food poetry

i am on hyper-overdrive reeling with excitement about food in the blog and online magazine world lately. some truly innovative ways of presenting food as art have been spawning and i want to share because they are so delicious and delectable. not only are they about food, but food in the context of entertaining and lifestyle. pure love.

kinfolk is an online magazine that at first glance is abstract and so dreamy. what concept are they really trying to sell? it is a state of mind. gathering, sharing, imbibing, inspiring.  this clip is a new way to recipe:


ribboned asparagus salad from tiger in a jar on Vimeo.

roost evokes editorial style genius when it comes to the simple pleasures in life:

 


spoon fork bacon is a riot of a blog. the eye candy is amazing, the recipe ideas are fun and the script is cheeky. bravo!

canning love

two days away from can-it-forward day - celebrate with canning across america this saturday the 13th and get your jammin' and pickling on! i have a recent new-found love for bon appetit magazine and found saving the season in this month's issue. weck jars are on the way and georgia peaches are in the fridge awaiting....

jammin' on the one

every so often, something of the outer realms of the pure genius-sort captures my fancy and i wish so badly that i could be "that person" that came up with the idea. this one so happens to be in the food category, one of my all time favorites: jam. for a few years now, my mantra has been to get whisked away to farmland to have a family and bake pies and/or make jam all day. i am serious. but sometimes i am so inspired by my very dream when i come across something that is sheer perfection, that i almost have to give up on in because how can i ever make anything remotely comparable or try to compete? i know, this is a bit of a defeatist attitude, but you will see what i mean...

one of my all time favorite spots to pop in while on my daily route between the office in los feliz and echo park, was the cheese store of silver lake. great sandwiches. yes, the cheeses are fantastic, but what made those sandwiches come to life was the jam. jam on a ham sandwich? hell yeah. and this is how i came to discover the all-time best jam in the world by welovejam. even the name is perfect. not only was it jammin' on the sandwich i ate, it was apricot jam which is my favorite. and, it is of the blenheim varietal which is going extinct, so it is extra special. i immediately purchased a jar of the apricot jam and one of the fukushu kumquat marmalade. a couple weeks later, back to the cheese store for more. this time, plum jam! but which kind? elephant heart or mariposa? my head was spinning. ever since, i have been addicted, as is apparently everyone else that has tasted this wonder of a product. last week while back in los angeles, i did my ritual stop over in silver lake to pick up some essentials and the cheese store was on the top of my list for jam. to my heart's content, there was a new one to be discovered: montmorency cherry and blenheim apricot.

what i really can't believe is that it took me one year to look up the welovejam website. i knew whomever was behind this delectable product had to be cool, but when you read their website, you really get a sense of who they are and how they are 150% behind the cause: to make the most amazing jam ever. they dedicate their heart and soul to producing the highest quality and for that, i am grateful and rest assured that whenever i am inspired to get into the kitchen, i too will come up with a stroke of genius that will put a big smile on the faces of those around me, if only in a simple meal :)

rebirthing

it's officially Spring. happy Norouz! - Persian New Year. here's to new life! ironically, i have had revelations about this auspicious time of year as i sit at home, buzzing on antibiotics, slowing down the pace of life as i nurse myself back to recovery from being hit by a nasty bug. i've had time to kick back and revel in things i LOVE : reading one of my favorite mags Food & Wine cover to cover and discovering amazing people and things they love doing and doing well (Scribe Winery), meditating on a glorious gift from my friend Jamila which could not be more of a dead-on metaphor for mineral forest - the proper care and nurturing of this little fairy plant requires daily water dips - so true of the attention i need to pay to this little business concept i am trying to get off the ground and sprout up!





and realizing more and more the importance of blessings - of spreading hope and joy and health to all those around us - if even in just the few words "feel better". i could literally feel the vibratory effect of those words as friends, family and even the pharmacist bid me a swift recovery.

so here's to taking time out to smell the flowers,



creating gustatory bliss,



digging color coordination,



and new ventures in enchanted settings.








happy spring.

reinventing the wheel

it escapes me how time has whizzed by since my return from India, not a single blog entry to be found since and here we are on the dawn of 2010, only a few days left to go....



