California Dreaming

Helene Henderson defines her Malibu Farm as a home, a community, and a desire to live local and eat local.   As she describes all the animals, fruit trees, bees, beach -- you will pine to live there.   The photos are beautiful, vibrant and warm, evoking the casual, friendly and approachable attitude of Malibu and beach culture.   

Likewise, the recipes are user-friendly and inviting at the same time.   Their emphasis on fresh and local means most of these ingredients are easy to find, and many of the dishes are healthy.   Even though they raise pigs and chickens, they are not vegetarian or vegan.   Henderson doesn't eat meat, but she offers some mouthwatering red meat recipes.  

If you've ever struggled to cut up a kabocha squash, you'll love her tip to boil the squash for five minutes to make it easier to cut open.   What a life/hand saver!   I can't wait to try her recipe for basil ice cream.  Now, if Henderson only had some tips on how I can afford to buy some real estate in Malibu....I'd love to have my own farm.   Until then, Malibu Farm is the next best thing.  

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.   

Ten Things I Learned From Jonathan Gold

1.  Don't judge a restaurant by its strip mall.  You will be tempted to, this is L.A., after all, where looks reign supreme.

2.  Your favorite restaurant may well turn out to be located in a very ugly strip mall and yet, dinner for two will still cost you $200.

3.  Be willing to drive.  All over.  L.A.  The food might be that good.

4.  Google Translate can decipher any menu. No speakee Chinese, No problemo!

5.  Don't review a restaurant until you've eaten there more than once.   Everybody has a bad day.  Plus you could've ordered "wrong."  It could be you.  Don't be surprised if it takes you 17 times to decide what to write about in your review.

6.  Hoard books.  Read!  Research!  When I saw how many books graced the Gold home, I cheered.   Books were stacked everywhere in Jonathan Gold's home.  In shelves.  On the staircase.  On the table.   Just say no to The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.  Instead, say, "Honey, I'm keeping my books just the way they are."

7.  Read Calvin Trillin.

8.  Impress chefs like Sarin Sing (AKA Jazz) of Jitlada by reciting some of her "secret" ingredients. Bonus points if you pronounce the ingredients correctly.

9.  When it's time to write your review, avoid the word "AMAZING!" at all costs.  As in, the food was amazing!  The service was amazing!  The view was amazing!

10.  Most importantly, discover the next great eatery before Jonathan Gold reviews it.  Go often, 17 times in a row if you must, because once the place receives a "Gold" star, you will never get in again.

Meet Me in the Middle

Sooner or later, every food lover faces this dilemma -- the big bad scale of life.  You love to eat, you want to live.  Preferably a long life so you can eat all the food you love.  Life.  Food.  Life. Food. Well, sooner or later, and usually sooner, your health demands top priority.  It's not just your weight you have to reexamine, as Andie Mitchell learned when she saw 268 lbs staring back at her at the tender age of 20 -- it's your whole relationship to food.  

This book helps you transform your relationship to food to a healthier diet without the "sacrifice."   Her recipes look tasty, rich with flavor, and use commonly found ingredients.   Parmesan-crusted chicken tenders with buttermilk ranch dressing.  Lightened pad thai using shredded cabbage instead of noodles to cut down on carbs.  Muffin-sized lasagna to induce portion control.  Her version of fish and chips looks so mouthwatering you'll want to make it tonight.  And maybe I will.

In essence, Mitchell is not asking you to give up anything for life.  She readily states she will never give up cake.  She doesn't want to live in a world without doughnuts.  So yes, there's a section on sweets with recipes that advocate pleasure and celebration, not deprivation.  When you stop to treat yourself, treat yourself to moderation.   Life.  Food.  Life.   Food.  Gosh darn it, you want both.  You work hard, and you deserve both.  Just be mindful.  A lifetime diet.  

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.

The Gold Standard

If you love food, and live in Los Angeles, it is no accident that you know who Jonathan Gold is.   In fact, if you are a foodie living in Los Angeles, it's very likely that your dining adventures are shaped by what I call the "Gold Standard."

When you're new to the city or a cuisine, you're likely to comb through Gold's 101 Best Restaurants, tally up which ones you've tried, and make a note to visit the other restaurants.  You and your friends make a date to meet at the new restaurant and find it packed.  Long waits.  In some cases, higher prices because hey, now they can afford to charge more.   As some restaurant owners in the documentary say, Jonathan Gold saved them, brought in hordes of people.

So, if you're a true explorer and a hearty appetite, you find the real trick is to find a gem before Jonathan Gold reviews it.  This requires a lot of stealth, stamina and a full tank of gas. Jonathan Gold may drive everywhere, but let's remember, he's getting paid to write those reviews while we're not.

Glendale has a lot of Armenian restaurants so when I first moved here, I tried to emulate Gold's stomach.  The Year I Ate Pico Boulevard inspired me to sample as many restaurants I could on Brand Avenue and Glenoaks.  I thought, what the heck?  There may be less diversity of cuisines on Brand and Glenoaks, but I'm curious and hungry.   I skipped fast food chains.   I often went for lunch, alone because it was more convenient and efficient.

Gold says he never finished eating at every establishment on Pico Blvd so I feel less guilty that I gave up my mission.  I learned a lot and gained too much weight.   I discovered new flavors, and new markets.   And how one is treated as a single female diner versus in a group across all cuisines -- Whoa! -- I'll save for a book or my next comedy act.

Three Amigos, Three Branzino

My cousins like to gather for Sunday supper, usually at my aunt and uncle's.  I don't usually attend since I'm the black sheep.

