MIXED BERRY AND ALMOND CLAFOUTIS

It's really difficult to re-learn something after it's been taught the wrong way. My neighborhood pastry shop makes absolutely wonderful crossaints, a quiche that's absolutely delicious, with a flaky buttery crust and thick eggy custard, and everything else makes you fog up the glass between you and a full stomach. I should mention that this patisserie is run by a Japanese family. In my experience, the Japanese make some of the most delicate and tasty breads and cakes available. Any time I need a loaf of white bread, it's off to Sawtelle where the best toaster bread is available. However, the clafoutis is the one area where Godzilla claws at a chain-smoking Existentialist Mothra. Their clafoutis is a beautifully refined custard held in a strong tart shell. Raspberries hide underneath the golden swath, with a sprinkling of jam in the center. This, I have learned, is absolutely nothing like a true clafoutis. Clafoutis is as rustic as you can get. If the Japanese version is Fred Astaire, the French version is Matisse. Meaning, it's all art but an entirely different idea. The French version, or I should say the real version, is sloppy and lazy and about as difficult to make as pancake batter. Basically, I love it. Summer is hardly a time for refinement and this delicious, messy, bursting, golden bowl of jiggling matter is as far away from that as possible. It's like Sophia Loren in a top one size too tight.

What I love is that it's all about the berries, and the whole almonds soften a bit but still maintain their crunch.  I prefer mine not too sweet, because really, the batter is simply a mechanism for holding the berries in suspended gravity.  Because of that, this would work well as a brunch dessert or a fabulous end to a BBQ with a plop of plain whipped cream scented with lemon zest on the side.  Also feel free to insert whatever fruit you prefer.  This works well with stone fruit, or even figs. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Butter and Flour to grease the pan

1 tablespoons flour

4 whole eggs

2 egg whites

1 1/2 cups whole milk

2 teaspoons Vanilla paste

2 tablespoons Chambord

2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup almonds, pulverized in a food processor

1/2 cup blanched whole almonds

1 1/2- 2 pints berries, or other fruit

Note: This makes a really big clafoutis, for a 10-12 inch pan.  I usually use my 9 inch and then make a mini one for myself, to enjoy before everyone eats the main one.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375

Butter and flour the pan.  Scatter the berries on the bottom of the pan, and then scatter the almonds on top.  In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, whites, and brown sugar, add the flour, chambord, crushed almonds, and vanilla extract.  Whisk in the milk.  Pour the batter over the berries and almonds, and bake for 40  minutes, or until golden brown and a skewer comes out clean.  Try to let is cool to just above room temperature (good luck with that!) and Enjoy!

SEXY PARTY PLATTER

I just can't kick this hostess habit.  At first I was just a "social" hostess, inviting people over to celebrate a birthday, a holiday, or the season finale of Lost.  But it's been getting bad lately.  Not Lost, my habit.  I'm inviting people over left and right, creating reasons to get a group together.  You lost your cat?  Let's throw a party! Got a cute shirt on sale?  Cocktails at my place!  My main problem is that once I've invited people over, I'm left with the task of feeding and inebriating all of them, which when you're doing this on a bi-weekly basis, can become a bit much.  But luckily, I found an enabler, and he goes by the name of Bay Cities.  I've mentioned Bay Cities before, as it's where I fill almost all of my charcuterie and Italian cuisine needs, but this was a moment of Eureka.  When I was drunk in the gutter, Bay Cities pulled me up and bought me another drink.  You see, it dawned on me that if the ingredients are good enough, they don't need to be gilded.  Marcona almonds, delicate prosciutto, sun ripened figs: God and the Italians did all of the work.  So I give you my favorite party platter. It pleases everybody and hits every tastebud on your palette.  I serve the nibbles with a fresh Italian loaf, olive oil, balsamic, and some salt and pepper.  Let everyone else have fun building a meal.  Enjoy!



Marcona Almonds and Roman Hazelnuts. It's like the flavor had it's volume dial turned up.

Castel Verano Olives are the only olives I eat, mostly because I'm a brine whimp.  But these olives not only have a gorgeous grass-green hue, but have a pure olive oil taste.  Mildly salty, but full of flavor. Yum!



Figs are just so beautiful, especially when at they're at their peak of ripeness.  If figs are out of season, pick another fruit at its peak, such as dates, oranges, whatever the market is providing that week.