through the highs and lows of wonderment in the Himalayas and the Golden Temple and being down for most of the season as a result, it seems like i have finally found a renewed vigor and am AMPED for this new year to be rung in!



in a nutshell, what i got from my voyage to the other side of the planet, is that less is more, quality always over quantity and there is always something new to be found in the tried and true.

most recently, i just returned from a most sacred Christmas of laying real low in Seattle with my family at my sister's apartment overlooking Lake Washington and Mt. Rainier in glorious sunshine and 40 degree weather - so much to have been thankful for, even though i got slammed with a nasty cold/allergy attack. it was a blessing in disguise as i loved every minute of pajama and tea time, reading Spontaneous Evolution by Bruce Lipton and being with my family and eating none other than my Mom's famous stuffed cabbage rolls, polenta and salata de boeuf, sans boeuf, Romanian-stylie.

so far, we have this tradition every Christmas and no matter where we are in the world, my Mom brings the goods with. i wonder how i will ever take over this culinary extravaganza one day when my Mom won't be around to make the magic happen. and that is why i have come to the conclusion that "making it your own" is just as beautiful as keeping to the strict tradition.

i have already improvised one of the staples in Romanian cuisine - mamaliga cu brinza si smintina - polenta with cottage cheese, feta and sour cream. basic peasant food, really. and add a soft boiled egg and you've got a meal. so homey. in the spirit of comfort food with a twist, i have come up with my own version of this that only takes 10 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to eat!



-Pre-made polenta from Trader Joe's - 2 or 3 1/4 inch slices - sauteed in olive oil in a frying pan until ever so lightly crisp on top and bottom
-steamed lentils from Trader Joe's, just add some red wine vinegar, sea salt or himalayan salt, fresh lemon juice and olive oil and mix in a bowl
-place polenta cakes on top of lentils
-scrambled, fried or sunny side up eggs, whatever your mood on top of polenta
-top with the bomb ingredient: Mediterranean cheese style yogurt from Trader Joe's - this is like magic - the cottage cheese and sour cream taste all in one!

what i love about this reinvention is the lentils. and the kick from the lemon and vinegar is the key to what makes it so great - the traditional preparation is so heavenly fattening and to-die-for tasty, but tends to be really heavy and fatty. the acidic layering on the texture of the lentils cuts the heaviness of this dish and scrambling or frying the eggs is so much quicker than trying to perfectly time soft boiled eggs.

i know 2010 holds unbridled creative potential and i definitely intend to take everything to new levels of exploration, in all realms of creative endeavor!!!

sprouting up

i can't believe i have not been to the silver lake farmers' market yet. today it happened. it could not have been more perfect. on my way home from the office today on labor day weekend, just as i approached the market, i thought to myself, i want to go to the market!" i saw a guy carrying a watermelon on his shoulder and i have been insanely craving watermelon lately and wanted to buy some. magically, a car pulled out from a parking spot on sunset blvd. right in front of me. i had to pull in, there was no excuse!

wandering down the market, the first stand that drew me in was the display of sprouts - all varieties, and i had to check it out. the lady proceeded to tell me all of the different kinds of sprouts she had, but honestly, i was so engrossed in the idea of having finally made it to the market and how it brought back so many memories of being in Healdsburg and being inspired by the daily fresh pickings, i phased out what she was saying. i remembered the mustard greens we used to make sandwiches and salads with. fading back into the present moment, i managed to record a couple of the names - alfalfa, bean, spicy mix - she said they would be great in a salad with tomatoes and I asked if she could prepare a mix for me, thinking of the last bits of butter lettuce i had in the fridge. i love simple salads. the simpler, the better. herbs and lettuce are my favorite. why not sprouts and lettuce?

off i went to venture through the rest of the market and then i saw these cherry heirloom tomatoes that looked divine. remembering the sprout lady's suggestion, i grabbed a bag of the mini tomatoes.




i am so thankful for that inspiration. why don't i do this all the time? the salad was perfection.