This year my BD falls on Good Friday March 25th, so my cousins asked me if we could celebrate my BD the weekend earlier, on the 20th to avoid being subjected to long fiery sermons on Easter Sunday. Some folks wanted to get away for the holiday weekend as well, so it just made sense to celebrate my birthday as an extended family one Sunday earlier.

My relatives kept teasing me.  "When are we going to taste your cooking?"  "I hear you're a good cook. Prove it."

Even though branzino isn't typically found in Chinese restaurants, my relatives love seafood. Seafood is plentiful in Taiwan.  Plus whole roasted branzino is one of my favorite dishes.  I made it last year for my BD and it was a huge hit with my guests.  What's not to like about this mild, white-fleshed fish?  Besides, fish in Chinese culture symbolizes good luck.  We could all use more luck.  But to make sure, I shared my vision for the dish with my cousin Wesley and he said he couldn't wait.

Next task at hand was securing the fish.  Luckily, Fish King Seafood had some clear-eyed branzino for sale at $12.98/lb.   I bought 3 fishes, about 2 pounds each.

To minimize any trauma in someone else's kitchen (what, you don't have this!?  am i in your way again?), I prepped as much of the dish at my home.  I stuffed and twined all three fishes, and even brought my All-Clad roasting pan.  My relatives were impressed.  OMG, that is so much fish!  This All-Clad roasting pan is so heavy!  They took photos and they aren't even foodies!

When I first arrived, however, the early birds at the party chided me.  Fish!  Who told you to bring fish and three bigs ones!?   We ordered take out and one of the dishes we ordered was fried fish fillets.  Inside, I was thinking fried fish fillets, ugh.    I looked at my cousin Wesley, who gave me a sheepish look.  I'm sure we'll still eat it.

My heart sank, I was out $80 for the fish alone, and they preferred fried fish fillets to fresh branzino?   I tried to look on the bright side.  If no one liked my dish, my husband and I would gladly take the fishes home. Leftover branzino makes great fish tacos.

Silly me.   OMG, when we set the piece de resistance in the center of the table, it looked majestic.   It is the first dinner I've attended where everyone dives for the fish head!

There were no leftovers.  None.  The large all-clad and fish bones were scraped clean.  Suddenly "too much" fish was "too little" fish.  All the garnishes were eaten too.

My aunt told me she's never ever cooked a whole fish before and doesn't know how.  I found this astonishing because whole fish is ubiquitous in all Chinese restaurants so I erroneously assumed...

We were also astonished by everyone's reaction to my husband helping me flip the fish.   "He helps you?"  "He knows how to cook?"  "Does he like to help you?"  We were barraged with questions.

I felt like I was transported back to medieval times.   To my father's house because my father would never lift a finger in the kitchen to help me.  When my mother left, cooking became my responsibility, and when I left, my father called his mother and asked her to come to America to cook.  She did.

 It is the first dinner I've attended where everyone dives for the head!  Dibs!

Towards the end of the meal, a cousin asked, "Is this dish Chinese?"

Is it?   Hmmm.   How to answer.   Fennel, Italian, not Chinese.   Yuzu, Japanese.   Soy sauce, Chinese parsley (cilantro), Chinese.   Worcestershire sauce, American.   I plead the fifth.

One hurdle at a time.

The More of Less

After reading Marie Kondo's The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, I was curious what wisdom and insights Joshua Becker might have to offer in the More of Less.

Becker defines minimalism as the intentional promotion of things we most value and the removal of anything that distracts us from them.   Minimalism doesn't mean owning nothing and giving up everything.  He argues that when we let possessions own us, we don't enjoy what we value most in life.

Kondo shares a lot of her personal life stories about what sparked and didn't spark joy, Becker shares a lot of other people's stories and stories from the Bible.  Becker offers a list of familiar questions to help you zero in on your passions and reevaluate if your lifestyle matches your values.  He gives you homework like Declaring Your Why, Write Down Your Goals to guide you. Becker reminds us of how easy it is to buy mindlessly, or for the wrong reasons.  How we've been conditioned to always want bigger, better, more, and how liberating it is to live more mindfully.

Perhaps the most interesting part of this book, for me, was learning about how others have defined minimalism their way, and letting that set my imagination afire.

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.

Crispy Lentils with Orange & Yellow Carrots, Peas, Shallots & Chives

Sometimes a Dish

Changes How You Feel About Something.   That's partly why even though I love to cook and experiment at home, I love to eat out.   At friends', at restaurants, in different countries.    Sometimes when a restaurant closes, you don't just mourn the restaurant and the staff, you mourn dishes that you cannot find anywhere else.   For example, my mother-in-law at 89 still recalls quite lovingly and in great detail the best bay scallops she's ever eaten at a long-closed restaurant in Chelsea, Manhattan.  

I hate lentils.  Too mushy.  It doesn't help they are super healthy.  Dr. Oz can't stop raving about the benefits and how on the eve of his colonoscopy, he snuck some in, and they were found the very next morning in his intestine.  Busted!  

Cobras & Matadors changed how I feel about and looked at lentils.  The restaurant closed, but if you google crispy lentils and Cobras & Matadors, you'll see how many people loved that dish.   Crispy French puy lentils, jamon serrano, scallions and a splash of balsamic.  I ordered that dish every time I was there, and anyone dining with me also fell in love with that dish.   

Every once in a while, I would attempt to recreate the dish and failed.   Last night marked a victory.  I brought a pot of water to a boil, turned it off, and then soaked the Zursun Idaho heirloom black beluga lentils in that hot water for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes, I drained the lentils.

I proceeded with my mise en place.   Diced yellow and orange carrots.  Cut up some Chinese chives in 1" lengths.  One shallot.  Two slices of bacon.   Shelled some English peas.  Chopped up some parsley.  Threw in a bay leaf.  

Once the carrots softened, I added the beluga lentils.