DUO OF FARRO SALAD

I'm not sure what it's like in the world outside of my LA bubble, but grains are the new trend. Last year it was bacon, the year before that it was lavender and rosewater, and this year it is grain (and pistachios, incidentally). You can tell a food trend has taken off when you can't throw a fork without hitting it. Bacon was in my chocolate bars, my muffins, my soup, my ice cream, it was everywhere but the breakfast table. Now, this isn't exactly a bad thing. Bacon is without a doubt awesome. And if there's a trend that's expanding peoples' palettes and pushing them to think about food in a new way, so much the better. But I still can't help but feel that I was forced to turn in my fork and knife, and my "insider" badge was ripped from my foodie uniform. Luckily I haven't grown so pretentious that I say things like "I was sooo into Bacon before Ed Levine," or I'm desperately trying to make non-trend items stick (Pig's feet! They will be the next hot ingredient, mark my words!), and I know I never had any ownership over bacon in non-savory applications, or dowsing my desserts in rosewater, but it was k ind of cool for a moment to feel like a food hipster. Fortunately, I love food too much to let my ego get in the way of my eating. So I bring you two recipes of my favorite grain, farro. It has a pasta-like toothsome bite, a nutty flavor, and is delicious in everything. It's no surprise my favorite eateries all serve it on their lunchtime menu. I also heard that the Roman troops where practically raised on the stuff, and what's good for Mars is good for me!

FARRO SALAD WITH CHERRY TOMATOES, BOCCONICI, SHALLOT, AND BASIL

Ingredients:

2 cups farro, uncooked

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1 bunch sweet basil, julienned

1 pint bocconici, halved

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Soak the farro overnight in water. Drain, put in a pot and cover with 6 cups of water and a big pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high, cover and turn down to a simmer for 15 minutes. Check the farro. It won't soak up the water, so taste for consistency. You want it to be soft with a bit of bite, like pasta. I made the mistake of waiting until the farro absorbed all of the water and got a giant ball of goo. Once it's cooked, drain the farro well and place in a large bowl. Toss in the tomatoes, bocconici, lemon zest and basil. Mix lightly. Drizzle in half the olive oil and balsamic, plus some salt and pepper. Mix and taste. I like mine with a good amount of each, but taste along the way to make sure you don't over do it for your palette. Pop in the fridge and you're done.

FARRO SALAD WITH BRAISED LEEKS

Ingredients:

2 cups farro, uncooked

4 smallish leeks

2 large shallots, finely chopped

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon thyme leaves, chopped

1 teaspoon oregano, finely chopped

1/2 cup Dry White Wine (I used a lighter bodied Chardonnay)

1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken stock

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice the leeks in half lengthwise and rinse out thoroughly. Leeks can be very sandy, so be sure to get all of the layers. Pat them dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the leeks cut side down, searing them for a few minutes, until they get a nice golden brown sheen to them. Flip them on their backs and cook them until golden brown on that side too. Place them in an casserole dish (any dish that can go in the oven) and set aside. Add the rest of the olive oil to the saute pan and cook the shallots and herbs with a pinch of salt and pepper until soft and just starting to brown. Add the wine and reduce by half. Add the stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Pour the hot mixture over leeks and braise for 25 minutes, or until fall apart tender.

While the leeks are cooking, prepare the farro. Soak the farro overnight in water. Drain, put in a pot and cover with 6 cups of water and a big pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high, cover and turn down to a simmer for 15 minutes. Check the farro. It won't soak up the water, so taste for consistency. You want it to be soft with a bit of bite, like pasta. Once it's cooked, drain the farro well and place in a large bowl. When the leeks are cooked and slightly cooled, chop them up into 1/4 inch slices. Mix the leeks and their juices in the farro. Salt to taste. Enjoy!

CUP OF COFFEE BROWNIES

Coffee plus chocolate is a mixed bag for me. Take away the sugar and cream, and they actually have a similar flavor profile: rich, dark, slightly bitter. If either flavor is slightly off, usually due to crappy coffee or waxy, sugary chocolate, they start competing for the spotlight like a group of squealing bridesmaids grasping for the bouquet. Did I mention I'm a bridesmaid and will most definitely be throwing elbows for the bouquet? I promise this will lead back to brownies. My dear friend Andreanna is getting married, and she and her fiance Eric are huge coffee plus chocolate fans. I think Andreanna's the coffee and Eric's the chocolate. She's energetic, determined, cerebral as all get out, and usually served hot. Eric is sweet, mellow, and smoooooooth. Ok, they actually are a mix of both, but for the sake of argument let's stick with this metaphor I've got going. Anyway, for their favors they'll be giving away these dark chocolate coffee brownies I've been working on for them, and I must say, they are in perfect harmony. The coffee floats around in the background, bringing a new level of darkness to the chocolate. It's rich, intense, and one damn sexy brownie. I'll definitely be baking a few extra for them to take on their honeymoon. Enjoy!

