Tibet Nepal House

Last night, I met an old friend for dinner in Pasadena, it was Tibetan food, a first for me. We dined at the Tibet Nepal House, located on Holly Street in the heart of downtown Pasadena. If I were to compare it to other ethnic cuisine, I would say there's a distinct connection to Indian food, minus the heat and intensity of flavor palettes. My experience with Tibetan food is very primitive obviously, but I enjoyed trying something new.

The Himalayan Chicken consisted of leg and thigh pieces roasted in a clay oven with a mixture of different spices. It sizzled to our table on a bed of onions begging us to dig in and devour. Squeeze a lemon segment over it and it brought out all the flavor from the chicken. It was moist and delicious. Masala Kukhura reminded me a Chicken Tikka Masala with its rich creamy sauce, however, it was slightly nutty and sweet. Again, the chicken was cooked to perfection. And the sauce poured on top of some rice really did the trick! A side of Aloo Phulkopi Tarkaari starred potatoes and cauliflower in a delicate sauce, cooked with onions and tomatoes. The only "downers" of the meal were the garlic naan and the rice. What can I say, I've been spoiled by Electric Lotus' garlic naan! And I could tell the rice had been sitting around, it was dry. They do feature lamb dishes, goat and yak, which is apparently what they are known for.

The restaurant offers a lunch buffet throughout the week ($8.99 during the week and $9.99 on the weekends). It may be worth trying another time for more variety, but I'd have to say this restaurant definitely "peaked" my curiosity further when it comes to Tibet and its cuisine. I will have to do some further investigation when it comes to Tibetan food in Los Angeles.

NPR and Cakes.

Call it what you may, but living in Los Angeles forces most of us to spend some "quality time" in our vehicles driving to and from work. Last night, sitting in traffic, I was listening to NPR and caught a wonderful story which featured a very special lady. Melissa Gray (who works at NPR) is known around the office as a "baking guru". It's not hard to spot this kind of colleague, those employees who spend evenings in front of an oven, rolling out pie dough, or whipping up some homemade buttercream frosting for a delicate sponge cake. You know the kind I'm talking about, I happen to fall into that category myself. And as a result of Melissa's dedication and love for baking cakes of all treats, she has published a book entitled "All Cakes Considered". The title is a play on NPR's broadcast, All Things Considered. As I continued my commute out of downtown Los Angeles, Melissa's featured recipe for Sweet Potato Pound Cake practically had me foaming at the mouth. Click on the link above to hear the story, read the article and print the recipe. I know what I'm going to bake this weekend, and now you do too.

Photo courtesy of www.npr.com

The Sweet Life in Paris.

I literally just finished reading David Lebovitz' memoir of living in Paris, The Sweet Life in Paris. Once a pastry chef at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Lebovitz moved to Paris and chronicles the ups and downs of acclimating to the Parisian lifestyle. Witty, clever, and laugh-out-loud moments pull you into this "slice of life" vacation from your worries and woes. It's in the number one destination slot for me (followed by Spain) and this memoir only cements my desire to travel there sooner rather than later. In addition to entertaining reading, David includes some to-die-for recipes (if your mouth doesn't water or if you don't drool after perusing the recipes, perhaps you should be committed for psychiatric evaluation. If you enjoy a foodie/travel memoir, you are sure to enjoy this one. You should visit his blog too (Link is above) to check out more of his adventures while living Paris.

The Green Kitchen

http://www.alicewatersgreenkitchen.com/

Last night, I came upon, a fabulous internet series, created by Alice Waters, called The Green Kitchen. I wanted to share the link with you all as I think the mission and purpose of this short series is something worth sharing, especially, for learning basic culinary skills! Many well known chefs are featured in these less than 10 minute episodes, sharing how to make a simple viniagrette to making salsas, and the basics of roasting a chicken. I encourage everyone to watch a few episodes, you will definitely learn something new, if, not brush up on a few everday skills! And pass the link on to your friends and family.

cake rituals.

One of the things I love about cooking and food is the relationship between certain foods and our memories. My stepdad fondly remembered his grandmother in Oklahoma baking him a certain chocolate caked called Gertrude Armstrong Cake. Now I'm not quite sure the evolution of its name, but having a fondness for baking, when I met my stepdad, I decided to do some research and find a recipe for his favorite childhood sweet treat.

Everytime I spend time with my mom and stepdad in Washington (and when they lived in Utah) I have to make this cake ( I feel guilty if I don't), and sometimes I've been known to make 2 cakes during my visit. When I visited them the first week of September, I made him one cake with its traditional uber sweet (thanks to powdered sugar) frosting. The second go round, I made it with a chocolate ganache frosting - which is pictured above (my personal favorite).

Delancey.

I have often ranted and raved about one of my favorite foodie bloggers, Molly Wizenberg of Orangette. I spent last week visiting my mom and stepdad in Seattle (they live on Whidbey Island) and had the distinct pleasure of dining at Delancey with my mom.

