3 parsnips, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks
Kosher salt to taste
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

In a large sauce pan or dutch oven, combine the turnips, carrots, parsnips, and sweet potatoes. Add a few good pinches of salt and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the vegetables are tender, 30-40 minutes.

Drain the vegetables and return them to the pot to dry out over medium heat for 2 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and puree. Add the butter and salt to taste.

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Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Crostini with Poached Pears, Gorgonzola, and Honey

Crostini with Poached Pears, Gorgonzola, and Honey
This past weekend I had a wonderful opportunity to make dinner for the cast of the new ABC show "Better With You". It was a wonderful evening and I had a great time coming up with a fall harvest themed menu. I have a few recipes to share from that evening and here is the first. It's a great, easy appetizer combining sweet pears with savory blue cheese and just a hint of honey. I used a wonderful "fall rose" that I found at my favorite wine shop, domaineLA. Any light red wine will do, but I loved the deep pink color it imparted on the pears. One of the best things about the pears (and most of the other recipes I made for the evening) is that they can be done a day or two ahead of time and the flavors only get better over time. I'm going to say this many times over the next few posts, but thanks to JenFinn for letting me come over and cook for this fabulous group. It was really a blast and such a pleasure to cook for such happy, appreciative people. I'm excited to share some of the other things I made for the occasion very soon.

Better With You airs at 8:30pm on Wednesday nights on ABC. Check it out!


Crostini with Poached Pears, Gorgonzola and Honey
(Poached Pears slightly adapted from Boston.com the Crostini is by Esi)

4 cups cold water
Juice of 1 lemon
6 firm, but ripe Bosc or Bartlett pears with stems intact
1 bottle light red wine (I used a 2009 Lioco Rose from Mendocino county)
1 1/4 cup sugar (depending on the wine you use, this amount can be reduced to as little as 1/2 cup. I found the pears to be a bit sweet, but the savoriness of the blue cheese balanced the flavors)
2 strips orange rind
2 star anise
1 whole clove
1 whole vanilla bean cut in half

I baguette, sliced into 1/2-inch slices
Crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
Wildflower honey for drizzling

In a large bowl, combine the water and lemon juice. Peel the pears, keeping the stems intact. Slice a small piece from the base of each pear so it can stand without falling over. Drop each pear into the water and set aside.

In a large saucepan, combine the wine, sugar, orange rind, star anise, vanilla, and clove. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.

Add the pears. You can place a small plate over the pears to make sure they stay submerged or else turn the pears occasionally to make sure they get poached evenly.

Simmer the pears for 25-35 minutes or until they are tender when pierced with a skewer.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the pairs cool in the poaching liquid.

Transfer the pears and the liquid to a large container. Refrigerate for at least several hours or as long as three days.

To make the crostini:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Add the bread slices to a baking sheet and bake until the pieces are lightly toasted, about 10 minutes. Flip the pieces of bread over and bake for another 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

While the bread is cooling, remove the pears from the poaching liquid and slice them thinly.

Lay slices of pear over the cooled crostini. Top with blue cheese crumbles and drizzle the top of the cheese with honey.

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Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Great Los Angeles Walk 2010

"Well, you can always not show up and sleep in instead, or quit half way". Those were some of my thoughts as I went to bed last Friday night. Several weeks earlier I had signed up for the Great Los Angeles Walk 2010 edition. Organized by Mike of Franklin Avenue, the Great Los Angeles Walk was started to celebrate his ten year anniversary of living in Los Angeles. The first Great Walk in 2006 took them down the entire length of Wilshire (15.8 miles!) from Downtown to the sea. The second year the group walked down Santa Monica Blvd via Sunset. Last year was Washington Blvd. and this year was the triumphant return to Wilshire Blvd. I wanted to participate the first year, but couldn't find anyone to join me and then other things came up. The same thing pretty much happened the last two years, but when I learned the walk would be returning to Wilshire, I knew I wouldn't be able to pass it up. As I took the bus down to Pershing Square, my stomach was filled with butterflies. I hadn't properly "trained", it was raining, I wasn't sure which blogger friends I would see and if I would end up walking by myself.