Note: To get the cute fork pattern, simple arrange forks along the edge of the baking sheet and dust powdered sugar over. It works just as well with spoons, forks, keys, whatever you want to get creative with. Go crazy!

Ingredients:

3 ½ oz dark chocolate (70% cocoa and up)

2 tablespoons instant espresso

8 tablespoons of butter
4 eggs

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar, loose, not packed

1 cup flour
2 teaspoons vanilla paste (or extract)

2 teaspoons coffee extract

2 tablespoons Kahlua
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350
Melt the chocolate, instant espresso and butter in a bowl over boiling water, then let cool. Beat together the eggs and sugar, then pour in the cooled chocolate. Continue beating while adding flour, vanilla, coffee extract, and Kahlua. Do not over mix. Fold in the chips. Pour into a buttered and floured 9 x 13 pan and bake for 35-40 minutes. When cool, dust with powdered sugar. Enjoy!

KITCHY EATS

FATHER'S DAY EDITION:

What to get the man who has everything?  It's a cliched question, I know, but in all seriousness my dad does have everything.  He's knee deep in books on 19th century ship building, his military patch collection takes up several shelves, and he always has his favorite scotch on hand.  I asked him what he wanted and he actually said, "Oh! Dark socks!" without a bit of irony.  What, no tie as well?  So I did what any good daughter would do and got him what I thought he'd like rather than what he needed.

First to top the list is 6 bottles of The Bruery's Papier, half brandy and half bourbon aged.  I tasted Papier straight from the barrel in my trip to the Bruery, and let my dad (who was filming) have a sip.  He doesn't enjoy beer usually and actually balked when he tasted it.  He turned to Patrick Rue, the owner of the Bruery, and said emphatically, "Now, this is REALLY good."  We opened a bottle on Father's Day, and it truly is outstanding stuff.  Very little carbonation but a deep, rich, almost burnt sugar flavor with hints of sweet tobacco and vanilla.  Yum!

My second gift to him was obvious to me.  My dad loves fish, and salmon is his favorite.  When I heard about the historic Russ and Daughter's from New York, I knew I had to check out what they had to offer.  Russ and Daughter's has been specializing in smoked and cured fish for around one hundred years, and also has the distinction of being the first company in the US to have the phrase "and daughters" rather than "and sons" added to its name.  But really, the fish is what hooked me.  The varieties of smoked and cured salmon sent me into a Pavlovian frenzy.  Scottish smoked, kippered, cured gravlax,  the exotic Balik (which was the salmon of the czars), basically guarantee a salmon for anyone.  I went with the Pastrami Cured Salmon, because, what isn't to love about those two words strung together? And I must say that it is the best smoked salmon I've ever had.  I seriously might be celebrating father's day every month just to try all of the varieties Russ and Daughter's offers.  Smoky, subtly sweet, delicate, and herbaceous, I draped pieces into my mouth without nary a bagel or cream cheese around.  

COOKIE "NO DOUGH" ICE CREAM

Let's keep it real, alright? We all dig out the cookie dough in that pint of cookie dough ice cream. I do it, my brother does it, you do it, right? Right? I'm not alone on this??

Anyway, regardless, they say necessity is the mother of invention, and my great necessity is more cookie dough, less filler. So I give you cookie "no dough" ice cream. It's not scoops of raw cookie dough partially frozen, though it kind of looks it, it's ice cream made to have all of those wonderful salty/sweet/dark flavors that I love so much in cookie dough. The trick is in the brown sugar and brown butter. It gives the ice cream a rich, nutty, caramelly sweetness. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped semi sweet chocolate

2/3 cup dark brown sugar

4 large egg yolks

2 teaspoons vanilla paste (or extract)

2 cups half and half

2 cups whole milk (or reduced fat, if you prefer)

3 tablespoons salted butter

Directions:

In a small sauce pan, melt the butter until it is a deep golden brown color.  You don't want it too burnt, otherwise it'll taste, for lack of a better word, weird.  Add the half and half and heat until scalding (not quite boiling).  In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar and egg yolks until pale and fluffy.  Take the half and half mixture off the heat, and add a little to the egg mixture while mixing.  Add a little more, then pour everything back into the sauce pan.  Add the vanilla and heat until about 170 degrees, or until it coats a metal spoon.  Transfer the mixture to a bowl and chill.  Once the mixture is chilled, whisk in the additional 2 cups of milk and add it to your ice cream machine.   I must make a note that this is a personal taste thing.  I found my initial custard quite rich, so the addition of milk calms it down a bit.  Taste your custard and adjust accordingly.  If you don't find it particularly rich, simply add more half and half.  When it's almost fully churned, add your chopped chocolate.  Enjoy!