When Molly's book, A Handmade Life, was released earlier this year, I eagerly awaited her appearance at a book signing in the midwest, but she didn't quite make it that far....and so I asked (begged and pleaded, sorta) my mom to attend a book signing in Seattle and have my book signed. Much to my mother's surprise, she had a splendid time at the event and read the book at a much needed getaway to Arch Cape, Oregon.

While planning our trip, I made it clear, WE MUST GO TO DELANCEY. And alas this past Thursday, after spending a lovely (and FREE) afternoon at the Seattle Art Museum, soaking in the rays of glorious modern art, we headed over to the Seattle suburb of Ballard to grab a seat at Delancey.


Luck would have it when we arrived, the wait for a table was 45-60 minutes but there were two seats at the bar, and so we dove for them. It really was a special treat to sit there, we got to watch Brandon, Molly and their crew, prepare pizzas, etc. The bar is literally where all the action is. In fact, had we not sat at the bar, we wouldn't have met our chatty diner, Matt (who has frequented Delancey two to three times a week since it has opened) and we wouldn't have had the chance to meet and chat with Molly.

To start we split a salad with grana padano, thinly sliced radishes and a red wine viniagrette. Simple and fresh. Matt convinced us to order the "Padron", a wood fired pizza topped with padron chiles, grana padano, aged and mozzarella. Honestly, it didn't take much convincing, both my mother and I are "spicy" indeed, and I'm not just talking about chiles! :) Watching Brandon monitor the wood fire oven's temperature constantly, you could tell he's serious about HEAT. The pizzas nearly take two to three minutes to bake. It's that HOT. And in my humble opinion, I would've waited half an hour for a pizza that good. The crust was delicate and puffy pockets of air filled special crevices that melted in your mouth. Heaven, we were in heaven.........which leads to us to dessert.

Two choices, we had to indulge with both - Molly's famous chocolate chip cookies with grey salt and an organic blackberry yogurt popsicle. Every adult and child's favorites, cookies and ice cream. All that was missing was a chilled glass of 2% milk to accompany them both. The cookie was delicious, chewy and crunchy all at the same time. The grey salt brought out the chocolate chips, made them sing, in fact. The blackberry popsicle was savory and sweet. There wasn't an ounce of guilt for eating such delicious treats.

Between our chatty conversations with other foodies and taking in the pleasures of simple food, prepared with heart and soul, it was meal to be remembered. Thank you Molly and Brandon, thank you.

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!

Los Angeles Bound.

I may have mentioned in some recent posts that I am moving back to California in a few weeks (two to be exact), and I wanted to let you know that it is fast approaching and I won't be able to devote any time to sharing my foodie adventures until I get back to California. More than likely, I will be changing the name of my blog and revamping a few things, but until then, peace and good eats! My brother, Benjamin, is driving across country with me and we will be making some culinary stops along the way, so I'm sure my west coast blogs will cover some of the gems we eat at along the drive! Thanks for continuing to check in here! And I will see you all on the WEST side! Cheers!

For the love of a meatball....

In the midst of packing up my life, I've had to rely on creative juices and my recipe box, which I have yet to pack, for sustenance. Practically all of my books, including my cookbook collection, are stowed away in neat little boxes until they breath again in Los Angeles. Anyhoo, I pulled out a Martha Stewart recipe for Swedish meatballs, and last night, finally made these delightful balls of meat (ground sirloin and ground pork, by the way). Classic meatballs, these were flavored with my trusty friends, nutmeg and allspice, and topped with a lovely gravy made from beef stock, red wine and flour. Simple and delicious, I served them on top of some pasta and caramelized the crap out of an onion and some mushrooms. These meatballs were so delicious, I can't wait to eat the leftovers for lunch. Chock full of protein and flavor, these balls are a thing of beauty.

giada de laurentis and everyday pasta.

Most of you blog followers know I have been writing restaurant reviews and cookbook reviews for a local entertainment magazine in Fort Wayne. Part of the process I go through for reviewing cookbooks is to borrow them from the library, snuggle up on the couch and go through them. Soothing and inspiring, this process allows me to relax as well as research which books Fort Wayne foodies may benefit from most. One of the books I recently perused was Giada de Laurentis' Everyday Pasta. Not typically a fan of her show on Food Network, I was rather impressed with this book. Loved the layout and the majority of recipes seemed simple and intriguing, even for pasta (not your typical spaghetti and meatballs book). I made a soup from this book which brough together swiss chard, pancetta, ravioli (though the book listed tortellini, the store was out), carrots, cannellini beans, shallots and broth. I topped mine with a sprinkling of pecorino romano. I loved that it took less than 30 minutes to put together and that it was healthy too. I plan on trying one her pasta recipes this week, it's an artichoke pesto pasta!

yucatan lime soup.

So it's a weeknight, you want to make a light meal, you are strapped for time, what do you make? Well, why don't you pull out your Yucatan Lime Soup recipe?? I found this gem many years ago, thanks to the Food Network (it was an old episode of Emeril Live) and since then it's been like a trusty friend. This soup will be ready in about half an hour and requires minimal prep work. This lime juice infused soup contains chopped onions, cumin, 1 chopped chicken breast, a chopped serrano chili, a chopped tomato, garlic, chicken stock, cilantro and to garnish, some creamy avocado. And to boot some homemade tortilla chips seasoned with Emeril's essence (this has become a staple in my pantry, I especially enjoy its flavor in burgers). While the soup packs a little heat, it also packs some veggies, a wee bit of protein, and just enough zing to make your mouth perk up.

weekend baking.

