Food

Awesome

2011-04-27T12:28:00.000-07:00

"GrEaster"

2011-04-25T11:24:00.000-07:00

When people hear that my sister married a Greek man, the first question they always ask is "Is it really like My Big Fat Greek Wedding?" I'd say, generally (as most movies go), that is an over-characterization. However, one scene rings absolutely accurate and true.

Remember this one?

You CANnot come between Greeks and their meats. My sister's mother-in-law instructed her about this multiple times before they were married.

For Easter this year, we wanted to do a traditional Greek Easter (or as I like to say "GrEaster"). Of course, this was centered around lamb. I have to say, my sis has mastered the lamb, making an amazing and beautiful leg.

I did the main side- spanikopita. Or as the Greeks call it, "spinach pies." I made this recipe here and I dare say it was a total and delicious success.

On the sides we had many different forms of sauteed veggies, rice (very traditional), tons of bread and wine (or sparkling grape juice for the preggos), and strawberry shortcake for dessert. That was the one American dish, but for Easter I just couldn't help myself.

Also, apparently red dyed Easter eggs are present on the table, so we included those as well.

And there you have a traditional Greek Easter meal.

Xristos Anesti!

Theirs vs. Mine

2011-04-20T16:54:00.000-07:00

This month's "O" Magazine featured a sample grocery receipt meant to reflect how one can save money if she shops on sale and only buys what is needed.

What's wrong with this picture?

I am seriously considering writing the magazine about this. The disclaimer at the bottom says, "This reflects sale prices in the writer's area." What universe is that area in? I asked a bunch of friends from around the country (the south, midwest, northwest, Los Angeles area, etc...) via Facebook and the general consensus was that perhaps one or two things on mega discount could be priced that way, but as a whole grocery list- no chance!

Just for kicks, I looked up my last grocery receipt of "just the basics" from a conventional grocery store (QFC, which is the equivalent of Kroger). Here's what was on it:

1 lb organic strawberries $2.99

4 organic bananas (1.69 lb) $1.50

1/2 gallon organic whole milk $2.50

1 loaf bakery bread $4.69

1 lb organic butter $4.49

1.2 lb free range bone in chicken breast $4.43

5 lb bag King Arthur unbleached all purpose flour $3.99

10 pack soft taco sized flour tortillas $2.00

15 ounce can Rosarita vegetarian refried beans $1.25

Total: $30.00

Granted, I do buy most things organic (plus artisan bread), but they were on sale! I am fully convinced that buying non-organic items, even all at sale prices, would still be 2-3 times higher than that grocery list, and most likely 3-4 times more organic.

Try again, Oprah.

Politically Incorrect Grocery Stores...caught on camera

2011-04-14T14:27:00.001-07:00

My sis just posted this on Facebook:

And I know this one's been circulating the internets for a long time, but it still cracks me up. In honor of passover...

(first photo originally from here)

Question of the day

2011-04-11T12:42:00.001-07:00

Does the lunch in the photo above appear any healthier than the worst lunch a child could bring packed from home?

Consider while you read this article.

And that's how it's done.

2011-04-09T21:25:00.000-07:00

Somehow the instructions being in Italian make it that much cooler. I need to find a good recipe that makes pizza dough that can be tossed around like this. Note how much flour he uses.

Fruit Cocktail Tree (I want one...)

2011-04-07T13:13:00.000-07:00

Ah, these are so cool!

Obviously that first photo is a joke, but the idea isn't! There are real trees that are grafted to grow different kinds of fruit on the same tree. There are restrictions, for example, you can't mix apples and peaches. Most commonly, fruits of the same categories can be grown together- citrus, stone fruits, apple and pear varieties, etc...

Apparently, they also come in dwarf form, which makes them great for urban gardening because you can fit them into pots. This might be my next gardening experiment!

Enter Spring- The accidentally green version.

2011-03-27T17:29:00.000-07:00

Some things I've been dwelling on lately...

Do I want to make this cake because the cake stand is so pretty, or do I want the cake stand because the cake is so pretty? Or shall I just make a cake and put daisies on it?

Hmmm....

I really don't want to forget to use my Easter cookie cutters that I bought on sale at the end of spring last year.

I told Raj that this Fran's dark chocolate bunny is all I want for Easter.

My favorite new recipe of mashed potatoes with spinach. It's a great way to get an extra kick of vitamins:

About 1 lb of whatever potatoes you have in the house (I like small red potatoes because I don't have to peel or cut them).

Roughly 2 cups of spinach (I always like to chop it up so that it doesn't get stringy in the potatoes. Also, you can use more or less spinach if you like.)

1 Tablespoon of butter

1/4 of plain yogurt, or to taste. I like the rich, greek yogurt.

Salt and pepper to taste

Boil the potatoes until soft enough to mash. Drain potatoes, and immediately, while hot, cream in the mixer with spinach so the spinach wilts. Add butter, and enough yogurt to make it creamy and a little tart. Add salt and pepper, et voila!

Thing I bought...Thing I want

2011-03-25T14:00:00.000-07:00

Purchase of the week:

{Williams Sonoma 9 x 13 rectangular cake pan}

...as it occurred to me recently that I want my bars and brownies to have squared edges rather than round ones like the 9 x 13 casserole dishes make (a most important distinction, you know...)

Wish list:

{Eden Home Organic Table Cloth With Linen Trim}

For spring, I want a natural, white (or almost white) table cloth, preferably in organic linen or cotton. However, for the prices I'm finding, it's not going to be very high on the budgetary priorities list.

Afternoon Tea

2011-03-18T13:16:00.000-07:00

"It is very strange, this domination of our intellect by our digestive organs. We cannot work, we cannot think, unless our stomach wills so. It dictates to us our emotions, our passions. After eggs and bacon it says, 'Work!' After beefsteak and porter, it says, 'Sleep!'

"After a cup of tea (two spoonfuls for each cup, and don't let it stand for more than three minutes), it says to the brain, 'Now rise, and show your strength. Be eloquent, and deep, and tender; see, with a clear eye, into Nature, and into life: spread your white wings of quivering thought, and soar, a god-like spirit, over the whirling world beneath you, up through long lanes of flaming stars to the gates of eternity!'"

-Jerome K. Jerome (1859-1927): Three Men in a Boat

{Images from Cost Plus, Williams Sonoma, and VeganYumYum}

Pregnancy Food Photography

2011-03-16T12:11:00.001-07:00

I swear, sometimes I feel like I spend more time linking to other people's blogs than writing my own. But when other people have such better ideas than I do...why not?

Allow me to introduce you to Carolee Beckham. She's a photographer/blogger that is documenting her pregnancy with produce! Every few weeks, she posts a photoshoot of whatever fruit or vegetable that the little life inside her is compared to in size. What a keepsake for your baby to have for the rest of his or her life! All I can do is work on an alphabet cross stitch....

When my friend emailed this blog to me, I had already been calling my baby by fruit names and measuring its growth the same way. This is especially fun, because she is just a couple weeks ahead of me. Every time she posts, I see what my little guy or girl is about to be!

Currently, I am going on sixteen weeks, which makes it....

Avocado!

Here is the whole blog. It's really fun.

Oh! Oh Cake Stands!

2011-03-11T20:13:00.000-08:00

Would you look at these? Just lookit! And the adorable cakes, too! I'll take one of each stand for sale here.

Ps. Thanks, Design*Sponge. Love you as always!

Cinnamon Scones on a Rainy Day

2011-03-09T14:41:00.000-08:00

By definition, that would mean here in Seattle I made cinnamon scones nearly every day. However, if we get really specific we see that while it's constantly drizzly, not many days are absolutely rainy, as today is- The kind of weather that makes you want to curl up in your house, stay in your sweats, drink tea, and eat something fragrant and carb-filled.

Cinnamon scones popped into my head, and presently I was working on this recipe. I made a few changes; I used agave nectar instead of honey. Also, I learned a trick at a B&B in Ireland to not spend time cutting the butter into a scone. Melting it in the microwave and mixing it into the flour is really enough for the desired texture. Before you put me in stocks and stone me as a baking heretic try it yourself. Biscuits yes, always cut in the butter for a flaky biscuit, but scones? Meh. The glaze, in my opinion, is not necessary but certainly makes the scones more of a treat.

Now, if you'll excuse me. I have a date with some Irish Breakfast tea.

Well done, Macrina!

2011-02-27T13:57:00.001-08:00

My dear, dear Macrina Bakery just made Bon Appetit Magazine's "Top Ten Bread Bakeries in the US" list. I have never worked there myself, but on top of feeling proud that I have been smart enough to eat there for the past seven years, I went to pastry school with, and still currently know, quite a few people who work there.

Macrina deserves all the recognition that it gets. Leslie Mackey runs a fabulous business and the baked goods are just plain delicious.

From Bon Appetit:

"Especially worth your dough here are the Macrina Casera ("of this house" bread made with a natural wild starter created from organic grapes) and the oatmeal buttermilk bread (ideal for sandwich making)."

Clean Kitchen 101

2011-02-25T14:34:00.000-08:00

I am not a creature of routine. It's just not how I function, and I know myself well enough to make this work best for me. Up until now, this has been good enough for me to keep a pretty clean house. Cleaning when I am inspired has worked well, because I like to be tidy so I am inspired often. I know that when my sink is shiny and free of dishes that I feel like my entire life is more in order.

However...What I have observed and gleaned from talking to mamas is that the only way to keep sanity in a household with any children under 2 is to have some sort of routine.* As my hormones have kicked into high speed nesting gear, I have decided to begin a weekly cleaning routine for my home. Something tells me that with an infant, this is the only way anything is ever going to get done.

For inspiration, I went to Real Simple Magazine's website and searched "Clean Kitchen." I love the breakdown I found of what to clean in an article called "How to Speed-Clean Your Kitchen":

Every Day

Wipe down the sink after doing the dishes or loading the dishwasher (30 seconds).
Wipe down the stove top (one minute).
Wipe down the counters (one minute).
Sweep, Swiffer, or vacuum the floor (two minutes).

Every Week

Mop the floor (five minutes).
Wipe the cabinets, backsplashes, and appliances (10 minutes).
Wash the dish rack (four minutes).
Wipe the switch plates and phone (one minute).
Wipe the inside of the garbage can (one minute).

Every Season

Empty and scrub down the inside of the refrigerator (30 minutes).
Empty and clean the insides of the utensil drawers (15 minutes).
Scrub down the cupboard exteriors (30 minutes).
Clean the stove-hood filter (10 minutes).
Perform "Shiny Sink 101"

Obviously, this doesn't get everything done, and I end up spending more time on one thing than another, omitting this and adding in that. But even if I already did all these things, it's really great to have a checklist to be sure to get things done. I do so love crossing off to do lists. Oh, and I also love that "Shiny Sink 101."

*Ironically, I have noticed the other integral piece of keeping sanity as a mother is to be flexible enough to realize that routine is going to be interrupted every. single. day.

Hard to admit...

2011-02-23T14:27:00.000-08:00

I think living in the Pacific Northwest has influenced my thinking. This video clip made me die laughing...especially with all the chicken talk that I've been doing.

The Chicken Debate Continues

2011-02-21T14:59:00.000-08:00

NPR today was talking about Measure 1130- what I like to now call, "The Great Chicken Debate." They had two guests on the show; Paul Shapiro, the senior director of the factory farming campaign for the Humane Society of the United states, and Greg Satrum, vice president of Williamette Egg Farms.

I know I am biased, but in my opinion Greg Satrum's arguments didn't hold water. To sum up, they were:

1. It's a more extreme measure than any other state has enacted.

2. It would mean we had to change 95% of the egg farming industry

3. It would mean that egg demand might drive the prices up to $5-$7 per dozen.

He meant the arguments to be negative, but to all those points I say: I know! That's why I like it!

I can't figure out how to get a podcast onto this blog, so here is the link to the whole discussion. It's very interesting. (If you want to skip the first part, you can fast forward to about 2:50)

A Happy Morning

2011-02-19T18:27:00.000-08:00

2 Things make me very happy in the mornings. Since the rare Seattle sun was shining in our kitchen window today, I thought I'd take the opportunity to capture them.

(Aren't you proud of me for remembering the camera?)

The first is my common breakfast of an English Muffin with butter and apricot jam, and a glass of green tea. During the week my breakfasts are not elaborate. Just enough to get me up and at 'em.