ZAGAT

More of my photos have been used for Zagat's website. Click below to check them out!

Barbrix:  The article below goes into detail about all of the wonderful things going on at the Silver Lake restaurant, Barbrix.  Delicious food, lovely setting, and very talented people make this place a must visit.

Territory BBQ: I love this bbq joint cum record store!  The space feels likes a friend's back yard, a really cool friend's back yard.  There's also AMAZING taxidermy all over the place.  Is it weird that I want these squirrels on my own wall?  I actually burst into giggles when I saw them.  

Wolfgang Puck Bar and Grill:  The LA Live complex in downtown just opened the new Wolfgang Puck restaurant.  Across the street from the Staples Center, it's very convenient for a bite to eat before or after a show.

Pourtal Wine Bar: Around the corner from the Promenade, this wine bar has an eclectic list as well as some first class beers to chose from.  Using a "debit" system, you can put money on a card and taste wines all over the bar.  Definitely a fun way to expand your palette.

Ado:  This converted home restaurant is almost as charming as the owner, Paolo, and his staff.  Granted, I love Italians, the double kiss, and their perfectly olive oil complexions, so I was a sucker from the start.  Intimate and serving beautiful, unpretentious Italian fare, this is a great date spot.  Also, ask about sitting at the Chef's table, which is downstairs next to the kitchen.

KITCHY EATS

My assignments for Zagat have led me to interesting nooks and crannies all over the city (a speak-easy in the back of a French Dip shop and a Silver Lake BBQ joint with taxidermied squirrels come to mind), but only every now and then do I stick around for a meal.  At Barbrix the menu was too appealing to turn down.  First off, there were deviled eggs on the menu, and my camera assistant for the day (aka zee boyfriend) is obsessed with deviled eggs.  My aunt served them at an Easter Brunch he missed, and he lamented it for the rest of the week.  Now was the moment of his redemption.  Also, charcuterie plates! Cheese! Schneider and Sohn Edel Weisse Beer!  I had made my reservation before seeing the place, expecting it to be the typical mix of cozy/quirky/cool that Silver Lake has to offer.  Though all of these aspects were at play here, the space mixed Spanish Colonial touches with modern minimalism, creating an open space that was both warm and unobtrusive.  Plus, who doesn't love a chartreuse bar?

Here were some of the highlights:

  

Forget the church pot-luck, these deviled eggs are sophisticated and the perfect first bite of a meal.

Veal meatballs with lemon and bay leaf.  These were both savory and bright, with clean, clear flavors.  

Homemade pork rilletes...

The Farmer's Market platter.  A beautiful and tasty veg platter: some are roasted, baked, or pickled.  
Lamb Chops with Gremolata with artichoke chips.
Ginger Short cake with mixed berries and cream.  This was a great way to end the night.  Ginger cakes usually have a pumpkin pie sans the pumpkin feeling with me, and I usually avoid them, especially in the summer months.  But this ginger cake was light and zesty, with a delicate spiciness that went beautifully with the tart berries.  If the other ginger cakes felt more ginger bread house, this shortcake felt like freshly shaved ginger that you enjoy with sushi.  Refreshing and bright, not overpowering or muddled.

KITCHY SUPPLIES

The typical family road trip souvenir is probably a shamu cup from sea world, a photo caught mid scream on a roller coaster, a mini statue of liberty, a hammered penny, or my personal favorite: the instant wax figurine of a zebra from the San Diego Zoo.  I remember putting in my quarter and the smell of the hot wax as it was poured to make my toy.  It was purple, and had the tell tale ridge of something made cheap and fast.  I probably lost it before I made it back to the car, but still, I remember it.  

One year my family had a road trip across the south west.  We saw the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, my little brother Henry, who was four then, saw snow for the first time.  It was on the side of the road, and we pulled over.  Giggling wildly with anticipation, he launched himself hands first into the snow.  We were quiet, watching the miracle of discovery unfold before our eyes. His little face was awash with emotion: glee, confusion, and then...terror.  He burst into tears and started screaming "It's burning! It's burning!"  He apparently thought snow was made of cotton candy, or feathers, or q-tips or something.  The notion of "cold" never entered the picture.  Back in his car seat he looked at his hands ruefully, tight little pink fists of anger. The trip wasn't a total wash though; my mother got a much better souvenir, to bring it back to the point.