A couple of weekends ago, I found myself in the mood to bake. I had tabbed a recipe in my recent issue of Gourmet magazine - a Raspberry Buttermilk Cake, and I was also in the mood for some homemade bread. So alas, I spend Saturday evening baking a rustic country bread (recipe from New School of Cooking) and on Sunday, I made this Raspberry Buttermilk Cake (which I brought to my small group on Monday night for devouring). The cake was moist and delicious, the raspberries enhanced this buttery cake with its sweet and tart qualities. A perfect afternoon dessert, goes especially well with coffee or tea. A light dessert, you could easily substitute the raspberries for a different berry or other fruit if you'd like. Nothing is like baking, especially bread. For me, it's always been a source of therapy. Using my hands, my energy to create a living organism (yeast that is). Yes it's timing consuming, but ever so worth it. The bread was dense, chewy and yielded a beautiful crumb. Just warm with butter, a sprinkly of kosher salt and jam made a fine late night snack. It's important to take time out and do something in life that brings you joy and pleasure, whether that takes place in the kitchen or elsewhere. Take time.

Obsession.

I don’t know about you but I have a slight obsession with food-related magazines. In fact quite a few years ago I started organizing and collecting recipes from the various magazines I subscribe to. Some may think it’s slightly “anal” and others may observe the genius behind my mini-obsession.

I make a concerted effort to try out new recipes and while perusing my assorted file folders, I found a recipe for Roasted Red Pepper and Fennel Soup, from a past issue of Rachael Ray’s magazine. It sounded delicious and I’ve been trying to eat more vegetables, one way or another, so I decided to give it a go.

Sometimes Rachael Ray recipes are a hit or miss, it’s really a gamble, but this gamble turned out to be rather delicious as well as nutritious. The soup consists of roasted red bell peppers, leeks, fennel, potato, chicken broth, salt, pepper, and a wee bit of heavy cream. Simple to make and soothing for your belly. It’s silky smooth texture was delightful and I was so pleased with this vegetable concoction. I will definitely keep this recipe in its rightful place.

Honorary Mexicans for a Day.

Hola amigos! I had a serious craving for some carne asada over the weekend and decided my Memorial Day would be spent honoring veterans by chowing down on some carne asada tacos and corn (Mexican style). I took my Latin inspiration from none other than Rick Bayless, author, chef, and PBS personality. I prepared a rustic roasted tomato salsa, which packed a helluva lot of heat to accompany the juicy, perfectly cooked carne asada (which I cooked my indoor grill). The carne asada (I used flank steak) marinated since morning in a garlicky ancho chile rub consisting of ground ancho chile powder, dried oregano, brown sugar, cumin, salt and pepper. Warm soft corn tortillas and guacamole turned these tacos into bites of bliss. I steamed some ears of sweet corn and doused them with a little butter, homemade mayonnaise, chili powder and squeezed some lime juice on them. The combination of sweet corn with the heat and acidity of the chili powder and lime juice, made for a dynamite explosion of flavors in my mouth. I kept tooting my own horn yesterday, mainly because it was my first attempt at salsa (THAT GOOD) and carne asada! My mouth and my belly were so happy, they were performing their own version of a "happy dance". Every meal should be so fruitful.

A Salad to Remember.

Springtime has made her "shout out loud" appearance here in Indiana and on Saturday, salad was on the brain. I already completed my bi-weekly grocery shopping excursion, but a deep seeded craving for "light and healthy" eating manifested itself and we succumbed to its calling. A trip to Fresh Market beckoned us, and together we created an interesting salad of mixed baby green lettuces, sliced red onion, diced avocado, diced mango ( a variety known as "champagne mangoes"), and toasted coconut. I dressed with a lemon viniagrette and all was well with the world.

The champagne mangoes were sweet and tart, a mild acidic flavor which danced on your tongue. They married well with the creaminess of the avocado and the sharpness of the red onion. We vacillated with the idea of topping it off with some shredded coconut, but after toasting it, I just could not resist. Knock yourself, make a salad, you won't be sorry.

Curried Coconut Lemongrass Soup.

Perhaps not the most "pretty' photograph I've taken, but it was so satisfying, that I had to share it with you! I have been venturing out more and more into the world of vegetarian cooking. It's a hit or miss out there, but Mark Bittman's, How to Cook Everything Vegetarian has proved to be very useful, so far. I adapted the recipe from his book. I added fried tofu (which I learned how to make from his book) and instead of porcini mushrooms, I used straw mushrooms, typical in many Thai soup recipes. In fact, straw mushrooms are the only "canned" mushroom I am unopposed to. One of the things I love about Thai cuisine is the play on your taste buds - sweet, sour, salty and spicy. Thai cuisine interlaces all of these unique flavors so well and I just can't seem to get enough of it. I'm an honorary Thai. The leftovers proved even tastier with the added flare of some garlic chili spice to kick up your sinuses.

oy vey, ole!