Great LA Walk 2010 - One Wilshire

Great LA Walk 2010 - One Wilshire

It turns out, I worked myself into a tizzy for no reason. I had a great time (mostly) walking down Wilshire and learned a lot about the city in the process. The LA Conservancy and Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council had put together some handy guides of interesting points along our route. Some I was familiar with, others not so much.

Great LA Walk 2010 - Macarthur Park
Macarthur Park

There was a scheduled tour at St. Basil's church in Koreatown. We missed much of what the tour guide said, but it was a beautiful building.

Great LA Walk 2010 - St. Basil's Church

Some of my favorite sites were in Koreatown and Wilshire Center. There is some beautiful architecture in this part of town and interesting history.

Great LA Walk 2010 - The Wiltern Theater
The Wiltern Theater cheered us along

Great LA Walk 2010 - Los Altos Apartments
The beautiful courtyard at the Los Altos Apartments

Great LA Walk 2010 - Wilshire Ebell Theatre
Wilshire Ebell Theatre - home to one of LA's first women's clubs.

Great LA Walk - Wilshire Center
These gates used to be the entrance to the wealthiest neighborhoods in Los Angeles.

Right around the Miracle Mile is where we started feeling the pain. Luckily, this was the area that lunch was supposed to happen. Unfortunately, the food trucks that had been promised had to back out because of the rain. We definitely understand why there are always food trucks in this area. The lunch options are pretty dismal.

Great LA Walk 2010 - El Rey Theater
The El Rey Theater 

Great LA Walk 2010 - Museum Square
Museum Square

After a mediocre meal, we kept on walking to Beverly Hills. By this point, exhaustion and hurting feet were getting the better of us so around La Cienega, we hopped on the 720 bus.

Great LA Walk 2010 - Beverly Hills Porsche
Beverly Hills Porsche

While we were resting our feet and being driven in style, we passed many of the walkers climbing up the non-sidewalked dangerous hills of the Wilshire corridor. Knowing my clumsiness, I would have surely been hit by a passing car. We got off the bus at Wilshire and 26th and continued on our way to the ocean. We just *had* to pop in to The Gap to check out a sale. Our last (and best) pit stop was at Huckleberry to pick up some pastries and warm ourselves up a bit. I finally got to try the salted caramel bar that everyone raves about.

Salted Caramel Bar at Huckleberry

Despite our "cheat", we were still passed by two older women who seemed to power walk the entire way. I felt a little guilty about that, but not too much. At long last we finally made it to the ocean as the sun was setting.

Great LA Walk 2010 - Santa Monica

It was a great fall day to walk along Wilshire. I'm glad that the warmer weather we had been experiencing lately was kept at bay. It really helped to have people walking with me. I think we kept each other motivated especially during those last painful steps. You can view the rest of my pictures from the day in my Flickr photo stream. There are also terrific write ups of the event at LAist and the host blog Franklin Ave. Hopefully next year, with a little more training I will walk the entire route!

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Friday, November 19, 2010

Arugula Salad with Pomegranate and Roasted Acorn Squash

Arugula Salad with Pomegranate and Roasted Acorn Squash

All over America, people are eagerly planning their Thanksgiving feasts. I've lost track at the number of tweets, posts, and articles that scream "you should be thinking about Thanksgiving all the time". Well guess what...I'm not. I've never been that in to Thanksgiving food so even though I took a class dedicated to Thanksgiving decadence last weekend and my friends are hosting a pre-Thanksgiving ("Brunchgiving") this weekend. I sort of want to crawl into a dark hole and wait for New Year, but I'm not a total Scrooge. For "Brunchgiving" I'll be making this salad which is a great addition to the Thanksgiving table. With all that turkey and gravy and stuffing, you need something light to ease the guilt. I made a few changes to the original recipe. First, I reduced the pomegranate juice. I didn't want to make pomegranate molasses, but I wanted a more concentrated pomegranate flavor. I also switched out arugula for the dandelion greens because the dandelion's bitter bite may be off-putting to some. Arugula has just enough peppery freshness that a crowd can appreciate. I thought about using candied, spiced nuts in place of the pine nuts, but I actually enjoyed the melow nutty flavor the lent to the salad and of course juicy pomegranate arils always brighten things up. This is a great salad full of fall flavors and I can't wait to make it again not only this weekend, but for a dinner party I am cooking for soon. I'm sure all my friends will love it.