We stopped by a steak house for dinner one night, and honestly, being eleven, I don't recall much.  I think it was very Arizona-y, if that helps paint a picture.  Anyway, most places surrounding the Grand Canyon have chotchkis available for purchase, but Rod's Steak House has them beat.  I've never seen such adorable yet useable souvenirs.  These are not the disposable key chains or t-shirts you find littering tourist destinations.  These are well made, well designed plates and cups.  Even now, whenever my mom pulls these out, I fondly remember the time Henry discovered snow and our family trip through the south west.  If you're ever in the area, be sure to drop in and grab some mementos for yourself.

SIMPLE SALSA

It's that time of year again. Laker-winning time! So what if I haven't seen a single game? It doesn't mean I can't make salsa in the kitchen while everyone else is watching it in the living room. And there are my plans for tomorrow. Well, salsa, guac, chicken, cookies, corn salad, and strawberry lemonade, but, I feel that it all hinges on the salsa. Salsa is, after all, the heart of the "big game" buffet.

Salsa seems to be one of those ubiquitous things that you don't notice is good until a really good one is tingling its way to your belly. Such an experience happened to me at Tacos Por Favor on Olympic in Santa Monica. Delicious, fresh, mexican food, but oh lord that salsa! I asked the guy behind the counter, doing my best to bat my eye-lashes without it looking like I have a twitch, what the recipe was for their awesome salsa. "It's a secret." Of course it is. Everything good is a "secret," passed down through generations. The "secret" is inevitably anticlimactically dull, like, nutmeg or a pinch of cinnamon or something.

Well, I did a little tasting and I think my salsa is pretty close. I know it's not exactly the same by any stretch. Mine is thicker and a little brighter and fresher tasting, and I have a sneaking suspicion that cocoa powder is in theirs, but still, two good salsas floating around is not a bad thing. So whoever you're rooting for tomorrow, enjoy!




Ingredients:

1 28 oz can whole tomatoes

1 12 oz can whole tomatillos

1 7 oz can chipotle peppers in abodo sauce

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 bunch cilantro

1/2 a red onion

8 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons whole grain dijon mustard

2 teaspoons pico pica sauce

1/2 a lemon, juiced

1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup Pale Ale

Salt

Directions:

Place the garlic, onion, and cilantro into a food processor. Blitz for a few seconds. Next, pour the liquid in the can of tomatoes, plus 4 tomatoes, 4 tomatillos plus 1/4 cup of the pickling liquid into a food processor, and two chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Add everything else. Blend the whole thing and taste. It should be on the liquid side rather than the "Pace Picante" side. Personally, I like salsa that is near liquid or in complete chunks. Not that weird marinara-esque in between. Salt to taste and there you go: a super simple, easy salsa that will keep them coming back for more.

KITCHY SUPPLIES

My Mother's Cake Stands

The question here is which are the vintage cake stands I gave my mom for mother's day to replace the ones that I broke, and which are the ones she had before I got my clutzy, greasy hands on them? Personally, I prefer the the vintage ones I gave her to her contemporary collection, but then again, I'm trying to pump my selection to soften the blow of destroying her platters.  Anyway, both are adorable and wonderful ways to make any ordinary baked good special.  Cookies, muffins, whatever, it all becomes a "moment" when you put it on a pedestal.  It's the culinary equivalent to Duchamp's Fountain.  I put it on a pedestal, thus it is important food.  They also are just beautiful to look at and make amazing hostess gifts.  It's a safe bet and an unexpected choice as no one really has a plethora of cake platters.  Except my mom, of course.  To reveal the riddle of which is which, the order is contemporary, vintage, vintage, contemporary.  The vintage plates are marked by their detail and heft (they're milk glass), while the contemporary pieces are a little more streamlined and simple.  They're quite affordable store bought or hounded down through ebay, so be sure to add one next time you're having the girls over for whatever.  It'll at least make them secretly resent you for putting in the extra effort, and who doesn't love a bit of drama?

If you decide to go the Ebay route, the trick is to look under the phrase "vintage milkglass cake platter."  You can also check for porcelain, but I prefer the weight and deco style of the milkglass pieces.  The contemporary pieces are available from Rosanna Cake Stands.  Enjoy!

I love how the  modern sensibility is almost neo-classical.  This would fit in with a Kelly Wearstler kitchen perfectly.

I love little vintage touches, like the lines perfectly slicing whatever you place on the platter into 8 pieces.

Hobnails and ruffles?  To quote my sister by way of Rachel Zoe: I die!!!

A simple contemporary scallop edge.