Brownies, Baby!

When I get the urge to bake, I have to B-A-K-E! One of the pros of staying with my dad is being able to bake in his 1950's O'Keefe & Merritt gas stove. It has always baked like a dream and now the dream has come full circle. Earlier this week, I decided to bake brownies and I turned to the Downtown Bakery Brownies recipe from David Lebovitz's, The Great Book of Chocolate. David has been a rock solid powerhouse when it comes to all things dessert. And this recipe does not disappoint. Rich and chocolately. Nutty and warm, topped off with a simple chocolate ganache which takes them to a whole other level. This great cookbook has other delicious recipes and useful information for those with a baking flair.

Mango Mama.

Last night my dad and I went grocery shopping at two of my favorite grocery stores- Whole Foods and Trader Joes (Sorry Ft. Wayners, neither exist in your area,closest is Indy). We bought some delicious albacore and planned on grilling it, along with some veggies (yellow squash pictured above). I've always loved grilled fish with mango salsa, but had never made my own, so I decided to top off the grilled albacore with it! Off to Vallarta I went, this afternoon, and picked up some cheap and delicious produce to toss into this heavenly concotion. So what's inmy mango salsa,you ask? One mango, about 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro, 1 minced jalapeno, half of a red onion, 1 small diced avocado, juice of one lime, salt and pepper to taste. The salsa was so refreshing and it featured all of the qualities with respect to flavor. The sweet succulence of the mango, the heat of the jalapeno, the freshness of cilantro, tang from the lime and buttery and creaminess from the avocado. A delicious and healthy way to top off a piece of grilled meat. Try it sometime, you will thank me. I swear.

PS - Must give props to my dad who grilled the fish,he marinated it in a little soy sauce, lemon juice and olive oil! He's the grilling master!

Julie & Julia

Last night, a foodie friend and I went to a showing of the new film, Julie & Julia. Written and directed by Nora Ephron, this film combines two wonderful foodie books, My Life in France by Julia Child and Julie & Julia by Julie Powell. My Life in France focuses on a decade when Julia and Paul Child lived in France, and essentially follows the story of how Julia Child pursued her favorite hobby, eating. Child went to the Le Cordon Bleu school for cooking and later started teaching Americans in Paris how to cook. Julie & Julia, the book, is based on Julie Powell's year long blog dedicated to completing 524 recipes (all from Mastering the Art of French Cooking) in one year. For all you foodies out there, the film is inspirational. When we left the theater, all we wanted to do was COOK!

I'm still getting adjusted to the west coast lifestyle, so I haven't yet mustered the desire to cook but after that movie, I'm being lured into the kitchen.......and even if you're not a "foodie" or don't enjoy cooking, the film is enjoyable. Meryl Streep's performance is divine! Bon Appetit!