The other is our weekly delivery of organic produce from our CSA, Full Circle Farm

Aaah, healthy greens!

A Bun in the Oven!

2011-02-17T18:12:00.000-08:00

In case you are wondering- it's totally the metaphorical bun that I'm talking about. What I'm trying to say is...I'm pregnant!

There haven't been very many odd cravings, but I must say my relationship with food has certainly changed. I am just more...finicky. Not to mention, if I did have cravings I would say it was a hankering for comfort foods of my youth (home made mac and cheese, pizza, cheese and more cheese). I will definitely be sharing all of my ups and downs here, but don't worry this won't turn into a mommy blog. There's enough of those to go around (Like there aren't enough food blogs....HA!).

Anyway, so far I have learned:

-I must eat every hour. Even if it's just a piece of fruit. The problem is if I let my stomach get empty (and when I feel hungry, it's too late). However, I also can't eat too much, because if I get overly full...you know what comes next (Super Bowl Sunday was not a good night!).

-I can't keep desserts in the house. Me + a cake= bad news enough before baby, but now there is just no stopping me.

-Being happy about getting bigger is just tough. Being a woman who has always been body conscious (like most woman, I'm sure) it is hard to let go! I'm not talking about fat even, I'm just talking about celebrating that bump that is protruding from my previously flat (well, flat enough) tummy. I have to constantly remind myself what it is that's making me grow!

That's all I have to say so far. I am not very far along yet (12 weeks), and I'm sure I'll have more adventures to talk about later. Thanks for putting up with this blabbing mama!

Now I Want an iPhone

2011-02-15T11:33:00.001-08:00

There has been a refusal on my part to succumb to the purchase of a smart phone. I have been in a stubborn battle (with no one but myself, really) to prove that most people (stock brokers, celebrity assistants, and company CEO's aside) do not need that kind of technology trailing them like a ball and chain all day long. Unless it's for your work, if you can't spend a couple hours out of the house without checking your email and browsing the internet...something seems wrong to me. This has changed with the iPhone now being available through Verizon. Also, when I saw this app for translating, it totally blew my mind. Can you believe that? Immediate visual translation?! It won't be long before there there will be a little ear piece that a person can wear to do the same thing, no?

Anyway, my point does have to do with food, and since we have been on the subject of GMO's this article talks about a free new app that can help you while shopping to avoid certain labels in the grocery store that are commonly tainted. If you, like me, do not have an iPhone (*yet*), at the bottom of the link there is a PDF that you can download. I would encourage you to skim it over so that you have an idea of common brands to avoid.

And seriously, if you didn't click on the link above, watch this video down here. It freaks me out (in a good way) every time I see it! I love technology!

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T15:25:00.000-08:00

To-morrow is Saint Valentine's Day

All in the morning betime,

And I a maid at your window

To be your Valentine.

{William Shakespeare from Hamlet}

{Photos from Trophy Cupcakes, Martha Stewart, Frans Chocolates, Sunset Magazine, and Wine Intro}

PS. Please remember your baker friends today! Valentine's Day is by far the busiest and most stressful holiday for a pastry chef.

Who'da thought?

2011-02-12T15:08:00.000-08:00

I suppose Nordstrom does everything well, don't they? My friend made the most delicious Thai Chicken Noodle Soup the other day, and when I begged to be told where it came from? None other than a cookbook from the department store.

Flipping through the book quickly, I noticed that, just like the store merchandise, the recipes are top notch, well thought out and carefully selected. Not to mention, great for parties!

I saw the book for sale in the Nordstrom Cafe, but it I can only find it available used online.

Valentine's DIY...why think of my own when other's are so good?

2011-02-10T14:13:00.001-08:00

I have a few things up my sleeve for Raj this Valentine's Day. My main gift every year is to request that we stay in. It's my way of being low maintenance and letting him off the hook of having to come up with some spectacularly romantic kind of date (not to mention, when $$ isn't spent on an expensive meal, it can be spent on other things...such as jewelry ;). We can go out to a nice place any day, why deal with month ahead reservations, pricey "prix-fixed" meals, and crowds? After seven years of marriage, you learn that just spending time together can be more romantic than anything.

Other than that, here is what I have planned:

First off, I wanted to make some sort of heart pin to send Raj off to work with that morning. I will tell him that he must keep it on all day. I love these felt ones here. They aren't sparkly, so he won't be embarrassed to wear one into a meeting...right?

Second...oh man, I can't get over how adorable these downloadable stickers from Twig and Thistle are. They have a PDF and instructions, and all you have to do is find some sticker paper.

Third, our Valentine tradition is to stay in and eat homemade pizza (made by your's truly) and watch a movie. I always do at least one classic margherita, but these ideas here sound like they could be a crowd pleaser (Umm honey and truffle cheese? Yes, please!)

Last, triple chocolate mousse. 'Nuf said.

And that's everything I have planned! (except this. *wink wink*)

More on Chickens

2011-02-09T22:03:00.001-08:00

Sorry if that photo is hard to look at...but it's reality and my purpose of posting it was to give you something difficult to ignore.

Now, going back to the Washingtonian's fight for chickens: This article from the Olympian is really, really great. It's very factual- when circumstances speak for themselves, there is no reason to over dramatize or publish propaganda.

Read on.

Contemplating Valentine's Day

2011-02-09T12:43:00.000-08:00

Every Christmas I think about making baskets of goodies for my friends, family, and neighbors. I know it's the thought that counts, but I get utterly uninspired when I go to houses and see countertops and cookie jars crammed full of treats already received. Valentine's Day is a great time to get my baking going again. It is, after all, a day for showing love and eating decadent desserts.

Here are the recipes that I am considering putting in my Valentine goody baskets.

{Since cake is difficult to transport, why not make these Red Velvet Cookies instead?}

{I have made these Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Hearts before. They are so pretty and sweet.}

{I know Rice Krispies Treats aren't fancy, but they are always a crowd pleaser. A little pink dye and a heart shaped cookie cutter makes them festive!}

{No Valentines spread is complete without rich Chocolate Crinkles}

Game Day Food

2011-02-07T13:06:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the Super Bowl. I couldn't have told you who was playing before yesterday, and to be quite honest, I'm not even positive who won. What I do remember was how good the soft pretzels that I made were. Snacks. That's why I like sporting events.

It was the first time I have used that recipe, and if I do it again I will either halve the recipe or double the amount of pretzels I roll. Mine ended up HUGE and puffy. I think they should have been rolled out much thinner. Still, they were delicious with mustard or tomato sauce. Goal!

An Education...Part 3

2011-02-05T12:38:00.000-08:00

So what does this have to do with Whole Foods Market? The article originally brought up brings to light the stance that the world's most powerful companies are now taking on Genetically Modified Organisms. The author suggests (and frankly, I agree) that Whole Foods is compromising its standards for money, and to avoid Truth-in-labeling.

To summarize the article:

1. For their support, Whole Foods Market is asking Monsanto for "compensation." This is what is known in street language as "selling out" or "prostitution."

2. If Whole Foods continued to push for Truth-in-labeling, they would be damning many of their own products. As of now, the only way to be sure you are not eating GMO's is to buy organic, but Whole Foods sells many "natural" products as well. Customers would be aghast to walk down the aisles of that store and see granola bars and tortilla chips labeled "MADE WITH GMO's." As the article points out, "If you put a label on genetically engineered food, you might as well put a skull and crossbones on it." Consumers may be gullible, but we are not stupid.

The big irony is this:

The definition of a Whole Food is, "Food that is unprocessed and unrefined, or processed as little as possible before being consumed." Genetically engineered food is nearly processing itself from the moment it begins to grow. In conclusion, my personal respect and trust of Whole Foods Market has dropped significantly.

If you remember nothing else, I want you to remember my favorite quote from the article:

"There can be no such thing as 'coexistence' with a reckless industry that undermines public health, destroys biodiversity, damages the environment, tortures and poisons animals, destabilizes the climate, and economically devastates the world's 1.5 billion seed-saving small farmers."

An Education...Part 2

2011-02-03T12:09:00.000-08:00

Hopefully now you all have a good understanding of what Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) or Genetically Engineered (GE) product is. So now you may be wondering why this is a bad thing? Really, if a fish hormone can produce more tomatoes, rice soy, or other plant, thus ending world hunger, why is that a bad thing? Well, first off, let me ask you this- in the past ten years since GMO's have been on the rise, has there been a drop in world hunger? Any wasteful, gluttonous American (yes, I know that's harsh, but I'm guilty too) can testify that the amount of food produced is not the problem. (Also, a lot of GMO food aid is from the US is refused in other countries).

So...What are the risks of GMO's? Aside from being just plain weird...

1. Health risks are unknown and impossible to track. You have no idea how much GE produce you have eaten in your lifetime. Nor does anyone else, because law does not require labeling. When you change the structure of a cell, it would be logical to assume that one is not getting the same health benefits as a cell grown in nature.

2. The risk- or inevitability- of contamination with other non-GE crops. If one farmer grows a non-GMO corn crop next to a GMO corn crop, seeds will blow over and cross pollination will occur. A farmer then cannot be really sure what he is growing and selling.

2a. This is part of reasons for the huge fight over alfalfa. Alfalfa grows and cross pollinates faster than even other crops. Also, it is used in almost all animal feed. This means even if you decide to not eat alfalfa anymore, you still will be if you eat any form of meat. (In fact, even the grass fed meat I preach constantly could be contaminated, because GMO alfalfa could blow over into grazing pastures as well.)

3. The scariest implication is this: Each and every GMO seed is patented and owned by the company that created it- 99.9% of the time, that company is Monsanto. This means that Monsanto can do whatever they want with those seeds and crops. When Monsanto's corn seeds blow over into a competing farmer's land and the farmer sells those crops, Monsanto takes those farmers to court, proves the farmers were growing GMO corn (whether knowingly or unknowingly), and sues the farmers out of business. This happens over and over again. Eventually, when there is no distinction anymore between GMO and non-GMO corn, Monsanto will literally own all the corn in the world. And if they want to make it illegal for you to grow corn in your own backyard? That's their choice.

That's enough for today. Digest.

If you want to read more, I like this article.

Just a photo...

2011-02-02T16:19:00.000-08:00

I'd like to interrupt my ranting to bring to you something beautiful, luxurious, happy, and delicious. Eat with the gods and serve with ambrosia. I've got to find an excuse to make this...cocktail party, anyone?

{Photo from one of my favorite fashion blogs- This is Glamourous}

An Education...Part 1

2011-01-31T17:48:00.000-08:00

You are already aware of the Genetically Engineered Alfalfa problem that I brought to you the other day...recently, my friend sent me this article here asking me to explain exactly what it means.

In short, it means we are losing.

I want to explain the whole situation to you, but it is rather technical and mind numbing, so I am going to give it to you in parts. The first step to understanding the fiasco that the government is leading us into is knowing exactly what a "Genetically Modified Organism" is.

The video here explains it fantastically. It is 7 minutes long, but give it your full attention...it affects your lives more than you know.

While you watch this remember 2 things:

1. There is absolutely no required labeling by law to let the public know when they are buying/cooking/eating genetically engineered foods. This is why, YOU, yes you, have been eating them for more than ten years. I am not talking about processed and pre-packaged food. I am talking about plants- apples, tomatoes, lettuces, corn, broccoli....

2. Until now, the only way to ensure you were not eating GMO's was to buy organic. This is about to drastically change.

Bon appetit!

Blueberry Deception

2011-01-30T14:08:00.000-08:00

It seems as though my blogger path has been chosen for me. I can't log on to the internet without finding another great food justice "bit."

Pear recipes. One I made and one I want to make.

2011-01-28T14:13:00.000-08:00

Mid-week guests are about one of the best treats a person could ask for. Doesn't everyone get sucked up in the Monday through Friday drudgery of sleep-work-eat-clean- sleep? There is no rule that says we are not allowed to have fun on weekdays, and yet that is what seems to happen to the best of us.

My remedy: have some friends over on a "school night" for these mini pear and almond cakes. Now, I have to tell you: as delicious as it probably is, I totally skipped out on the poached pear topping. It is mid week, after all. Who has time to bake cakes and poach pears in a wine that's certainly not one of my pantry staples? No, I just made these cakes- these marvelous little cakes- and put sliced pairs on the top before I baked them. They were beautiful, and divine on the tongue when served with a little bit of raspberry jam.