I don’t want to admit this, but since Molly Wizenberg of Orangette can spill the beans, so can I. There are recipes that fail miserably, be it oversight on my part or a poorly written recipe. For a foodie, it’s disheartening and often the source of anger, resentment and what I’d like to diagnose as “pad thai depression” (PTD). It happened Monday night. I was giddy to try a new recipe for pad thai that I pulled out from one of my favorite food magazines. It smelled good, it looked good, and all was right with the world until I took a bite. Overpowered by sriricha sauce, my pad thai was ruined (in my book) and I sunk into some serious PTD. Like an artist disappointed with a ruined canvas, I too, take it personally when something doesn’t turn out perfectly. Classic type “A” personality, yes, but also neurotic and passionate about the kitchen? Most definitely, especially after a weekend of successful cooking!

I was too distraught to post about the PTD, but I saved the best for last. Last Friday, I made chile rellanos. Chile rellanos are one of my all-time favorite Mexican dishes and I’ve always “oohed” and “aahed” over how the mechanic’s of this delicious treat, until now. Time consuming? Yes, yes, and yes. Not only did it test my culinary skills, but also required some last minute creativity. The effort paid off as you can see.

creamy cheese tortellini with asparagus

This month's issue of Gourmet brings many tempting recipes to test. On Sunday night, I made this delectable pasta dish on what was a very rainy and dreary day. The kinda day that makes me sigh and may even cause one to frown, and carry on a "blah" disposition. It's supposed to be "spring" and here in Indiana, spring often equates wet. Rain. Thunderstorms (the coolest, I might add). We even got some snow! But this pasta dish sprung my spirits back into spring with its delicate cream sauce and tender, crisp asparagus bits. Here's an adapted version of the recipe:

Creamy Cheese Tortellini with Asparagus (Gourmet - April 2009 issue, adapted)

4 c. reduced sodium chicken broth

2 strips of lemon zest

3 sprigs of thyme (or more if you like)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 bunch of asparagus, chopped into small pieces on diagonal

2/3 c. heavy cream

2 tsp. cornstarch

1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese

1 bag of dried, refrigerated or frozen cheese tortellini

Bring together broth, zest, thyme, garlic, and pepper to a boil and reduce til 1 c. is left. This took alot longer than the "6 mins" the recipe stated.

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.

Stir cornstarch into cream and whisk into broth until it boils and simmer for a few minutes til the sauce comes together. Add chopped asparagus and simmer until, crisp and tender, 2-3 mins. Add cooked pasta and grated cheese, stir unto well combined and heated through.

delight of the wonton.

It's been a while since I've made wonton soup, several years in fact. I was perusing my copy of Splendid Soups by James Peterson when I stumbled on this simple recipe for wonton soup. The wonder of this recipe is not only it's simplicity, but the open door that leads to culinary creativity. I stuffed my wontons with a mixture of ground pork, spinach, garlic, soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil, salt and pepper. I also added some chopped scallions, grated carrots, and raw spinach to the broth. For extra flavor, before devouring, I added some garlic chili paste for some heat and wee splash of soy sauce! The recipe also provided for other wonton stuffings as well, salmon for example, which trips my trigger. The possibilities are endless and this recipe offers you the opportunity to be creative with what you have on hand, as opposed to buying extra ingredients you may not use.

Chana Punjabi.

Scatterbrained. That's where I am today, but over the weekend I made this lovely Indian vegetarian dish called Chana Punjabi. After reading the blog post from The Wednesday Chef, I just had to make this dish. By clicking on the link above you can access the recipe yourself, today I'm too lazy to type it out for you! Heck, at least I'm honest! Lately, I've been having problems with certain animal proteins ( I think my body is rejecting them) and I'm looking into more plant-based recipes, no I'm not completing giving up meat, but I am reducing the amount of it that I consume as a "trial". If you dig Indian food, no doubt you will enjoy this simple and satisfying meal. Chickpeas are simmered (for about an hour) in this delicious tomato-onion based sauce spiced with garam masala, turmeric, chiles, salt, pepper, and conriander. Two heaping spoonfuls over fragrant steamed basmati lunch make a delight meal, day or night.

Scary recipes out there!

Are there recipes out there that scare the bee-jeezers out of you? There are a few phantom recipes that I have the desire to make but for some reason they intimidate me. It's silly really, but the fear of the unknown awaits. Crab cakes is one of those recipes that I' ve put off making because of this "fear". Well, last night I finally conquered it! I bought the crab claw meat at Fresh Market (typically a recipe asks for lump crabmeat, but I got a good deal on the claw meat and there wasn't a significant difference in the quailty). I used Mark Bittman's recipe from How to Cook Everything and they turned out real tasty. I even made my own mayonnaise for the recipe, those who know me well know I'm not a fan of mayonnaise unless it's homemade. Go for it, call me a food snob, I dare you. I also made a mixed greens salad with slivered carrots, sauteed mushrooms, and red onion. The salad dressing was made with my secret stash of green lemon olive oil and prima balsamic vinegar from O&Co. Yeah I spent a fortune on the olive oil and vinegar on a trip back to LA almost a year ago, but it was worth every penny! Drank a nice glass of Chardonnay by Mirrassou. It paired nicely with the crab cakes - it had notes of apricots, green apple, vanilla and honey. A special treat indeed, but I'm worth it and I'm not scared of making crab cakes.....

citrus equals goodness.