Arugula Salad with Pomegranate and Roasted Acorn Squash
(Adapted from Bon Appetit, November 2005)

Makes 3-4 servings

For the dressing:
5 tablespoons pomegranate juice
2 1/4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 1/4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

For the squash:
1 tablespoon butter, cut in half
1 unpeeled small acorn squash, halved, seeded and cut into 12 wedges

For the salad:
8 ounces baby arugula, washed and dried
3/4 cup pomegranate seeds
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

Salt and pepper

To make the dressing:
Bring the pomegranate juice to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook until the juice has reduced to two tablespoons. Set aside to cool.

Whisk the juice and vinegars in a bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Re-whisk before using.

To make the squash:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil.

Melt 1/2 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the squash. Cook until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer the squash to a the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining butter and squash. Sprinkle the squash with salt and pepper. Transfer the squash to the oven and bake 15-20 minutes until the squash is softened and cooked through.

Mix the greens with half of the dressing. Divide among plates. Top the greens with some squash, sprinkle of pomegranate seeds, and a sprinkle of pine nuts. Drizzle each plate with more dressing.

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Monday, November 15, 2010

Mixed Berry-Acai Smoothie

Mixed Berry-Acai Smoothie

When I got an email from Bossa Nova with an offer to try one of their superfruit juices, I didn't hesitate to say yes. The juices arrived in gorgeous packaging (I use the canvas bag every week at the farmer's market), I opened one, drank most of it and left it at that. I finally got around to trying a couple of the juices in a "recipe" and so glad I did. I have had smoothies nearly every day for the last couple of weeks. It's an easy way for me to get my fruit servings each day and delicious to boot. I love that the juices aren't too sweet and are only sweetened slightly with agave. The juices came with a list of great recipes so I hope to try one of those soon, if not, I'm sure they will go well in some festive holiday cocktails.



Mixed Berry-Acai Smoothie
(By Esi)

Makes 1 smoothie

1/2 cup frozen mixed berries
1/4 cup Bossa Nova Acai juice with blueberry
1/2 banana, sliced
1 teaspoon flax meal (optional)
1/2 teaspoon agave or to taste

Add all ingredients to a blender and mix until smooth.

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Friday, November 12, 2010

Umbrian Lentil Stew with Olive Oil Fried Eggs

Umbrian Lentil Stew with Olive Oil Fried Eggs

This fall in Los Angeles has been all over the place. I personally think we're being punished for having a not very hot summer. We have had some of the hottest days of the year in the last month or so. It's not so fun to cook on those days, but there are the days that cool down and make me want to get in the kitchen. When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to make it ASAP. It's very similar to something I made last year, but I couldn't pass up a chance to try this version. The cooking method is very similar to risotto.  I love the instructions in the original recipe to "cook the lentils until they are tender and suspended in a creamy sauce". Sounds magical, huh? I wanted this to have some substance so I kept the vegetable amounts the same, but reduced the amount of lentils. Instead of pulverizing the vegetables in the food processor, I just chopped them pretty finely by hand. The drizzle of balsamic vinegar was a sweet and tart compliment to the savoriness of the lentils and vegetables. A hint of spice would have been pleasant, but it's certainly not necessary and the leftovers were even better. This is a great dish for not just dinner, but brunch or lunch as well! Do yourself a favor and serve it with some crusty bread to soak up any of the juices.


Umbrian Lentil Stew with Olive Oil Fried Eggs
(Adapted from Food and Wine, March 2009)

Makes 2 servings

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for frying
1 ounce thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
1 small  carrot, finely chopped
1 small celery rib, finely chopped
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 teaspoon tomato paste
1/2 cup plus two tablespoons green lentils
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
Handful of arugula leaves
Parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar for serving

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over low heat. Add the prosciutto and cook until the fat has rendered.

Add the carrot, celery, onion, and garlic to the pan and turn the heat up to medium. Cook for about 7 minutes or until the vegetables have softened. Add the tomato paste and stir over medium-high heat until it coats the vegetables and is shiny, about 1 minute.