And later, when you have, say, and entire afternoon to devote to the construction of a dessert masterpiece, I would suggest trying this beautiful Caramel Pear Terrine.

{photo form Martha Stewart}

Sorry in advance

2011-01-25T18:24:00.000-08:00

I was planning on taking a break from food news and politics- I know I've been posting a ton lately- and going back to something lighthearted such as muffins. However, this one was just too...rich...to pass up. I just couldn't resist. After I stopped laughing, I immediately logged on to pass this article to you.

Attorneys question whether what Taco Bell calls 'beef' is actually beef.

Let the one-liners commence.

Fields of Tears- from The Economist

2011-01-24T12:54:00.000-08:00

In December, The Economist Magazine wrote an insightful article about immigrant farm workers in America. As important as it is for you to know how your chicken and beef got to your dinner plate, so you should be educated as to how your grapes and strawberries made it as well. The article is very objective- pointing out the despair that drives Hispanics to cross illegally and work in poor conditions for pennies, while also presenting factually why what is going on is so harmful for everyone involved. It is good reminder of the potential "high cost of low price" when buying food.

The article is here on The Economist's website.

What are America's best restaurants?

2011-01-21T17:29:00.000-08:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

A new battle every day.

2011-01-20T12:19:00.001-08:00

I just took action, calling on Secretary Vilsack and President Obama to reject the approval of Mosanto's GMO alfalfa and protect the integrity of organics. Approving GMO alfalfa will potentially destroy the integrity of and access to organic food, as well as the livelihoods of organic farmers.

The approval of GMO alfalfa is only days away and the Obama administration needs to hear from you and all of your friends who care about organics that the contamination of the organic dairy industry is not acceptable to risk an entire industry simply for Monsanto's corporate profits.

Please take a moment to let Vilack and President Obama know that you care about organic integrity by following this link from Food Democracy Now! Then please pass this link on.

http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/sign/kiss_your_organics_goodbye/?referring_akid=.192169.66TR1J&source=taf

Every voice counts!

Washingtonians man up!...a ballot measure I can get behind.

2011-01-19T16:47:00.000-08:00

I wish I could say different of myself, but I never get excited about voting. In my politically humble opinion, most ballot measures harm as many people as they hurt, with hidden agendas and addendums (or apparently grammatically correct is 'addenda') that implicate who-knows-what? The same goes for politicians themselves being completely self serving and out of touch. Like many, I am just sick and tired of politics being so....political.

However, I am looking forward to picking up a ballot this November and voting on behalf of the chickens in the photo above. If you haven't seen the documentary Food, Inc. yet WATCH IT, FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE! There is not a person in this world with a soul- carnivore and veggievore alike- that cannot be affected by this film to some degree. If not for the sake of the animals, for the sake of your own dinner plate! You will see hundreds of thousands of chickens like the ones above, crammed into cages in sheds that never show the light of day. This is the norm on egg farms in the United States. The government has permitted it so.

Here is the whole story, but the summary is this:

"Washingtonians for Humane Farms submitted language to the Secretary of State to place a statewide measure on November’s ballot.....The measure would require that egg-laying hens have enough room to turn around and extend their wings and that eggs sold in the state are produced in compliance with this humane standard."

It's all quite simple and straightforward. For the chickens, it breaks my heart that "having enough room to turn around and spread their wings" is an improvement. But it IS an improvement on the horrid conditions the food stock in this country is put under. It's a step in the right direction. For us....EW! The health implications- especially the spread of salmonella, which is always a raw egg danger in the US- of this many animals in a confined space, not knowing which egg came from which part of which factory.....EW!

Yes, fewer eggs will come from fewer chickens from the farms, which will most likely temporarily drive up the price of eggs. But these factory conditions are also poor because workers are paid unfair wages and labor kept to a bare minimum...You see? It's not good for people, either! These artificially cheap eggs have put smaller egg farms and competition out of business for now. However, this act would also give smaller farms a chance to step up again and produce food worthy of our consumption.

I will remind you of this later, but for now, Washingtonians, look forward to November! And non-Washingtonians, hopefully this comes to your state next!

Broccoli and Bean Soup

2011-01-19T12:57:00.000-08:00

The idea for this soup came from my sister-in-law. I was fooled by it's fullness and creaminess , and shocked that there was, in fact, no cream or potato in the soup at all. Instead, beans give the soup a wonderful amount of protein and add to the perfect texture. The original recipe is from Eating Well, but I made quite a few changes to it. Even with the changes, the entire recipe takes only 10-15 minutes from start to finish (the quicker time being if you have a immersion blender).

Saute 1/2 and onion and 1 clove of garlic in a soup pot. Add 3 cups of chicken or vegetable stock and 1 pound of broccoli crowns. Bring to a boil, and cook broccoli for 8 minutes. Drain and rinse 1- 14 oz can of cannellinibeans, add to stock, and cook for one more minute (until hot). Puree with a bar blender in batches, or just use a stick blender. Add 1 cup grated parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste (about 1 teaspoon of each). I served it with a few drops of truffle oil and a bit more parmesan for garnish.

Homemade Ginger Ale

2011-01-18T12:49:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite presents that I got for Christmas this year was a Soda Stream. Since I now have bubbly water whenever I want it, I have been inspired to make different kinds of mixers to go with it. I started with this home made ginger ale recipe. It was so easy, and so fun to make. Not to mention the actual finished product blows any store bought ginger ale out of the water. I have been mixing about 2 oz of syrup with about 16 oz of soda water, and don't leave out the lime, as it really gives it that added kick that it needs.

{Photo from Real Simple Magazine}

The Truth About Estrella Family Creamery

2011-01-14T13:07:00.000-08:00

The battle has been on for nearly a year now, and I am yet to form a solid opinion. Here is the background information:

Estrella Family Creamy is (or was?) a beloved, award winning, artisan raw cheese maker based in Western Washington. Fine dining establishments carry and serve their cheese all over Seattle, and even as far as Los Angeles and Manhattan. High end grocery stores and farmer's markets also feature Estrella's amazing cheeses (I know they are amazing, because I have sampled quite a bit in the past). Now, however, instead of selling the cheeses at the farmer's markets, the family is going out to speak on injustice.

Last February, the Washington State Department of Agriculture found Listeria (what is listeria?) in the creamery's production areas and in some of the soft cheeses. These cheeses were recalled....then more again in March when the bacteria was found in a cave used to age the cheeses. Estrella was apparently taking care of the problem when suddenly, it seemed, in October, 2010, the FDA was aggressively demanding a recall of all the cheeses the creamery produced- an estimated $100,000 worth of cheese...more than enough to put the family business under. The fight began when Estrella refused, saying there was no proof that any of the hard cheeses were contaminated.

You all know me. I want to believe in Estrella and the power of the locavore supported small business. I love to hate the FDA and all their special interests an inconsistencies. Most importantly, I love gourmet food, and cheese above all. However, this situation still seems a bit sticky to me.

I certainly do not think that small businesses should get a free pass when it comes to sanitation (or lack thereof). Especially in a business that deals with raw (aka unpasteurized) milk. They should be extra careful, taking every possible precaution in milking and production to avoid contamination. (By the way, I would like to point out the lack of care with conventional dairy in milking and production is masked by the use of antibiotics and pasteurization). Perhaps Estrella Farms should have cleaned their caves a little better....

However, I still cannot believe that completely shutting a company down and forcing a recall on hard cheeses that did not test positive for listeria benefits anyone involved other than big agriculture. (Big agriculture, mind you, was what the FDA was originally set up to protect us from, not force us into like they do today). The FDA and small business do not speak the same language, and situations like these change the problem from a mere translation issue to all out war.

Did Estrella Family Creamery deserve what they got? I am not sure. What I do know is that this should be a lesson to other small farms and businesses. I can only liken it to a sports game where the referees are blatantly and outright in favor of one team over the other: The underdog team has to clearly and unmistakably outplay their opponent in order to become the victors.

http://www.kirotv.com/video/26179312/index.html

San Francisco to ban McDonald's Happy Meal toys

2011-01-12T15:19:00.000-08:00

This topic is all over news sites, but I like the discussion from the Harvard School of Public Health.

"Toys may disappear from Happy Meals and other kids' meals in San Francisco starting December 2011, unless the food carries less than 600 calories and is accompanied by fruits and vegetables and healthier drinks. The chief sponsor of the new ordinance, passed on November 9, 2010, told the San Francisco Chronicle that it was a modest policy that "holds fast-food (businesses) accountable." The city's mayor disagrees. Promising to veto the ordinance, he is quoted as saying: "Parents, not politicians, should decide what their children eat."

There are more than 32,000 McDonald's restaurants in more than 100 countries. Other cities across the globe may or may not follow San Francisco's lead, which makes us ask: What role does legislation have in stemming the childhood obesity epidemic across the globe?"

According to the Huffington Post, "McDonald's could, theoretically, reformulate the Happy Meal for San Francisco to allow it to be sold. Here are the ordinance's specific requirements for a packaged fast food meal targeted at children:

Calories: Less than 600
Sodium: Less than 640 milligram.
Fat: Less than 35 percent of calories from fat; Less than 10 percent from saturated fat (with exception for nuts, seeds, eggs or low-fat cheese).
Fruits & Vegetables: At least half a cup of fruit or three-quarters of a cup of vegetables"

What I love is what this woman has to say about it:

Marion Nestle is a professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University and former senior nutrition policy advisor in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

"I'm surprised at the mayor's comment that "parents, not politicians, should decide what their children eat," because the San Francisco ordinance is not about the food. It's about the toys. Nobody is stopping parents from ordering Happy Meals for their kids. But as everyone knows, kids only want Happy Meals because of the toys. The idea that government has no role in food choice is ludicrous. The government is intimately involved in food choices through policies that make the cost of some foods—those containing subsidized corn or soybeans, for example—cheaper than others. It is not an accident that five dollars at McDonald's will buy you five hamburgers or only one salad. It is not an accident that the indexed price of fruits and vegetables has increased by 40% since the early 1980s, whereas the indexed price of sodas has decreased by 30%. Right now, agricultural policies support our present industrialized food system and strongly discourage innovation and consumption of relatively unprocessed foods. Agricultural policies are the results of political decisions that can be changed by political will. If we want agricultural policies aligned with health policies—and I certainly do—we need to exercise our democratic rights as citizens and push for changes that are healthier for people and the planet. Yes, individuals are the ultimate arbiters of food choice. But our present food system makes unhealthful eating the default. We need to be working for government policies that make healthy eating the default. The San Francisco ordinance is a small step in that direction."

My new cookbooks.

2011-01-10T15:05:00.001-08:00

I love that my friends know me and give such thoughtful gifts. For Christmas I received two new cookbooks that I am very excited about.

Bon Apetit Desserts was put together by the magazine's Editor-In-Chief Barbara Fairchild. It truly is a great reference book with 500 pages of every classic recipe that you can imagine and then some. This will keep me reaching for my cookbooks rather than running to the internet when I think to myself "Wait a minute...how much sugar is in pate brisee?" Cooking through this thing could give someone an education nearly as good as going to pastry school.

Also, to make sure I stay healthy while eating all the yummy desserts, I have Northwest Essentials by Gregory Atkinson. Obviously, the focus is on eating local food produced here in the Pacific Northwest. Mushrooms, apples, salmon, berries, mussels...and did you know hazelnuts are grown here? This one will definitely inspire me to hit the farmers markets when they come back in the late spring. I already made the chanterelle and potato gratin, and it was fantastic! (if a little liquidy, but that's nothing that can't be fixed)

Pie is the New Cupcake

2011-01-08T12:19:00.000-08:00

According to the NY Times at least. In a not so recent article (from November...where have I been?) Pie to Cupcake: Time's Up this hypothesis is proven.

I, for one, like this shift.

I was on the cupcake train for a good long time. Heck, I even worked making cupcakes at a cupcake shop for a while ("cupcake faeries" we called ourselves). So, you see, I don't have any ill will toward cupcakes. I think I will forever hold a special fondness in my heart for the taste of a Trophy Cupcake. Not to mention, cupcakes are great for a crowd and really easy to turn into little dessert flowers. But let's get down to the nitty gritty...the most important factors....what matters most when one is eating dessert...how many people can eat more than 1/2 of a rich, buttercream frosted cupcake without wanting to...yarp?