Tonight I'm going to "Salt Cafe", a hangout for 20-30s folks at a local church I've been attending, and since my chocolate chip cookies were a hit last week, I decided to bring another sweet treat for peeps to enjoy. Baked goods are one of the finest tricks to meeting new people and making friends. Plus it's just an excuse to exercise my baking arm. Earlier this week I got my April issue of Gourmet and while I perused it, I noticed an article on lemon-y desserts. The last recipe in the article, Lemon Glazed Butter Cake, caught my eye and I immediately folded over the end of the page. It sounded so simple and yet so delectable. Angels in heaven were singing "Make this recipe! Hark, the Lord, has spoken, bake this cake!". Okay, maybe that's not EXACTLY how it went down, but close enough. So, in case, this fine first day of spring harkens you into the kitchen, perhaps you should give this cake a go:

Lemon Glazed Butter Cake (April 2009 issue of Gourmet Magazine)

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

Rounded 1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. + 1 tbps. whole milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tbsp. lemon zest

1 stick unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

3/4 c. white sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 c. confectioners sugar

1/4 c. fresh lemon juice

Garnish: confectioners sugar, for dusting (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour an 8" cake pan.

2. Whisk together in a bowl, the flour, baking powder, and salt.

3. Whisk together in a measuring cup, the milk, vanilla, and lemon zest.

4. In an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar til its nice and fluffy - approx. 2 minutes.

5. One at a time, add each egg until combined.

6. On low speed, add flour in 3 batches, alternating with the milk mixture. You should begin and end with flour.

7. Pour batter into pan and tap the pan gently to release any air bubbles.

8. Bake until golden and toothpick comes out clean (30-40 mins).

9. Let cool in pan for 10 mins, then invert and cool on rack.

10. Whisk together until smooth, confectioners sugar and lemon juice - brush as much as you like onto cake. Cool completely.

dim sum anyone?

When you crave something, they say you should give it to yourself, otherwise you won't be happy. I dig this philosophy and fully embraced it over the weekend. I've been craving dim sum. Luckily back in Los Angeles, I had the pleasure of going out for dim sum on a regular basis, being that I worked downtown. Empress Pavilion, baby!! Dim sum is definitely a different style of eating. When you go out for dim sum, usually you're sitting in a big banguet hall and servers are pushing carts filled with all sorts of delectable treats. You kinda hail then down, like getting a taxi in NYC, and order what you want. Think of it as the Chinese version of tapas. One of my favorite dim sum treats is Sew Mai, steamed dumplings of ground pork and chopped shrimp. Dipped in a mixture of garlic chili sauce, hot mustard and soy sauce, I could easily drown in these delectable treats. I conveniently own a bamboo steamer, which is a cost effective steamer, not only for dim sum, but for veggies or meat too. I got this recipe from the New School of Cooking in Culver City, California, where I took a dim sum class a couple of years ago. Another reason I love making these is that they are a breeze to freeze, in fact last night I just popped a bunch back into the steamer until they were heated through and enjoyed.

a homemade life.

I want to plug the heck out of this book, and perhaps the above photo of the Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips and Crystallized Ginger will do the trick! It's the first recipe from Orangette's, A Homemade Life, that I made and successfully, I might add. Folks at the office really enjoyed it, especially with a cup of freshly brewed coffee (that was the buzz around the water cooler). Last night after a laugh-out-loud telephone conversation with my friend, Lydia, I snuck into bed, bundled underneath purple flannel sheets and finished the book. I've had the book for about a week and it was my intention to make it last as long as possible, but a week later, here I am, done with it. I tried my hardest, I really did, but each chapter was so deliciously enjoyable, I couldn't resist but read some more, which is truly a high compliment. An added extra bonus is that I want to make at least half of the recipes included, which says alot. Often memoirs offer a few recipes I'm interested in trying, but the real reason I read the book is for the "story". In this case, I read it for both. I'm a regular over at Orangette and the book has inspired me to continue blogging, writing restaurant reviews, etc. So thanks, Molly!

cheesy broccoli soup.

This past weekend marked Midwest Munchies' first birthday! Hard to believe it's already been a year, but I'm glad I stuck with it, hope you are too! I was perusing my recipe box a couple of weeks ago, while planning some meals and happened upon a "goodie" - Cheesy Broccoli Soup. It was passed onto me by a legal assistant I used to work with in downtown Fort Wayne. She is as passionate about food as I am and she loves to entertain the masses. She gave me this recipe and it was a hit! It's super easy and delicious, though, if you're watching your waistline, you might want to save this for a non-watching waistline day. However, indulging in this soup every now and then won't kill you........