-prepare a simple vinaigrette in your favorite bowl large enough for the whole salad:
-red wine vinegar, olive oil, fresh cracked sea salt and the secret ingredient: fresh cracked citrus pepper
-cut cherry heirlooms in halves and toss in bowl
-add mix of sprouts
-tear some butter lettuce leaves into bowl
-toss all together

portland inspiration

here's the run down of the highlights:

*Stumptown Coffee (OMG)



*the Southeast Clinton neighborhood:

*Limbo Inc. (wall of herbs)

*Press Club Cafe (lunch - prosciutto, egg and brie croissandwich)

*Broder Cafe (breakfast - aebelskiver!)




*Savoy Tavern & Bistro (dinner) - same owner as Cafe Broder

*Detour Cafe (brunch - cardamom french toast!)




*the Pearl District (Downtown)

*Ace Hotel (lobby hang out)

*Clyde Common (Ace Hotel restaurant - lunch!)


must do on my next trip:

*Selby (antique district)

*Living Room Lounge Cinema (have your cocktail or coffee in the theater tableside)

*Stay at the Ace Hotel


great finds:

*Eat Shop Guides (awesomely presented little books on the most important information one needs to know when traveling: food and shopping!)

in limbo

my first moments in Portland were incredible, starting with the amazing lunch I had at the Press Club Cafe - a simple croissant that was way too perfectly flaky and golden and crispy on the outside and pure buttery goodness on the inside, with a perfectly fried egg, prosciutto di parma and brie. who would've thought brie with that combo would work? it did, and it was heavenly. the egg yolk was just runny enough to make you want to die and go to heaven and the whole sandwich held together magically. i love breakfast sandwiches, any time of day. this one must be one of the best I've EVER had. plus, the ambiance, selection of magazines to chose from and the beats were sublime. it's located at 2621 SE Clinton St., fyi.



the next adventure was to the "wall of herbs' at a place called Limbo. but first, the walk there was enough to hold me in limbo - I was transported to another plane as I walked the neighborhood streets and stopped at almost every house to be completely enchanted by the landscaping, the color schemes, the wind chimes. it was pure bliss. every moment was perfect. I was completely mesmerized.



the park on the way. you could see and feel the trees breathing. splendid.




kissing cars








flower power












feng shui








color theory








herbal heaven

sesame seeds & coffee

today is day 38 of my 40 day Kundalini Yoga bootcamp and meditation. I only slept 4 hours. I am proud of myself that I have come this far and was able to get out of bed and go to the Rec Center for class. but the last days are the most challenging and it's where it counts the most. I have done a 40 day meditation before and there is always something that surfaces to challenge your commitment. I succeffully completed 40 days last year in September-October and even managed to stay committed during a trip up to San Francisco and Sonoma to get my Balinese wood.

this time it's different. I am waking up monday-friday at 6 am to go somewhere and practice. and I continue on the weekend on my own. the challenge of getting out of bed no matter what time it is has always been my weakness. I love sleep. dreaming is my world. but since I have stayed focused on my mission to complete these 40 days strong, I have found that my days are turning into a dreamland playground and life is magical all around.

I treated myself to comfort food Silverlake Coffee Co.- style after class this morning: a perfectly toasted sesame seed Brooklyn Bagel with egg and cheese and a mocha. i'm finally getting used the the idea that it's ok to indulge in life's little pleasures, even after a cleansing yoga class. it's overcast outside and the moisture in the air is cooling. but in my world today, the energy and light that I have been cultivating is carrying me through, along with a little caffeine buzz and yummy goodness to boot. "may the long time sun shine upon you, all the love surround you and the pure light within you, guide your way on."

the simplest salad

summertime calls for light and simple preparations. it's just too damn hot to create elaborate meals, and it's really hard to digest heavy foods. i got to make my favorite "3 herb salad" the other day for my parent's house warming party and indeed, it was just the perfect combo of simple and light and yet so tasty, it was a huge hit! i snagged this recipe from a french girl i worked with at the Beverly Hills Hotel. basically it goes like this:

-tear up butterleaf lettuce leaves into a bowl (washed of course)
-chop italian parsley, fresh mint and cilantro and sprinkle over the lettuce (don't be afraid to use plenty of herbs)
-drizzle your favorite olive oil
-squeeze fresh lemon juice to taste
-freshly crack some sea salt and black pepper (also try himalayan sea salt or lemon pepper if you're feeling funky)
-toss to coat and enjoy right away so the leaves don't wilt.
-yum!

now i had no idea how simple salad can really be until i went to a yoga class at the golden bridge last night, a sunday night class, and was so pleasantly surprised that we were served a well deserved dinner after an incredilbly challenging class! mung beans and salad. utterly simple, and completely divine. it doesn't get easier than this, however it may require a bit of effort to procure a couple of key items that make it all worthwhile. of course, the goodness in "simple" is derived from the quality of the items, so this is where a bit of effort comes into play. here are the only ingredients you need for this impeccably delightful garden treat:

-organic field greens (baby greens or a spring mix will do, however doesn't "field" sound so summery?)
-your favorite olive oil
-apple cider vinegar (i guess it should be organic, right?)
-now here's the secret ingredient: Braggs Liquid Amino Acids - replaces any need for seasoning, plus it is packed with nutrients and gives the dressing the most delectable flavor ever! you can get this at whole foods or any natural food store.
-it's that easy and it's to die for. toss some alongside a cheese omlette, a piece of grilled chicken, a grilled cheese sandwhich, whatever you have in the fridge!

and finally, day 3 of being inspired by simple salads - my friend Ellie gave me some salad seasoning called Goya salad and veggie seasoning and told me it is the best dressing ever, just add fresh lemon juice and oil and presto! so i had some fresh butterleaf lettuce, live on the root and some grilled corn left over from the weekend.

-butterleaf lettuce, tear up leaves
-grilled corn, cut off the cob
-olive oil
-fresh lemon juice
-Goya salad seasoning

triple yum.

summertime

I have neglected my creative flow the past few months and as summer expands, I am finding that I have been on hold for some time now, but for what? There has been so much to be inspired by: Chinatown, night-blooming jasmine overhanging my entryway, my 40 day Kundalini Yoga Bootcamp practice and meditation at the Rec Center in Echo Park (hooray!), ice cream at Pazzo Gelato, the Hollywood Bowl with friends, moving my family into the new Ratsiu Residence in Huntington Beach, potential love around the corner, my blooming business as the Rental Girl, and heading out to Portland (for the first time!), Seattle and San Diego for a long overdue vacation. I met my new yoga teacher's wife Jamila the other day and fell in love with her website, blog and business concept eleven eleven. I was so happy I got to tell her how much she inspired me and how dedicated she is, it's no easy feat to keep up a blog with so many exciting and beautiful bits of random things. So I am committing to keeping up with my creative side and no matter what, remind myself (and anyone else who cares to read along!) of what makes life so beautiful, big or small. It doesn't have to be a long blog entry - even if just a word about what makes my heart sing. Just to stay connected to the Source. And with that, I will note my latest new find today at one of my favorite coffee stops: Cafe de Leche in Highland Park, the "chai-chata". Chai and horchata mixed - could there be anything more delightful? And it was iced. Yum. Definitely worth trying, as I was on my way to get a Mexican Mocha which is to die for as well. One last thing, I finally stopped by the Fifth Floor Gallery in Chinatown and talked to Robert (the owner, who works in the tool crib at Otis and who I know from the wood working class I took there a couple years ago) about mineral forest. Crossing my fingers for whatever there is in store for me there!

it's all in the name

I have a thing about picking wine off a list that I have no clue about, except for being intrigued by the name. It never fails - and last night at Canele in Atwater Village, a total gem with great ambiance and fantastic food, I did just that. I can't give myself all the credit because it was kind of a joint effort. I was asked to pick out one of several that had really cool names and see if we had made the same selection. I loved the anticipation - was I going to pick the same one he had in mind? I just went on my gut feeling, and bingo! We were curious about the same one... The Prisoner, a 2007  Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Napa. It was divine. It complemented the Beef Tenderloin perfectly and finished off so beautifully with the creamy cheesecake topped with sour cream. Even the label is rad. Thumbs up!