Not so with the pie. A fruit pie can go a long way, be satisfying and delicious, leave you filled with delight but not feeling like you sat down and ate two sticks of butter on your own. I suppose that's depending on what kind of pie you eat, but you understand my generalization.

So I say, bring on the pies NY Times! Let me have it!

Herb Vinaigrette

2011-01-05T16:45:00.000-08:00

Many thanks to the person who left this issue of Martha Stewart Living on the plane for me to find and read from my flight from Seattle to Burbank a few weeks ago. In this magazine I discovered the world's most perfect salad dressing recipe, made by Chad Robertson of Tartine Bakery in San Francisco (which of course now I'm dying to go to). I have already made the vinaigrette three times, and not only does it taste great on any and every form of leafy green, but it makes an amazing dip for bread also. It has the perfect amount of tang for my taste, however you may want to add a teaspoon of sugar or honey which is also acceptable.

If you are like me, you will have to go out and buy sherry vinegar. Don't substitute with a different vinegar! I promise you, you will be glad. The other ingredients are very easy to buy and keep around.

ps. I cheated and used dried herbs.

pps. Sorry no pictures again! I just get way too into my cooking to stop and find my camera. I already broke one of my resolutions! Aaaah, the photos will come, I promise!

Herb Vinaigrette

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 tablespoon grainy mustard

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1/2 teaspoon each finely chopped fresh {or dried!} tarragon and thyme

1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Whisk together shallot, mustard, lemon juice, sherry vinegar, thyme, tarragon, salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in oil.

I will be making this

2010-12-30T09:13:00.001-08:00

Often times whole wheat spaghetti does not satisfy the right cravings when I'm in the mood for a pasta dish. That's why I like the way this recipe from the NY Times highlights the strong, nutty flavor of the whole wheat with this particular sauce (if you can call it a sauce) made of prominent flavors like rosemary, hot pepper, and Japanese bonito flakes.

Whole Wheat Spaghetti With Spicy Chickpeas, Rosemary and Bonito Flakes

From the NY TIMES

Salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, smashed

1 whole dried hot pepper, piri piri if available

1 sprig rosemary

1 medium white onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 large carrot, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 stalk celery, cut into 1/2-inch dice

2 15-ounce cans imported chickpeas

1 pound fresh or dried whole wheat spaghetti, or tonnarelli, if available

2 teaspoons unsalted butter, or as needed

Flaky salt (such as fleur de sel or Maldon) and coarsely ground black pepper

Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

1 tablespoon finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano, or as needed

2 tablespoons Japanese bonito flakes.

1. Place a large pot filled with lightly salted water over high heat to bring to a boil.

2. Place a large saucepan over medium-low heat and add olive oil, swirling it to coat the bottom. Reduce heat to low, add garlic, and cook it slowly until tender and golden, about 15 minutes. Add hot pepper, rosemary, onion, carrot, and celery and toss to coat well with oil. Raise heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 15 minutes.

3. Discard rosemary and garlic. Add 1 can of chickpeas with the liquid from the can. Drain the second can, reserving the liquid. Add those chickpeas to the saucepan along with one can of water. Raise heat to medium-high and cook until liquid in pan is reduced by half. Discard hot pepper. Remove from heat and keep warm.

4. In the boiling water, cook the pasta until almost done, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well and add to saucepan of chickpeas and vegetables. Cook the pasta in the sauce for 2 to 3 minutes, then add butter. If the mixture seems dry, add a bit of the reserved liquid from the chickpeas. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

5. To serve, place the pasta in a deep, warmed, platter. Drizzle with a bit of extra virgin olive oil. Dust with Parmigiano Reggiano, and sprinkle with bonito flakes. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings.

New Year Food Resolutions

2010-12-28T17:24:00.000-08:00

I don't really believe in resolutions...or if I do, it's more or less around my birthday. That is the time when I assess my habits and life direction, goals and achievements. So many people try change habits on January 1, and it makes the gyms entirely too crowded.

Anyway, if I did make resolutions, it would be these:

1. Bake more bread at home. Artisanal bread with 3 week starters, challah, brioche, pizza dough, and all other sorts.

2. Make recipes from my increasingly large library of cookbooks rather than always going to the internet for inspiration.

3. Post more recipes on this blog. Looking over the past year, I realized just how much I blog about topics other than actual recipes. I make delicious new foods all the time...I need to share them with you.

4. Try to shop even less from the grocery store and even more from farms, co ops, and farmers' markets. My goal is to eventually not go to the grocery store at all (I know this probably will never happen, but it's a good goal).

5. Bake treats for people *just because*.

6. Try my hand more at curious things like canning, jarring, preserving, pickling, and brewing.

7. MORE PICTURES!!!! The biggest problem I have as a cook/blogger is that I get so involved with what I am doing in the kitchen that I never remember to pull my camera out....and then when my food is prepared I can't stand to wait for pictures before digging in. Henceforth, I shall take one bite and then take a photo. It will take discipline, but I can to it!

What are your kitchen resolutions?

Greetings from California

2010-12-27T15:53:00.000-08:00

For most of you, I'm sure, these past few days, and weeks even, have been very busy ones. It certainly has been with my family. On top of the normal Christmas festivities, I have a new brother who has never seen Los Angeles, it has been raining enough here to not even feel like Los Angeles, and we've got a big wedding reception happening here at my parent's house on New Year's Eve. This is the first time I've even had the chance to sit down and tell you how my Christmas was- epicureanly speaking. I tell you, I was pretty tempted to come to the computer with a glass of wine, but instead I opted for this amazing new tea that my aunt gave me.

There hasn't been that much cooking on my part since we've been here. I've been in vacation mode, letting my mother take the front seat while I happily tune out my loud family and wash the dishes after (not sure when dish washing became therapeutic for me...)

As the previous blog mentioned, on Christmas there were lots of vegetables to be roasted- leeks, brussel sprouts, carrots, and green beans. I forgot to add that to go along with the green bean casserole that I wouldn't make, there was creamed corn to not make also. Good thing I had already tried Edna Lewis' recipe for corn pudding on Thanksgiving and knew that it was delicious (and a perfect substitute). Based on the happy reviews, I think this is a holiday repeater. As a matter of fact, I think maybe it should only be made on holidays, since there is pretty much no excuse for having that much fat and starch in a dish any other day of the year. By the way, I think the secret to making it good when corn is not in season is to get extra cobs and only cut off the tender, sweet tips of the kernels.

And speaking of fat and starch, I am so glad that my friends in Seattle love me enough to not send me bucketfuls of delicious desserts. My mom is not so lucky, and I was forced to help her consume much of what was given. I definitely feel a pudge that was not there two weeks ago...I doubt I'm the only one.

YUCK!

2010-12-23T08:55:00.000-08:00

Monsanto’s Neotame molecule allowed in USDA certified organic foods

"Everyone wants to indulge a sweet tooth at this festive time of year, without suffering the inevitable consequences of weight gain. But, be aware of the hidden (not listed on ingredient labels) dangers of Neotame sweetener in almost everything consumed by humans, and now even in feed for livestock raised for human consumption"

Read the rest of the article here.

I don't do green bean casserole...

2010-12-22T13:18:00.000-08:00

My mother in law asked me to make green bean casserole for dinner on Christmas night. I told her I don't do green bean casserole, but I would make a bunch of roasted veggies.

I thought, since this was Christmas after all, that I would actually look up a recipe rather than just making a bunch of veggies on the fly....meh.

No recipes looked good to me, but I did find a lot of good instructions on how to roast perfect veggies. It's my favorite way to cook them, you know, because roasting brings out the sugars and naturally caramelizes the vegetables like no other cooking method can. All it takes is a drizzle of olive oil and some salt and pepper. The playing with herbs and spices and other flavors like garlic or bacon can come later.

Martha Stewart has good basic instructions for roasting here.

And here I found an informative (if a bit small) chart of roasting time for a few veggies.

Since that chart was missing a lot of my favorite produce, it inspired me to build on it and compile my own list for you:

Vegetable Roasting Times

{Set your oven to 450 degrees)

Acorn Squash- halved and seeded- 50 minutes

Acorn Squash (and any other squash)- 1" cubes- 25 minutes

Asparagus- trimmed- 10 to 15 minutes

Beets- whole- 60 to 90 minutes

Bell Peppers- quartered- 15 minutes

Bok choy- leaves separated- 6 minutes

Broccoli- florets- 10 minutes

Brussels Sprouts- whole- 40 to 45 minutes

Carrots- peeled, 1/2" sticks- 18 to 20 minutes

Cauliflower- florets- 15 minutes

Corn- whole and peeled- 1 hour soaked in water, 8 to 10 minutes in oven

Eggplant- whole, pierced a few times- about 40 minutes

Eggplant- 1/2" slices- 20 minutes

Fennel bulb- 1/3" sices- 30 minutes

Green beans- trimmed- 12 minutes

Green onion- whole- 10 to 12 minutes

Jerusalem Artichokes (aka 'sunchokes)- 1/4" slices- 12 to 15 minutes

Leeks- trimmed at green parts and halved- 30 to 35 minutes

Onions- halved- 25 to 30 min

Parsnips- see carrots

Potatoes- 1" cubes or small potatoes- 30 to 35 minutes

Radicchio- quartered lengthwise- 10 to 12 minutes

Rutabaga- 3/4" cubes- 30 to 35 minutes

Shallots- halved- 15 minutes

Sweet potatoes- 3/4" cubes, 25 to 30 minutes

Tomatoes- halved, plum tomato sized- 25 minutes

Zucchini- 1" rounds- 15 minutes

Have You Seen This?

2010-12-20T09:02:00.000-08:00

If you must save your budget and not buy totally organic, the USDA put this list out a while back of the produce that was left with the most- and the least- pesticide residue after washing. You can print this and stick it in your purse or wallet.

A Perfect Pink Martini Recipe

2010-12-14T10:58:00.000-08:00

This post has nothing to do with food.

Except that if you are throwing or attending any Christmas cocktail parties, dinners, brunches, shindigs, extravaganzas, family game nights, or any other kind of get together, this album must be on your playlist. It pairs so well with holiday food.

{Joy to the World ~ Pink Martini}

I love Pink Martini- there is no other band on the market right now with their level of musicality and talent- and I have been lamenting for weeks, months even, about how I wish they would produce a Christmas album. Lo and behold, today my husband gave me an early Christmas gift. This album came out less than a week ago. Let the dinner parties begin!

Nice Use of "Nom Noms"

2010-12-12T19:42:00.001-08:00

For your Christmas enjoyment...

www.allculinaryschools.com has a very festive, very informative "Brief History of Christmas Cookies."

They MADE me buy it.

2010-12-08T16:10:00.000-08:00

YES I should be Christmas shopping for other people. NO I couldn't control myself when I saw these on Gilt. YES, I bought four of them.

A good mug is hard to find, you know. One that isn't too small to hold a decent cup of tea, but isn't so big that a cup of coffee will keep me wired for five days. One that is juuuust right. With a good, comfy handle. And the cutest art work you've ever seen in your life that makes you think of a happy, summary forest, even in the middle of winter.

(Although, my brother-in-law just burst my bubble ever so slightly by saying the deer looked like dinosaurs).

I just got the mugs, but more details about the entire set is here on the Iittalla website.

Also just purchased for a party I'm having next Saturday:

{Williams Sonoma Tartan Plaid Tablecloth. }

Can you guess where I got the inspiration for that? You'd think at Christmastime plaid tablecloths would be in abundance. However, I started at lower end stores and worked my way up, and had a hard time finding much of anything. I decided in the end to drop the $$ for this one, because it will make me happy when it comes out with my Christmas decorations year after year after year, and WS quality has proved itself to be good in the past so I think it will last a long time.

I say!

2010-12-06T22:57:00.000-08:00

It's time to interrupt the Christmas festivities to bring some news (or perhaps even suggest another gift for the Anglophile in your life). I am going to start with the assumption that you know that Prince William (whom I admittedly have always thought was pretty cute but mainly because he's a prince) is engaged to the deservingly cute Kate Middleton. Don't tell anyone, but I was sure to watch the news special about England's first royal-commoner marriage, with Princess Diana's ring, blah, blah blah....