Cheesy Broccoli Soup (serves 4)

1 head of broccoli

1 onion, chopped and sauteed in a bit of butter or oil (your choice)

1 can of cream of mushroom soup

1 1/2 + 2/3 c. half and half

1/2 lb. pepper jack cheese

1/2 lb. Velveeta

Chop broccoli and steam separately. Chop velveeta in squares and shred pepper jack cheese. Heat over medium heat the can of cream of mushroom soup and half and half. Add cooked broccoli, sauteed onion, and cheese. Heat and stir until cheese is melted. Voila, it's ready to serve.

A dash of freshly ground pepper is a nice finishing touch. if you're not a fan of pepper jack cheese or velveeta, you can substitute with monterey jack, sharp white cheddar or whatever else you fancy. I like a good kick and the pepper jack is delish!

On a side note, I wanted to plug Molly Wizenberg's book, A Homemade Life, which was released this week! Molly is behind the coveted Orangette, which was just named #1 food blog! I haven't bought a book in a while, but I wanted to support Molly's work. Her blog is so wonderful and the 60 pages or so that I've read so far are absolutely delightful! So if you can swing it, buy it!

Patatas Bravas.

Yum yum. Wasn't that the first thing that popped in your head? Perhaps its nature's way of comforting us during these chilly winter months, but potatoes have recently become a problem in my house. Well, not that an intervention is necessary, at least not now....but....I made this traditional Spanish tapas dish the other night. It was my meal. Yes, I ate potatoes for dinner, so sue me. (I also ate sweet potato fries in LA for dinner too). I've had this lovely book called Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America by Jose Andres (well known Spanish chef in the D.C. area) and with my recent addiction to the PBS series, Spain: On the Road Again, I pulled this from my dusty shelves in hopes of introducing some of Spain's tapas dishes. This was the first recipe I was drawn to make mainly because of the potatoes. These potatoes are poached in oil (to cook them) and then fried in the same oil a second time to get all nice, brown, and crispy. The tomato based sauce simmered on the stovetop with garlic, bay leaf, some olive oil and the classic, pimenton (Spanish smoked paprika). This is one of those instances where regular paprika will not suffice, go out and spend the money on some good pimenton, it's absolutely worth it. And you can use it in a variety of other dishes that call for paprika. Patatas bravas is also paired with the classic aioli (garlic mayonnaise) - here's another confession, the last couple of times I've attempted to make aioli, I have failed miderably. I doomed myself as "aioli illiterate" (though I made it before successfully). However, I managed to redeem myself with Jose Andre's modern aioli recipe in this book, I'm sticking with this one! Jose Andres also has a PBS series called Made in Spain, I recently rented the first disc from Season 1 and love it! His enthusiasm is infectious and his creativity is mind boggling. I want to book a trip to Spain so bad as a result of it. One day, I will....one day. Until then I can recreate some of Spain's delicious dishes here at home.

Easy as 1, 2, 3.

Why do we make cooking so complicated? Why do we insist on over the top? Why do we think if it doesn't take an hour, it won't be delicious and good for you? Maybe, I'm on this soapbox all alone, but I highly doubt it. Those of us who value cooking as an art form, perhaps even a form of therapy, do not mind investing the time into preparing a lovely home cooked meal. But let's face it, with the weak economy and penny pinching, it's important to get all you can for your hard earned money. I usually am notorious for meal planning, if I don't plan it, I won't make it. And while this requires some extra effort, there is often a great reward, for the most part. In an effort to save money myself, I'm constantly looking at recipes that I can "half" or use for something else, or something that is easy on my tummy and my pocketbook. You know there's at least one cookbook, you turn to when your mind is blank and belly is screaming, for me, that's How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman. Recently, this cookbook celebrated it's 10th birthday! This cookbook ranks up there with The Joy of Cooking, in my humble opinion. Anyhoo, last night I made a simple and delicious stirfry with chicken and Napa cabbage. I piled two scoops on top of some fragrant, nutty brown rice. It was food for the soul. Not only was it tasty, but super easy to make!

On The Shelves - Cookbook Review

Check out page 20 of this week's Whatzup to read my cookbook review of The Art & Soul of Baking by Cindy Mushet! Enjoy!

The World's 50 Best Food Blogs

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/real_food/article5561425.ece

Like we need an excuse to waste the day away by staying on the computer more....this article features the world's best 50 food blogs named by the London Times. Cheers to blogging!

my funny valentine.

Valentine's Day 2009 - all by myself...don't want to be all by myself....yes I'm singing Celine Dion as I type this post! In all seriousness, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I treated myself to a matinee of He's Just Not That Into You, it was rather entertaining. A post earlier in the week (on The Wednesday Chef) motivated me to try and make this "no-knead" pizza dough. I had some left over mozzarella and feta cheese. I made a simple tomato pizza sauce thanks to Tyler Florence's recipe on Food Network (Super simple, 1-2 garlic cloves, minced, 2 tbs. evoo, 1-28 ounce can tomato puree, 1 tsp. dried marjoram, 1 tsp. dried basil (Note I substituted Italian seasoning for both dried herbs) and simmer for at least 30 minutes once you bring it to a boil). I'm not the most adept at tossing the pizza dough, but the texture of it was magnificent! Now if I could only master....how thick or thin....without losing the air bubbles, which create lovely air pockets for the dough. The crust was super duper! Rustic indeed, but I think with a little practice, I could become good at this.

moussaka. greek style lasagna.