Add the lentils and 1 1/4 cup of the broth and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally until most of the broth has been absorbed, about 25 minutes. Add another 1/2 cup of the broth and continue to simmer until it has absorbed. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of broth until the lentils are tender and the sauce has become a bit creamy, about 10 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Heat a bit of olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Crack the eggs into the skillet, season with salt and cook until the edges are golden and the whites have set, but the yolks are still runny.

Spoon the lentils onto a plate and top with the eggs and a sprinkle of arugula. Grate cheese over the eggs and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

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Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Mani's on Maple Happy Hour

Mani's On Maple Happy Hour
(Magarita that had a hint of cinnamon)

You know when you have one of those days at work and you just need a cocktail after? Well, I'm pretty sure that's why happy hour was invented. Unfortunately, with my work hours, it's hard to ever make it to most happy hours...until now.

Mani's On Maple Happy Hour
(Beef skewers with yogurt dipping sauce)

When Mani's (formerly on Fairfax) moved to my old neighborhood, they made a couple of changes. Most importantly getting a liquor license and adding a bar. Happy hour has a great selection of $6 bites and drinks. There is a great variety of food from healthy to decadent all with that market fresh flare that Mani's is known for. The best part? Happy hour runs twice a day! Mani's is offering it's "Happiest Hour" special from 3pm to 7pm AND from 9pm to 11pm Monday through Friday.

Mani's On Maple Happy Hour
(Sliders)

Mani's On Maple Happy Hour
(Slow roasted salmon salad)

The new location is great with it's proximity to the Beverly Hills agencies. Assistants, you know you are going to need this late night fix during pilot season.

*All food and drinks were comped. Opinions are my own 

Mani's On Maple
345 N. Maple Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 247-0009
http://www.manisbakery.com/

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Monday, November 8, 2010

English Muffins

English Muffins

It's been a long while since I've posted a recipe. I haven't been cooking much and the little cooking I have been doing has been some old favorites. Hardly anything worth sharing again. However, I've been holding out on you readers. I made these English muffins over a month ago and I'm just now getting around to sharing them. These should definitely be shared. They are so simple to make and it's a fun process to "fry" them up before you bake them. I didn't quite get the desired "nooks and crannies", but the flavor was spot on. It was great to change up my breakfasts for a week with the endless combinations of toppings. I can't wait to make English muffins again. Pizza muffins? Sandwich muffins? The possibilities are endless!!

English Muffins

English Muffins
(From The Bread Baker's Apprentice)

Makes 6 muffins

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup to 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
Cornmeal for dusting

Stir the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast together in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer. On low speed, using the paddle attachment add the butter and 3/4 cup of the buttermilk until the mixture forms a ball. If there is still loose flour, stir in the remaining 1/4 cup of milk. The dough should be soft and pliable.

Sprinkle some flour onto a work surface. Turn the dough out to the surface and knead for about 10 minutes. Alternately, you can switch to the dough hook on the mixture and knead the dough for about 8 minutes. The dough should be tacky, but not sticky and should pass the windowpane test. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to cover it in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough sit at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes or until the dough doubles in size.
Transfer the dough to a clean counter. Divide the dough into six equal pieces, about 3 ounces each. Shape the pieces into round rolls. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and mist the parchment lightly with spray oil and dust with cornmeal. Transfer the dough balls to the pan and mist the tops of the balls with spray oil and sprinkle the tops with cornmeal. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap or a towel.

Proof at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes or until the pieces double in size and swell both up and out.

Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Also, preheat the oven to 350 degrees with the oven rack on the middle shelf.

Brush the pan with vegetable oil. Gently transfer the muffin rounds to the pan with a spatula. Space the rounds at least 1 inch apart. You can do this in batches, keeping the remaining rounds covered. The dough that is being cooked will flatten and spread in the pan. Cook the pieces for 5-8 minutes per side until each side is golden brown. Immediately transfer the pieces to a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 5-8 minutes so that the muffins cook through. Meanwhile, cook the remaning uncooked pieces the same as the first round.

Transfer the baked muffins to a cooling rack and cool for 30 minutes before slicing or serving.

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