I honestly can't say if I'm hypothetically envious of Kate (in a "one day I might be queen" kind of way) or if I would never in a million years want to be in her shoes. One thing I do know is that England is crazy about its royals, and ecstatic about its fads, and I would never, ever want an entire country eating off of my face.

...or drinking tea from my head. On top of that, could they have picked a more boring photo of either of them to put on these Aynsley China commemorative plates, the 2010 Engagement Collection? Man, English people are weird. And I mean that in the nicest way possible.

Anyway, I couldn't find a price on this collection. But really, can you put a price on this?

More love.

2010-12-04T22:10:00.000-08:00

Trader Joes can really frustrate me sometimes- like when they constantly seem to discontinue my favorite items or when they allow a high fructose or partially hydrogenated ingredient slip into their products. On the other hand, sometimes I wish there really was a Trader Joe so I could kiss him- like when organic baby spinach is $1.99 a bag when elsewhere it's $4.59, or when I bake mini quiches for a party. Today, it's because of the chocolate pictured above.

Bakers an pastry chefs know what a pain it can be to melt chocolate for recipes (such as brownies, truffles, and anything chocolate dipped). Either you have to spend ridiculous amounts of time chopping pounds of chocolate or you have to pay ridiculous amounts of money to buy melting wafers. The only brand that I knew was commonly available was Guittard, and a 1 lb box can run anywhere from $9.99 to $12.99 or more.

So, thank you, thank you, Trader Joes, for marketing your own chocolate wafers, and pricing them at $1.99 for 8 oz. Not only is that price incredible, but the chocolate is good quality and quite amazing in taste. It's 100% cocoa mass (translation: only the basic ingredients of chocolates, with no fillers, preservatives, or emulsifiers), which is surprising enough. Even more shocking to me was how nicely flavored and textured the chocolate is. No seriously, I've been eating the wafers on their own or with a bit of peanut butter spread on top (a dangerous road....)

A Good Deal

2010-12-02T10:57:00.000-08:00

Usually the Lucky Magazine website has a "deal of the day"- a current piece of clothing or accessory on sale for 50% off just for the day. Needless to say, I log on whenever I think about it to see what cute item is posted. Today happens to be this pot. I almost spit out my tea when I thought it was Le Creuset. It isn't- it's a brand I have honestly never heard of called Green Cooking Pots (which is a promising name). However, with the coupon code Lucky is offering (use luckydaily4), it's literally 1/4 the price of a Creuset pot (only $76). If you need some enameled cast iron cook pots, it's worth a go, in my opinion.

Available here at www.greencookingpots.com. Coupon code luckydaily4.

Oh, it's only today, by the way, and it's a good Christmas gift!

Love this.

2010-12-01T17:51:00.000-08:00

This Tommy Hilfiger ad was on TV last night. I never thought of myself as a Hilfiger lover (usually I'm not that in to Americana), but something about the style of this commercial struck me. Probably the fact that I love to wear cozy knits and to decorate with plaids. At any rate, I want to have a holiday dinner just like this one...rustic picnic style with soft plaid blankets for tablecloths, but juxtaposed with gold rimmed plates, and fancy taper candles in silver holders....What a wonderful mix of fancy and rustic food I could make!

And I feel like I have to confess what a sucker I am: I thought the clothes were so cute that I bought two Tommy Hilfiger sweaters online last night. Oops.

How I survive the holidays.

2010-11-30T14:39:00.000-08:00

It's the official start of the busiest 3-4 weeks of nearly anyone's year. Everyone has his or her special tips for how to survive. For me the truth is...I don't just survive! I enjoy the holiday season for all it's worth.

Here's how:

1. I committed long long ago to never ever buy a Christmas gift or participate in a Christmas activity out of obligation. If it's not fun for me, I won't do it. This saves me from too many parties, and stressing out over a huge shopping lists. Don't get me wrong, many presents are still purchased for my loved one, but this is because I am excited to show my love through giving gifts. This goes for throwing a party, too.

2. Building off of tip #1, I rarely buy children gifts. I realize for many of you with kids, this is just not possible. I do not have kids yet. The mobs and shopping terrors commonly occur around toy departments, so I avoid them like the plague. Also, the way kids in our culture tear through presents, throwing them aside and looking for more to unwrap without a bit of gratitude is off putting to me. We have 9 nieces and nephews, and about five years ago we started a tradition of taking them to eat pizza and play arcade games while we are in California. They really look forward to it now, and we're giving them a long lasting memory rather than a toy that they will break or lose interest in. IMPORTANT NOTE: For those of you who do have kids, you too can give an experience rather than another toy. Think a trip to the zoo, or minature golf.

3. If I can avoid it, I will not buy mass-produced merchandise. Unless someone really wants something specific. This also aids in circumventing the shopping mobs. I much prefer to buy a gift for someone that they wouldn't have been able to get for themselves, whether it's a regional wine or, a trinket I picked up while overseas, or a special baked good.

4. I give consumables to people who already have more stuff than they know what to do with. Again, this may be something I baked. However, it could also be a photo calendar made on Shutterfly, a delicious piece of chocolate, a box of special oranges, tickets to see an event, or a great chapstick.

5. I relish not only our family traditions, but also little traditions I've made for myself. Things like ordering a peppermint mocha and walking slowly through a mall to look at all the decorations, reading a book while listening to George Winston's 'December' album, sewing a pair of PJ pants for Raj, drinking as much egg nog as I want, opening a bottle of red wine and watching holiday inn, or putting up my little brass Christmas tree.

6. I eat cheese. How amazing do some of these Martha Stewart cheese platters look? Yum!

What is Kombucha?

2010-11-28T14:08:00.000-08:00

According to Wikipedia:

"Kombucha is a fermented tea that is often drunk for medicinal purposes. There are scientific studies that support the health benefits of Kombucha that show it to be antimicrobial, anticancer, to havehepatoprotective qualities, and to be antioxidative among other benefits. Kombucha is available commercially and can be made at home by fermenting tea using a visible, solid mass of yeast and bacteriawhich forms the kombucha culture which is often referred to as the "mushroom" or the "mother"."

Sounds delicious, no?

Seriously though, I luuurves me some Kombucha.

It makes me feel good.

Immediately.

And naturally.

Part of that reason is that, being fermented, Kombucha contains traces of alcohol. Not enough alcohol that anyone should worry. It is perfectly safe for anyone- including children and adults who for whatever reason don't drink alcohol. However, there is definitley something in the drink that makes you a bit more....relaxed. In a good way.

On top of that, the long term health benefits of Kombucha are phenomenal. People claim that it has been the driving force in fights against all kinds of cancers...and even the word "cure" has been thrown out there a few times. While most nutritionists will tell you not to drink anything with your meals, including water, the exception to this is, yes, Kombucha, which actually aids digestion rather that hindering your stomach acids.

With that said, it's for sure an acquired taste. Upon your first drink, it will taste vinegar-y and odd. I encourage you to try different flavors in order to find your favorites. Mind are guava and ginger. After a while you will, as I have, grow to love the flavor. It is naturally effervescent, which satisfies when I am craving something bubbly.

I don't think conventional grocery stores sell Kombucha drinks yet. You will have to check health and specialty food stores. Or you can make you own quite easily...if you don't mind "mother mushroom" bacteria sitting in a jar on your counter for 3 months....

Epic Win

2010-11-26T20:47:00.000-08:00

I had absolutely no intentions of making dinner on Wednesday after a full day of Thanksgiving prep. However, the record breaking sub-freezing weather and ice rink roads decided differently for me. Luckily, I had this amazing soup in my "to make" file, so at 5:00 pm I did a run through of my pantry and then rang Raj and asked him to stop and buy 2 pounds of cod on his walk/light rail ride home from work.

This soup took only about 30 minutes to make, and combined with the quinoa I used instead of couscous, made a perfect and healthy pre-Thanksgiving dinner for the 6 people I am feeding right now. Fish soup is just a little different for Americans, which makes it even more exciting.

The recipe is here from the NY Times.

Annual Whitehouse "Turkey Pardon"

2010-11-25T15:34:00.000-08:00

Obama Outlines Moral, Philosophical Justifications For Turkey Pardon

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!

Thanksgiving Menu

2010-11-24T15:43:00.000-08:00

I hope that you are all cozy in your homes, prepping for your day of feasting tomorrow. I only have a bit of time to rest and tell you what we have planned this year. We are going very traditional, consisting of the best recipes we have found over the years. (Here are the links, also, if you need some last minute inspiration)

~Turkey

~Roasted vegetable casserole

~Dries cherry and Italian sausage stuffing

~Corn pudding

~Baked pecan yams

~Garlic mashed potatoes

~Green salad

~Golden onion pie

~Pumpkin pie (made with home made puree, and all butter pastry dough)

~Pecan pie

Great Fact of the Day

2010-11-23T15:27:00.001-08:00

Something you should buy at Costco: Kirkland Signature Organic Olive Oil

"Costco's Kirkland Signature Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil may be the best-kept secret in the store. At $9.99 for 1.5 liters, it is roughly half the cost of the well-known Bertolli brand, and yet, according to at least one independent study, it's much better. In a recent comparison of 19 olive oils on the market, The Olive Center, a research group at the University of California-Davis, found that Kirkland Organic was one of only five in the study not mixed with cheaper refined olive oil that can spoil the taste. The other four at the top of the list were all high-end brands that cost as much as five times Costco's. Make sure you buy the Costco version that's labeled organic, though, as opposed to the one that's simply called "extra virgin olive oil." It'll cost a little bit more, but it's worth it."

Something you should not buy at Costco: Imported Shrimp

"Most shrimp sold in the U.S. is imported from countries in Latin America and Southeast Asia, where environmental regulations are often lax or not enforced, according to the Environmental Defense Fund, (EDF), an education and advocacy non-profit. The EDF classifies shrimp imported from these regions as "eco-worst" for the environmentally destructive ways in which they are often farmed. Greenpeace took aim at Costco's seafood sustainability practices last June with an aggressive campaign called Oh No Costco. While Costco seafood buyer Bill Mardon says his company has entered into a partnership with the World Wildlife Fund to set global standards for shrimp farming, the specific objectives are still being discussed.

"Costco gets credit for starting down the road," says Tim Fitzgerald, senior policy analyst for oceans at of the EDF, "but they are still very early on." In the meantime, you're better off buying shrimp at Trader Joe's, which is much further along on the same path. After Greenpeace launched its Traitor Joe campaign in early 2009, Trader Joe's pledged to remove all non-sustainable seafood from its stores by the end of 2012, and it's already taken concrete steps in that direction."

{Information comes from this article here}

Do you want to be a baker?

2010-11-20T14:32:00.000-08:00

It's around the holidays that I miss and I don't miss having a baker job all at the same time.

On the one hand, it really gets you in the holiday mood. Seasonal pastries are being made, the bakery is cozy, and the joy and excitement on customers' faces when they see what you have made are infectious. You rush about the bakery trying to make deadlines, all the while feeling like one of Santa's elves.

On the other hand, you really do bake right through the holidays. If you get time off, it's only on the actual holiday. It's a small price to pay, though, for all the fun you have with the other bakers and pastry chefs in a commercial kitchen.

Whatever you are doing, don't forget to stop and enjoy this holiday season. Find joy in whatever you do. And HAVE FUN!

If you are interested in being a baker, here's an interview with another guy who thinks it's really fun, too.

Seriously Basic Roasted Chicken

2010-11-18T15:55:00.000-08:00

A few weeks back on Oprah, Jessica Seinfeld (Jerry's wife) did a show about simple and healthy cooking. While her and Oprah kind of got on my nerves, I couldn't help but acknowledge how spot on this basic roasted chicken recipe was. Seriously, anyone can make it.

Seriously Basic Roasted Chicken and Root Vegetables Recipe

1 whole chicken (4 pounds)
1 Tbsp. and 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 tsp. crushed black pepper
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lemon
6 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 pound carrots , cut into 3-inch sticks
1 pound parsnips , cut into 3-inch sticks
1 pound small red potatoes , halved

Directions

Heat the oven to 400°. On a sheet pan, toss the carrots, parsnips and potatoes with 2 tablespoons of oil, 4 sprigs rosemary, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Rinse and pat dry the chicken and season with the remaining salt and pepper, then rub with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Pierce the lemons several times with the tip of a paring knife and stuff, along with 2 sprigs of the rosemary, into the cavity of the chicken. Using cooking twine, tie the legs together.