I simply adore Greek food and it's a shame I have to make it myself (Fort Wayne lacks a booming authentic Greek community, let alone restaurants), but I suppose the lack has forced me to experiment and cook! Thank you to The Olive and the Caper, a Greek cookbook I've had sitting on my shelf for years. I bought it at the suggestion of one of my favorite radio food shows, Good Food on KCRW in Los Angeles. You can listen to it online! Anyhoo, I've been craving one of my favorites, moussaka. Essentially, it's a greek version of lasagna minus the pasta. Actually, it's more like a greek version of eggplant parmigiana. Anyhoo, its layers of baked slices of eggplant (or you can fry them), a ground lamb mixture of tomatoes, cinnamon, allspice, olive oil and salt and pepper, topped with a bechamel that includes feta and parmesan (I don't have access to the greek cheese it calls for and used this as a substitute). It wasn't as tasty as the moussaka at The Great Greek in Studio City, California, but it did satisfy my craving.

Disfigured.

I know the purpose of this blog is to celebrate the joy and passion I have for food, but we all know the truth. Food can be your friend or your enemy, depending on your perspective. Last night I watched an independent film called Disfigured. I saw it in Hollywood Video one night, it intrigued me and I added it to my Netflix rental queue. Mind you, it wasn't the "best" picture I've seen but it raised alot of issues affecting women, weight, the means we go to get that "ideal" weight, body image, self acceptance, sex, and more. The storyline involves a woman involved in a fat acceptance group and during one of their meetings a struggling anorexic shows up to the meeting, because she feels fat. The group doesn't accept her, but these two women end up becoming friends. The struggle is essentially the same, though these two use food for different means. The story is powerful and raises equally important questions about our bodies. Perhaps food, no matter how much or how little of it we eat isn't necessarily the issues, but how we perceive ourselves. How society often dictates cultural beauty. What is beautiful? What does it mean to love yourself unconditionally, no matter what your body looks like.

unwrap this - birthday bread.

Tomorrow is my boss' birthday. He's not a particularily "birthday celebration" kind of guy, but I wanted to do something nice in his honor. So I decided to bake him some birthday "quick" bread. You gotta love quick breads, not only are they rather easy to squeeze in between everything else, they also can easily adapt to becoming a snack, dessert or breakfast treat. Quick breads are the baker's multitasking dream recipe. Functional, easy, tasty and interchangable. This "coco-nana bread" features a not-so-traditional banana bread, chock full of cocoa powder and chunks of bittersweet chocolate. Skimming through my vast collection, I found this gem in Baking: From My Home to Yours by the infamous Dorie Greenspan and figured it would be a safe bet. (Side note: pictures of her kitchen on her website might encourage drooling, though I am not legally responsible for the mess). My kitchen smells like heaven, of course, cutting off a slice for myself would be rude and anti-birthday-quick bread etiquette, so if it tastes as good as it smells, I think we have a winner here.

A sweet gesture.

I can take credit for pretty much everything here on my blog, but all I can take credit for on this one are the photos. Upon my return from Los Angeles, a few weeks ago, I found this in my fridge. Paul made me a key lime pie as a "welcome back" gesture, shocking, and yes, true! It was his first time making a pie and my first time eating key lime pie, and boy was it delicious. He used a recipe from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook. Since this was a first for both of us, I was plesantly surprised at its extreme tart qualities in addition to its sweetness. It's not subtle, whatsoever. I think the graham cracker crust was one of my favorite parts, it was dense, sweet and crunchy, a perfect accompaniment to the tart custard. He took presentation liberties by topping it off with toasted coconut and lime zest.

Good Times.

These smiles are a result of martinis, sweet potato fries, baked pastry filled with artichokes and cheese, vegetable pizza, wine and champagne. Thanks to Lola's in West Hollywood, me and my girls had a swanky time. I kid you not, I ate sweet potato fries for dinner that night. Perhaps I'm going vegetarian?!? LOL! I love these girls and I miss them dearly.

This is just one of the beautiful sunsets I got to watch when I stayed in Long Beach with my BFF, Laurel. Yes, we were sipping on Chardonnay and eating a cheese plate. Such is the life.

I admittedly do not like this picture, but I now have proof that I visited NapaStyle in Pasadena. Michael Chiarello (PBS and Food Network) has his own catalog, but now you can shop in store too. There are several stores in California and I wouldn't be surprised if they expanded further. From olive oils to dips, spreads, to beautifully crafted, artisan handiworks, this store will make your mouth and your pocketbook water.

Now we are talking....a plate of gorditas from Tres Hermanos. Laurel and I made a pit stop there for some authentic Mexican grub. This was one of my "usuals" when I hit that spot on a weekly basis. Yes, you heard me, I said weekly. The problem is it's reasonable, delicious and super close to my dad's house in the valley.