Nestle the chicken among the vegetables and put in the oven—with the chicken's legs toward the back of the oven. Roast, stirring the vegetables once, until the chicken is cooked through (the internal temperature reaches 165° in the thickest part of the thigh), 55 to 60 minutes.

Carve and serve with the roasted vegetables.

...and mine!

2010-11-16T10:44:00.000-08:00

My mom likes to shop early.

So, you see, I'm doing her a favor.

Dear Santa (aka Mom & Dad),

{Mighty Leaf Tea Stainless Steel Tea Top Travel Mug $15. I saw this in a gift set today at Cost Plus with 8 tea bags and the mug for $19. So cool!}

{Set of 5 assorted reusable grocery bags made with vintage fabrics $35. Ahh, so cute! I'd probably use them for everything but groceries!}

{Black Wing Corkscrew $10.95}

{Recycled glass wine glasses $7.95. I love the greeny tint of recycled glassware, and the vintage feel of these.}

{Recycled glassware double old fashioned $4.95}

{Recycled pint glasses $12 each}

{Twixit clip combo pack $5.50. Don't tell any who sells, but I have found much of the Pampered Chef to be a bit disappointing. Not these chip clips, though. I forgot about an open bag of tortilla chips once for 3 months, and they were still crunchy! That's actually kinda scary...}

{Kamiak 2006 Cellar Select Red Wine. Will someone PLEASE find more of this for me? PLEASE???}

Holiday shopping- the Etsy edition.

2010-11-13T22:00:00.000-08:00

So it just dawned on me that in two weeks exactly we will be eating our Thanksgiving feast, and then the radio will be playing Christmas music (if it hasn't been already), and then we will blink and the time frame for shipping online gift orders is going to be passed! Aaaaugh!

Anyway, a few kitchen ideas from Etsy, most under $25. I know I appreciate something hand made so much more than mass produced merchandise. One of a kind gifts can be really special. Even better if these inspired you to make something on your own.

{Vintage parfait set $36. Seriously, how cute are these? I am about to buy them myself}

{Hand thrown travel mug with lid $22. There's something I love about pottery, and I'm really impressed if this was made with a water tight seal. That takes precision, folks.}

{Modern hot pad $10. Can't go on Etsy without finding a cute, hand made pot holder.}

{Large gingerbread boy cookie cutter $6.95. I've never seen such a fat little gingerbread man. It made me giggle!}

{Beautiful pedestal dessert/cake plate $25.}

{Snazzy zebra and polka dot apron $16.99.}

A story and a recipe

2010-11-11T17:33:00.000-08:00

My new brother in law, George, grew up on a Greek island- Crete, to be exact. His idea of winter is largely what mine was for the first 18 years of my life growing up in Los Angeles. That is, perhaps cool enough to wear long sleeve top at night time. Another interesting fact about George is that he is fluent in 4 languages. I only say this to let you know that when I talk about his funny mishaps with the English language, it's not to make fun of his intelligence...for Heaven's sake, I can barely get basic French!

As I said, George's English is fantastic, but we've found that although he knows certain words, the exact usage of said word can be a bit tricky. This combined with the fact that George has never lived anywhere cold has created a funny discussion around what the word "cozy" means. We have tried to explain it to him as a pleasant situation; something warm that makes you happy inside. He then later responds to that with an observation like, "Look at that cute squirrel! How cozy!"

"No no, George." We say.

But really, how do you explain cozy when it's such a...feeling? I've even tried to describe it with pictures of things that, to me, are cozy:

{my all time favorite Christmas album}

{a thick sweater}

{hot tea}

{snuggling with Toby in my down comforter}

{hanging out with my family and watching sports on a holiday}

{a weekend retreat to a cabin during the winter}

{a spice colored, soft, snuggly blanket}

Still, no amount of describing things can invoke a feeling.

Until...a few days ago when we took Toby for a walk. The sun had just gone down, it was chilly outside and silvery gray. We walked for a long while until we were freezing, and then went back to our house. When we walked through the door, we were greeted with golden light, jazz on the radio and the aroma of bean soup wafting through the door.

George said, "Oooh! This is so nice!"

"No, George," I said, "This is cozy!"

White Bean and Kale Soup

2 cups finely chopped kale

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 large cloves garlic

2-3 cups cooked white beans

1 ½ cups stock

1 cup water

1 tablespoon tomato paste

4 fresh sage leaves

1 teaspoon sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Freshly grate pecorino cheese

Wash kale and remove the stems from the leaves. Roll up kale leaves and cut into thin ribbons. Set aside

In a 4 quart soup pot, heat olive oil and sauté the garlic briefly over medium heat. Add about half of the cooked beans and the stock. Puree the rest of the beans and water in a blender along with the tomato paste and sage Stir the pureed beans into the soup. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Mix in kale and simmer until wilted (about 10 minutes). Add the lemon juice and enough water to make the soup a desirable thick consistency. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust seasonings. Serve the soup topped with pecorino.

Being Lavished Upon

2010-11-08T10:20:00.000-08:00

I have yet to convince my husband of this idea, but I am a firm believer in the "Birthday Week." That is, rather than just celebrating your birthday and feeling special for a day, take that happy feeling and turn it into a week. Now, this doesn't mean having a party and getting presents every night like Hanukah or anything. I just try to do something each day, no matter how small, that makes me happy. It could be anything from a latte from my favorite cafe' to a walk through a beautiful park.

Keeping that in mind, it's not even my birthday yet, and already I feel like I have been lavished upon by my friends and family. I have been taken to Salumi for lunch, to the Harvest Vine for brunch, and been baked a delicious home made apple crisp (by a friend who doesn't like to bake, mind you). Tomorrow (my actual birthday), I am being taken out to lunch, then for dinner my sister is making me a meal of my choosing (I asked for lamb burgers and home made yam fries, by the way). Wednesday I am being taken to afternoon tea at the Queen Mary Tea Room, and then finally Saturday we are going to Kell's Irish pub for an actual birthday get together of dinner and drinks and music.

Also, even before my actual birthday I have been given some incredibly thoughtful gifts. One friend gave me my favorite chocolate bar, and blew me away by tracking down and buying saomao- the fruit that I had in Cambodia and loved. Another gave me a delicious gourmet cupcake.

Do ya think people know I love food?

But you know something I love more than food?....PEOPLE! As fun as all these shared meals, gifts, and festivities are, I feel sooo blessed to have all these people who love me enough to take time out of their days and busy schedules to spend time and celebrate with me during my Birthday Week.

Here's to a week of fun!

It Doesn't Take Much...

2010-11-05T20:50:00.001-07:00

...to make me happy.

Just an amazingly beautiful, 70 degree fall day in November.

A pumpkin muffin from one of the best bakeries in the country.

And a perfectly made eggnog latte from a family owned cafe'.

Top it off with a hot bath at the end of the day and I am one happy camper!

That's all.

(Oh, and a new pair of boots doesn't hurt, either!)

Learning to Love Your Veggies

2010-11-04T23:21:00.001-07:00

Recently two articles from the New York Times about eating your vegetables came out. The first here was about the health benefits of veggies and how it's still not enough to inspire people to eat them. The second was in response to the 600 emails they received with tips on getting yourself and your family on the veggie train.

Happy reading!

$22.50

2010-11-03T22:08:00.000-07:00

That's what we agreed a nice bistro could charge for the meal I made tonight:

Cod Croquettes, Sweet Pepper Gravy, and Mashed Potatoes With Spinach. It does make it quite difficult to find places to eat out at when I know that I could make just as a good a meal or better at home.

Anyway, it was wonderfully delicious, surprisingly quick, and a complete meal in and of itself. Also, it made a lovely presentation.* The most shocking part of all was that the entire thing came from Rachel Ray's 30 Minute Meals....I know, can you believe it?

*Except for the fact that the red pepper gravy looks a little like throw-up to me....

Ooooh, dear, did I ruin that for you?

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-30T23:17:00.000-07:00

I hope you have a wonderful day full of good food and festivities. Crunch in leaves, meet your neighbors, and enjoy cozying up with hot chocolate after going out.

Me? I will be going to an early evening get together and then later on curling up on the couch with my family for a best ever pizza-wine-musicals night. On the schedule is Bordeaux, Pagliacci, and (in honor of Halloween weirdness) "The Rocky Horror Picture Show."

Enjoy!

If theres one thing I learned.

2010-10-29T13:15:00.000-07:00

At pastry school, like most schools I'm sure, we learned our trade by taking our projects apart into separate components. Also, like mastering other talents, my trade can be broken down into a few basic skills that are repeated. Once one understands these elements, the idea of baking and creating amazing pastries is much less daunting.

Is that confusing? Let me give you an example: Boston cream pie is my husband's favorite cake. It consists of layers of vanilla cake, vanilla pastry cream, whipped cream, and chocolate ganache. Each of these ingredients can be combined differently and slightly altered to make other delicious desserts:

Vanilla pastry cream = vanilla pudding or cream puff filling

Whipped cream = easy topping for pie, fruit, or hot chocolate

Chocolate ganache = chocolate truffles or tart filling

Vanilla cake = the base for marble cake, strawberry shortcake, pineapple upsidedown cake, etc...

My point is this- everything gets used and reused to make endless varieties of desserts. Not only is this economical, but it's time saving in a kitchen.

For this very reason I love this cookie recipe from Southern Living that I got from a friend. It starts with the "Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie," which alone is good enough. To make it even better, it has variations that start with the same basic cookie dough which include anything from peanut butter to oatmeal raisin.

Last night when I baked some, I split the raw dough in half. To part I added basic chocolate chips, and the other I put in coconut and white chocolate.

You don't have to stick to only the suggestions in this recipe, either. Try using your own ideas!

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate morsels

Preparation

Beat butter and sugars at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until blended.

Combine flour, soda, and salt in a small bowl; gradually add to butter mixture, beating well. Stir in morsels. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets.

Bake at 350° for 8 to 14 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookies: Decrease salt to 1/2 teaspoon. Add 1 cup creamy peanut butter with butter and sugars. Increase flour to 2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons. Proceed as directed. (Dough will look a little moist.)

Oatmeal-Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies: Reduce flour to 2 cups. Add 1 cup uncooked quick-cooking oats to dry ingredients and 1 cup raisins with morsels. Proceed as directed.

Pecan-Chocolate Chip Cookies: Add 1 1/2 cups chopped, toasted pecans with morsels. Proceed as directed.

Almond-Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies: Reduce morsels to 1 cup. Add 1/2 cup slivered toasted almonds and 1 cup almond toffee bits. Proceed as directed.

Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies: Substitute 1 (12-ounce) package dark chocolate morsels for semisweet chocolate morsels. Proceed as directed.

Chunky Cherry-Double Chip Cookies: Microwave 1 tablespoon water and 1/2 cup dried cherries in a glass bowl at HIGH 30 seconds, stirring once. Let stand 10 minutes. Substitute 1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chunks for morsels. Add 1 cup white chocolate morsels, 1/3 cup slivered toasted almonds, and cherries with chocolate chunks. Proceed as directed.

Coconut-Macadamia Chunk Cookies: Substitute 1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chunks for morsels. Add 1 cup white chocolate morsels, 1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut, and 1/2 cup macadamia nuts with chocolate chunks. Proceed as directed.

Seriously?!?

2010-10-26T16:01:00.000-07:00

I have a Mr. Coffee 4-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker:

It's $19.99

I need a Mr. Coffe 4-Cup replacement carafe (to replace the one that I broke):

It's $15.23 plus shipping.....

SERIOUSLY?!?

The first of the season, and a season of firsts!

2010-10-22T17:16:00.000-07:00

The transition between summer and fall this year was an odd one. September was fairly warm and green, and then I went to Cambodia, where it was HOT and tropical (in fact, I couldn't remember being that hot in a long time). When I returned, it was frigid and the trees in front of my house were bright red! Rather than easing into fall, I kind of felt like I was blasted into a new season. I am jet lagged, but everyone else is thinking about Halloween and spiced cider....oh, well. Might as well ride the wave, right?

Enter my first pumpkin pie of the season.