Laurel, Deborah and I met at Electric Lotus in Los Feliz for some girl time and Indian food. It was so cool that we sat below this gorgeous Shiva painting. One of my favorite Indian restaurants in Los Angeles. The restaurant is mysterious and dark, sari prints hanging everywhere. Plus the spread is to die for....as you can see below. Garlic naan, chicken stuffed naan, a dish with roasted cauliflower and potatoes (the name escapes me), raita, and chicken tikka masala. Spicy, warm, complex flavors that keep us coming back for more and more.



I have more pictures from latest trip to Los Angeles, which I will post on my facebook and myspace accounts. It was great to get away, though the circumstances are sad. I'm so lucky to have awesome friends and family. I have never felt so much love and support. It's amazing. And if anything, it's amazing to see how friendships and the sharing of food bring us together.

chicken curry-licious.

Right about now if you walked into my house you would still smell the remnants of Indian food I cooked last night. In the January 2009 issue of Bon Appetit, I found a recipe for chicken with a red pepper and shallot curry that screamed my name. I simply adore Indian food. I adore the complex combination of spices. Indian food is rich, deep and above all else, delicious. The chicken thighs were baked in a tomato-yogurt mixture that included cumin, cayenne, paprika, cloves, cardamom, celery seeds, salt, pepper, canola oil, garlic and a few others that have escaped my brain at the moment (13 in all). While the chicken was baking and the basmati rice was steaming, I made the red pepper and shallot curry that included red and yellow bell peppers, shallots, tomatoes, jalepenos, paprika, turmeric and cumin seeds. Spicy and intoxicating. This dish warms your spirit and your belly. The perfect ending would've been a Bollywood movie, but we settled on the Superstars of Dance. So sue me. Perhaps during this new year you will take a culinary train ride and dive into some new recipes! Whatever your intentions may be for the new year, I wish you well!

a cookbook review.

Check out this week's issue of Whatzup and read my first cookbook review on page 24.

Calamari Time.

Perhaps this isn't a typical snack food in your home, but come on, party people, live it up every now and then! Always a fan of calamari, it is often an appetizer I'm drawn to when dining out. I've had it on my mind for a while, and I finally gave it my very first try. Here in Fort Wayne, the closet thing we have to a Whole Foods is The Fresh Market, where I purchased my calamari (previously froze, but clean), only $4.99 a pound. I choose a recipe from my big yellow Gourmet cookbook. Often restaurants will serve this creature deep fried in what I assume is all-purpose flour. In fact I would venture to say that these creatures might get a double dip in the fryer too. The Gourmet recipe suggested frying the calamari in rice flour, which I was able to find at a local grocery store. The difference is quite substantial, the rice flour coating (which aside from the rice flour included salt and pepper, but I think I will add some herbs next time) was very light and delicate. I wasn't able to achieve the deep golden brown we are all used to, but I think I was having "hot oil" issues to boot, not to mention that fact that I ran out of canola oil. I think next time I will try peanut oil instead too. I made a warm marinara sauce to go with it (drives me nuts when a marinara sauce is served cold with this dish), blended a can of chopped tomatoes, slowly cooked with a couple of garlic cloves, salt, and red chili pepper flakes. A perfect accompaniment, but not too long ago, I ate calamari served with a basil aioli. It's all a matter of personal preference, I suppose. Be careful not to over-fry them, they lose their chewy edge.

review of baker street

Check out page 15 of today's published Whatzup magazine for my third restaurant review! I reviewed a new steakhouse in town called Baker Street.

biased and braised.

Clever, eh? I admit it, I'm totally biased at the moment. I'm in an "Alice Waters" fixated state and the only other genre of cookbook that can pull me out of this are baking books. Are you sick and tired of me rambling on and on and on about how wonderful Alice Waters is, how she's so cool, fabulous and utterly worthy of culinary knighthood? Well, tough noogies. I recently renewed my "borrowing" of The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters from the library, her ninth cookbook in fact. Over the weekend I opted to try her recipe for Braised Chicken Legs with Tomatoes and Garlic. I served it with fragrant rice to soak up all those lovely juices. Known for her devotion to ingredients and attention to simplicity, Alice Waters exemplifies the essence of cooking, whether your in a professional kitchen and for the home. Braising is such a wonderful cooking technique, not employed by many home cooks during the week as it requires time and above all else, patience. The benefits of such work are definitely worth it though and braising chicken is effortless really. One of the added benefits of braising is that you only require the use of one pot so clean up tends to be minimal. Once you've mastered a few braising techniques, you can pretty much create your own recipe. This is usually the braising protocol:

1. Brown meat in olive oil.

2. Remove meat and saute veggies and aromatics (garlic, herbs, seasonings).

3. Deglaze the pan with either wine or stock.

4. Add meat back to the pan and simmer covered (the chicken took about 45 minutse, but toughter cuts of meat will take longer).

5. Remove meat and reduce stock to a sauce.

These are only the essentials. Another great resource is All About Braising by Molly Stevens, a devout braiser, Molly breaks down the techniques and offers delicious recipes to practice this fine art. This isn't calculus for cooks, it's algebra, folks. And here in Indiana, our first snowfall has already doused us and nothing speaks volumes in the winter than a home-cooked hearty meal.