Now, I do get tired of pumpkin pie after a while, but there's nothing like those first few silky bites that fill your mouth and head with the smells and spices of fall.

Speaking of firsts....MY GREEK BROTHER IN LAW IS FINALLY HERE!!!! I admit, I am guilty of complaining about many things about our US of A. But when it comes down to it (and I was harshly reminded of this in Cambodia), we live in a great country with great traditions and great opportunities. And when I called up George and invited him and my sister over for pumpkin pie, he thought I was inviting them over for a savory dinner. He has never had pumpkin pie! Nor has he had Thanksgiving, or driven on a freeway, or many things in between! It has been so much fun to re-experience and appreciate things through his Greek eyes. What a great reminder of things to be thankful for in the month leading up to my favorite holiday!

Back from the Bodge

2010-10-21T21:04:00.000-07:00

So sorry about the 3 weeks of nothingness. It just so happens that I have spent the better part of the month of October in Cambodia. While this wasn't necessarily a culinary trip, I can't help but view the world through food goggles....and I got some pretty good shots.

Although we had a busy schedule learning about the history and politics of Cambodia, helping out our friends, and visiting the slum villages (where the government has forced thousands of families to move into so that they could develop the valuable city land), we managed to eke in some foodie time.

{We had several delicious home cooked meals}

{As well as some great restaurant food. This entire meal cost less than $10}

One day, we went with a Khmai woman to a traditional market. I have to admit, with my high reverence for food it was a bit difficult for me to see that some of the most dirty, malodorous places in the cities are these markets. It didn't, however, take the natural beauty away from the local produce.

{veggies}

{duck eggs}

{friends at the market}

{asian pears, dragonfruit, oranges}

{limes}

As long as one avoided the road side stands (a warning we heeded), the food there was pretty fantastic, fresh, and interesting.

{saomao aka rambutan aka sweet hairy lychee things}

Cats morphing into croissants

2010-09-30T15:06:00.000-07:00

You may be getting tired of these nonsensical posts, but I just can't help it. Not when The Daily Wh.at has a post like this:

"If someone ever asks you to describe the Internet to them in four words look them straight in the eye and say 'cats morphing into croissants. The Internet is cats morphing into croissants.' Then walk away."

And since this is a pastry chef/ culinary school/ baking/ foodie blog, I shall leave you with a recipe. And since I am not patient enough to make croissants at home, here is a fantastic and fun (fantastically fun!) beignet recipe to make. Mmmmm....

Suddenly it all makes sense...and chicken salad

2010-09-28T13:07:00.000-07:00

By now, I'm sure anyone who spends any amount of time on the internets and email has stumbled across this web phenomena:

Yes, I mean the "LOL Cat," who is the mascot and founder of icanhascheezburger.com

This cat, and that entire sense of humor, have never gripped me. Photos of cats and dogs with bad spelling and poor grammar? "Why is that supposed to be funny?" I thought, until just the other day when I was fixing this amazingly low fat and high protein chicken salad recipe. My so-adorable-we-wonder-if-he-is-indeed-actually-a-dog Yorkie, Toby, was standing next to me waiting to bum a chicken scrap (or five) and I managed to snap this picture on my phone:

When I looked at that pathetic photo, I could almost hear the little guy saying in my head...

"I can has chickin?"

And it all made sense.

I still don't die laughing like other people, and I doubt I'll ever subscribe to the website. However, the more I think about it, the more I think the creators of that first viral photo were on to something.

Married to the Baker

2010-09-23T19:12:00.000-07:00

Hello, I thought I would take this opportunity to stow away an entry on this blog. It's something I've been thinking about for quite a while, but just didn't get around to it.

You see, I have been reading my wife's entries in this blog for the past few years and like you have enjoyed reading about her forays into all different types of dishes and deserts. However, I thought you all wouldn't mind a break, and hopefully a bit of humor...

So what is it like being married to a baker and general food lover? Well, here is what Naka's adventures in cooking have meant to me:

Culinary School:

The baking assignments in school always resulted in a box full of pastries, bread, cookies, fill in the blank coming home on one or more nights each week. This seemed great at first, but after gaining 20 lbs. I decided that taking the "assignments" to work to share was the best strategy.

Planting a Garden:

Great idea, and aesthetically pleasing. What is less understood is how physically taxing it is to get all of the soil for a 2' by 8' from a local hardware store into our trunk and then out and up the hill to our back yard.

Baking for things like wedding showers and brunches:

This usually produces reject baking items or scraps that a spouse can munch on. However, the prime stuff is left in plain sight to tempt you while at the same time you know you can't have any of the good stuff. Bittersweet :)

Experimenting with new recipes

9 times out of 10, this is pure goodness. Being able to come home to a variety of dinners keeps a hungry spouse like me happy. I also like variety in food and enjoy almost every type of food, so this is a real benefit.

Having a wife understand what good food is and wanting to buy the best quality:

Special cheeses
Organic, free range, grass fed, etc.

=EXPENSIVE

Well, that's it for me. Enjoy the blog...

Hot Buttered Toast

2010-09-19T12:23:00.000-07:00

For a few weeks I have been meaning to blog about toast. I was just about to write about it, when I noticed that Molly from Orangette had beat me to it. But I want you to know, toast was my own idea...if toast could be anyone's idea. I think that's the think about toast.

Who is the pig in the picture you ask? Why, that's Mercy Watson. You see, I have a little friend* who loves to read Mercy Watson books. Mercy is a porcine wonder who lives at 14 Deckawoo Drive and loves stacks of hot buttered toast.** She gets in to all kinds of mischief and trouble, but unfailingly seems to find a way to resolve each situation by sitting around the table with friends and eating hot buttered toast. Sometimes I will read the books to my friend before he takes a nap. Every time I then go downstairs and fix myself some hot buttered toast.

I will say it again- hot buttered toast. Now, you tell me if you can read that phrase over and over again and not begin to crave the crispy, golden, savory flavor. Oh, you can spread jam on it if you like. It is your toast after all. I, however, like it plain in the afternoon with some sweetened black tea...and guess where I'm going right now....

*He's 3, and today happens to be his birthday, which is why I was thinking about it in the first place.

** Can you tell I 've read these a lot?

Healthy Peruvian Asparagus Locavore Mathematician Bitches

2010-09-17T10:30:00.001-07:00

I am beginning to have a reasonably sized collection of articles that I want to share with you. Some I have gotten from friends, some I have found on my own, some I can't even remember where they came from. I haven't shared any yet, because I was having a hard time figuring out how to present them to you. One link per post doesn't seem like a sufficient blog, but it's hard to put them together, also.

But all that is not important. What is important is the contents of these articles, which I find informative and thought provoking. The three I am bringing you today really have no like themes whatsoever (hence the blog title). Some may even disagree at points. What they do have in common is that they all must be read critically, letting you, the reader, form your own conclusions on the matter. Hopefully they will spur you on to think for yourself. Can you do it??

Are toxins making you fat? Comes from the co-author of the semi-famous book Skinny Bitch. The two girls who wrote it certainly practice what they preach, and it's working for them, so I feel what they say must have some merit.

Math Lessons for Locavores was in the NY Times a while back. It's an interesting take on eating local- or at least one's environmental motivations for doing so.

And speaking of environmental issues, who knew asparagus would be one? This article explains how regions of Peru are in danger of permanently damaging water supplies in order to grow and feed the world (Namely, GB) asparagus. I'm not saying we need to stop eating asparagus from Peru, but I do think it's a good reminder of mindful consumerism. Everything you do, including eating vegetables, can have an impact.

That should keep you busy for a while!

PS. Just for fun, I googled the title of this blog and decided to post the #1 image that came up. It was Top Chef (I think?)

Is that host, Padma, Peruvian or something?

Nutella Swirl Banana Bread

2010-09-10T10:24:00.001-07:00

I love this, and I think I shall forever more make banana bread in this fashion. I started with this recipe from Cooking Light as inspiration. However, I don't know if you want to use that recipe, because while it was low fat, it was bit on the dry side. You can really use any of your own, favorite banana bread recipes.

Start with:

1 recipe for plain banana bread batter

In a pyrex measuring cup, measure about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of Nutella. Microwave it for about 30 seconds until it's soft. Measure out 1 cup of banana bread batter and mix it with the Nutella. Alternate spooning in the plain batter and the Nutella batter until it is all used. Take a small paring knife and swirl around until the batter looks marbled. Bake as directed.

Me and Goji

2010-09-09T21:06:00.000-07:00

I am still trying to decide what I think about this....It's quite a brilliant business idea. At www.meandgoji.com you can build your own custom cereal. You pick your own personal base, flavors, and add-ons...and you can name your own cereal, too! The ingredients are, indeed, whole and healthy.

Here's where someone got smart. Just for fun, I made a mix online. It's like ordering a pizza, but with cereal. Oh! Cocoa nibs I love those! Mmmm goji berries are so healthy. Well, this all needs a little nutmeg and cinnamon...and quinoa flakes for protein. And pouf! There you have an $11 cereal. Plus $4.99 shipping. In their defense, the ever so modern "cereal capsule" does hold about twice as much as a normal box of cereal, but that's still for at least three times as much money. Even for a high quality cereal.

I am inspired, though, to go to my local natural food store and make the same cereal out of the bulk section. I'm craving it now, anyway.

I just died in your arms tonight this morning

2010-09-07T20:46:00.000-07:00

Ooooh Portland, how you tempt me. Besides having a plethora of beautiful old houses well within our price range of affordability, you also have some fantastic food (also well within our price range of affordability).

I just could not believe the prices when we went to the Waffle Window on Saturday morning. I really did just about die...but let me back up. The Waffle Window is exactly what it sounds like...a window...that sells waffles...with a couple of tables set up outside to eat on. I was snobbily reluctant to eat there when it was suggested to me, but I went along and am so glad I did. These are no ordinary waffles. Let me explain by telling you what we ordered.

Raj and I shared the "Farm Fusion"

{mushrooms, spinach, roasted peppers, tomatoes, bacon, and marinated chevre}

And the "Granola and Fruit Waffle"

{house made granola, vanilla yogurt, seasonal fresh fruit}

And though we were absolutely stuffed after these two, still ordered a banana nutella waffle for dessert.

{exactly what it looks like}

Our total bill? $13. Oooh, Portland, you do tempt me so.

Moussaka, Moussaka, Moussaka!

2010-09-06T20:22:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know much about my personal life, my sister married a Greek man exactly a year ago next week. This past year has been an incredibly frustrating emotional roller coaster as we have been waiting (and waiting...and waiting...) for George's immigration to go through. Now FINALLY the wait is almost over. His interview is in Athens on September 15th, and he should be here by the end of the month! (Good vibes, everyone, good vibes...)

I can't imagine what it must be like to move on the other side of the world- especially from a place where the food is so good (Greece) to a place where McDonalds is still considered a treat (the US). I have been brushing up on my Greek food to help my brother in law feel at home when he comes.

I started yesterday with Moussaka. (what is moussaka?) I used a recipe from a Greek cookbook, but it was missing some of the essential elements that I remember eating when I was there. Because of this, I won't give you the recipe I made- although it was still pretty dang good. Next time I will make this one here. If you make it, don't substitute ground beef for ground lamb. It's just not the real deal. Nor is it as healthy.

Don't be put off by how many steps there are. It's no more labor intensive than lasagna. Not to mention it's a big recipe and will last you at least two meals. And it's better the second day, so it all works out. Worth it!

Flower Shower Power

2010-08-29T18:03:00.001-07:00

Even though I am not currently working in any kind of pastry or baking job, I am- and forever will be- happy I went to pastry school. I had the opportunity to make the above cupcakes for a baby shower last weekend.

I have so much fun doing this stuff.

And I'm starting to sense a theme. Baby showers + flowers.

Remember these?

{Two other baby showers I baked flowery cupcakes for.}

That's me and the adorable Christi from flora+domus, who did the other 90% of the work for the shower.

I love these.

2010-08-27T10:11:00.000-07:00

LOVE

THESE

These paintings were featured on DesignSponge the other day. If only I could make it to San Francisco on September 6 to see their opening in the art gallery....sigh...

Goin' Campin'

2010-08-25T09:40:00.000-07:00

I used to think camping was such an economical way to have a relaxing weekend.

I went with my family (and friend's families!) frequently when I was growing up. As a kid camping, I never realized just how many details need to be planned in order to ensure these weekends are, in fact, relaxing.

This weekend is going to be the first camping trip ever for my husband and I in six years of marriage. It's not that we didn't want to go sooner, but rather that we just never got around to it. But finally, a few weeks ago, we started buying supplies (including the above tent). $600 later, we realized that for that much money we could have gone away on a fairly nice weekend escape. HOWEVER, we're hoping these supplies will be more of an investment and at some point prove, in fact, economical.

My lack of experience in being the one in charge has left me at a loss on what to cook while we are there. Since it's just the two of us, I wanted to make things that are special and delicious but still centered around the idea of camping.

I started with these ideas from Food and Wine, but wasn't all that wowed. Next, I began searching Sunset Magazine, because they are centered around travel and the outdoors anyway. They had a list of "21 Great Camping Eats," which I found much more inspiring. I place on making Honey-Rosemary Lamb Sandwiches and if I have time to prep, these Thai Turkey Sausages sound amazing.

Other than that, I think I am going to cook up a batch of my chili, bake some cornbread the day before, and maybe go buy some ground chorizo to have with eggs for breakfast. Add some snacks (and S'Mores!), lunch meat for sandwiches while hiking, and lots of fruits and veggies, and we're set!... I think......

Out of sheer laziness.

2010-08-12T22:11:00.000-07:00

I officially really, really love quinoa. I know quinoa isn't the newest food on the market these days, but I kinda view it like I do skinny jeans: they have been popular for a few years now. At first, I shied away because they were different. Then, they got so trendy that I tried to avoid them out of principle. And yet, after awhile I grew to realize something- hey, this is awesome! (BTW- I officially really, really love my skinny jeans, too).

I could tell you that next to barley quinoa has the highest protein content of any grain. I could tell you that it serves the exact same purpose as couscous in every recipe I have tried so far. I could tell you that it really tastes so much better than brown rice (especially when made with chicken or vegetable stock). Yes, all these things are true, but if I'm honest, what's the real reason I started making quinoa so often?...because it cooks in 15 minutes.

Am I the only person who at least once a week has dinner hot and ready and then realizes that she forgot to start the brown rice 45 minutes ago? "Crap!" I say out loud in my kitchen, and then scramble to make something healthy and whole grain. (or sometimes I just give up)

Not only that, but you know what else takes 40 minutes to cook? Steel cut oats. I am not a morning person. I wake up crabby (I know what many of you are thinking right now. "No kidding."), and the last thing I want to do is wait 40 minutes for my breakfast to be ready. I have just discovered that quinoa is awesome when cooked in coconut milk and served as you would oatmeal; with maple syrup or brown sugar, fruit, and nuts. It's actually quite rich and filling.

If you don't want to start with a recipe, you can do as I did in the picture above and throw any and all of your leftover veggies together with a hot pan of quinoa. Then, throw in some chevre (simply because it never fails), and enjoy!

Only a Day Late...

2010-08-11T13:51:00.001-07:00

...as I usually am.

Yesterday was National S'mores Day

Which is certainly no reason not to celebrate today.

Really, is there a greater combination of flavors?

If you somehow think so, you could always try a toasted marshmallow shake instead.

I'm all over it. {most of the photos courtesy Martha Stewart}

{Sorry about the bad quality, but I couldn't help but include this scene.}

"This is smores stuff. First you take the graham. You stick the chocolate on the graham. Then, you roast the mallow. When the mallows flaming, you stick it on the chocolate and cover it with the other end. Then, you scarf."

I'm a Berry Tart!!!

2010-08-09T11:32:00.000-07:00

"You enjoy life's luxuries, from fresh food to beautiful land. Like a fine berry tart, you approach life with great detail, care, and thoroughness."

What summer dessert are you??

Holy moly! There's a magazine all about chocolate!!!!

2010-07-31T15:58:00.000-07:00

I just discovered Cocoaroma Magazine- An internation magazine for chocolate connoseurs at a chocolate shop. It's a great magazine- done much better than many other dessert and pastry periodicals I've seen. There are, however, a few disappointing factors about Cocoaroma that I would like to talk about. I am still torn on how I feel about it, so I am going to list my thoughts by pros and cons.

Con: There are only six issues.
Pro: There's a magazine all about chocolate.

Con: New issues don't seem to be coming out very consistently, and you can't subscribe.
Pro: There is a magazine all about chocolate.

Con: Each issue is $10, and the older ones are $15. Basically, the price of a cookbook.
Pro: There's a magazine all about chocolate.

Con: The issues are hard to get ahold of. The only way I've seen is to order directly from the website.
Pro: There's a magazine all about chocolate.

Thoughts?

Just.........just make this

2010-07-30T15:54:00.001-07:00

{no need to perfect or adapt this perfect photo and recipe from Williams Sonoma}

White Sangria

6 peaches, plums or nectarines, or your favorite
combination of stone fruits, halved, pitted and
sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 1/2 cups peach nectar
1/4 cup orange liqueur, such as Cointreau
1 bottle (750ml) dry Spanish white wine (white
Rioja) or Sauvignon Blanc
2 cups club soda, or more, to taste
Ice cubes for serving

In a large pitcher, combine the fruit, peach nectar, orange liqueur and wine. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours.

Stir in the club soda and ladle the sangria into ice-filled glasses. Serve immediately. Serves 6 to 8.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Outdoor Entertaining, by George Dolese (Free Press, 2006).

My kind of shopping haul

2010-07-29T17:10:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of the most recent form of fashion video blogs where spoiled teenage girls with shrill, obnoxious voices post on Youtube videos of themselves bragging about their most recent "clothes haul" from a shopping trip? If you haven't, you're lucky. For some odd reason some of the videos have gone totally viral, and I just don't get it. Maybe I'm getting old. {here is one for reference.}

This spoof on it is a total crack up, and I find it more interesting anyway.

A Fortunate Girl I Am

2010-07-28T10:03:00.000-07:00

As if getting to vacation in Hawaii isn't enough....I have been lucky enough to be able to dine at four of the best restaurants on the big island.

I ate at the Canoe House in the Mauna Lani resort the last time I visited Hawaii. The fish is absolutely perfectly done here, and the atmosphere lovely. Service was really slow for us, but I think that might have been a fluke. And who cares when you're in Hawaii, anyway?

Raj and I had an incredibly romantic dinner at Brown's Beach House in the Fairmont Orchid, where we spent a couple of days. While the rest of the food was disappointingly overpriced at this resort, Brown's Beach House- their signature restaurant- was really tasty and plated beautifully. The ambiance was great, as our table was candle lit and nearly on the beach, and the service impeccable. I had phyllo wrapped tempura prawns as an appetizer, and braised short ribs on risotto for my entree. I was very happy. I believe they have a local ingredient standard.

Pahui'a at the amazing Four Season's Hualalai resort was by far the fanciest dining we did. In fact, the prices were so high here that rather than dinner we went for cocktails and appetizers. Even so, the bill for 5 people was still over $300. It's more than worth it, though. Pahui'a certainly lives up to its Four Seasons name in quality and price. The Hawaiian/Asian inspired menu was creative and fantastic.

Lastly, the biggest must eat on the island is Merriman's. You know you're at a good restaurant when the specials on the menu are foods that the owner chef hunted and fished himself that very day. There are not enough words to describe how much I love this place. Everything that comes out of the kitchen has been grown in Hawaii by small local farmers. Every. Single. Thing. The freshness of the ingredients combined with a creative chef make for one of the most spectacular meals I have ever had.

My Hawaiian Souvenir

2010-07-27T21:43:00.001-07:00

So, I spent last week in Hawaii- The Big Island, to be exact.

It was an absolutely wonderful time, and I wanted something to remind me of my fabulous vacation when I got back.

The problem is- I can't stand the junk that tourist shops sell with merchandise all made in China and stamped "Hawaii." Not to mention, I hate clutter and even things made on the island don't really go with my home decor style. What's a girl to do?

Buy chocolate of course!

Fortunately for us, we found the Sweet Paradise Chocolatier early in the week and were able to go back many times during the week. Along with being absolutely beautiful, all the chocolates are hand made and use ingredients from the Hawaiian Islands whenever possible. I hand picked my box of twelve. The flavors are as follows:

{First row, starting from left} Mango Mojito, Macadamia Nut Gianduja, Fresh Coconut, Coconut Creme Brulee

{Second row} 70% Dark Truffle, Tahitian Lime, Strawberry Guava, Banana Maui Rum

{Third row} Island Spice, Pineapple Passion Fruit, Toasted Coconut, Smoked Lava Salted Caramel

I won't tell you exactly how much this box cost, but let's just say it was roughly $4 per truffle. Totally worth it.

Cannelle et Vannille- My fellow pastry chef

2010-07-13T16:05:00.000-07:00

Easy recipe for an amazing food blog:

1 culinary degree
1 good camera
An extremely fabulous eye for beauty and taking good photos
An upbringing in the Basque region

See now? Anyone can do it!

I found Cannelle et Vannille when I was looking online for recipes for gluten intolerance. I started looking at the page and my jaw dropped. It's absolutely the most beautiful food blog I've come across. When I finally was able to peel my eyes off the amazing photos and get down to the important stuff (the recipes), I found they were even better than the visuals. I'm telling you- it's like the cookbook that keeps giving. Not to mention I feel connected to her through our love of baking and sweets.

Luckily, as I was just dying to know what kind of person was behind this blog that had made me so incredibly ~~green with envy~~ fascinated, the blog had a bio page. As it turns out, this masterpiece was created by Aran Goyoaga, a pastry chef/ mother/ blogger/ food artist. And if I wasn't ~~jealous~~ impressed enough, she is from the Basque region- a spot between Spain and France that I have ever so long wanted to travel to because of it's beautiful scenery and amazing cuisine.

In the end, I love you all enough to share this fantastic blog with you. Even if it does mean you completely forget about my little blog and start logging daily onto hers instead. But who's comparing, right?

{Recipes I intend to try}
Raspberry, cocoa nib, and mesquite cookies
Heirloom tomato and quinoa galette
Apricot, pistachio, and lemon shortbread
Chocolate, hazelnut, and coconut mousse cakes

I've found a great use for Twitter.

2010-07-12T10:28:00.001-07:00

Quite honestly, I think it's my age that has kept me disinterested. I am finally a generation removed from the most sensory-overloading new technology. {And frankly, there are few people for whom I care that much about what he or she is doing every every second of every day}. Do you really always want to know when all your friends are showering, driving in traffic, watching a movie, thinking philosophically....?

I tried following news Twits, but that, too was too much. Still, with the ten-plus tweets a day from just one news source...I can't handle that. I like peace and simplification (and I now officially LOVE watching British parliament on C-Span. Soooo funny!).

Then it hit me- I don't read a local daily newspaper, so I often miss out on the goings-on of my favorite restaurants. Lots of great places have things like cheese and wine night or buy one get one free coconut milk softserve, and I feel out of the loop when they pass me by and I find out later.

NOT ANYMORE!

I have now subscribed to the Twitterings of all my favorite restaurants. I am up to date when they get a fresh batch of local heirloom tomatoes, or have a weekend trout special, and I'm all over it! It's really a great way for a restaurant to advertise, really.

I wonder- does this mean I care about food more than I care about my friends?

Why you should make this salad

2010-07-05T16:26:00.001-07:00

Above is the (actual) salad I made for the brunch I had a couple of weeks ago. The main reason I chose that recipe was because my friend had just linked to it on Facebook a couple of days before, and it sounded like a good no brainer. {the link is here- from the NY Times} Since I was feeding 40 and didn't want to spend too much money or time cutting fennel and bell peppers, I added lettuce to the mix the first time to fluff it up.

Yesterday I made it again to bring a Fourth of July dinner at a friend's house. This time I followed the exact recipe, with one exception of replacing the lemon juice in the dressing with whole grain mustard (if you recall, I often compulsively add whole grain mustard to anything and everything savory I prepare). It looked a lot more like the photo below, with the addition of a few mustard seeds.

Here is why you should make it this summer:

1} It's super healthy.

2} Unlike lettuce, it won't get wilty.

3} It's something different, so when you go to a potluck that has ten salads made with greens, yours will stand out.

4} It takes about ten minutes.

5} It's beautiful.

6} Oh, and it's really really yummy.