Laurel Hardware

Lauren and I had made plans to hang out last night and when I called her to see where we should go, she suggested this new place- Laurel Hardware.  She was all- "they have reclaimed hardwood floors from Coney Island" and I was all- "I'M IN".  I love pretentious hipster things like reclaimed hardwood floors from Coney Island, or chocolate chip cookies that take 2 days to make, like the ones that I made last weekend.  They were the best cookies ever, recipe here.

So we got there and were greeted by ridiculous beautiful people manning the front desk, asking for reservations.  Uh, we don't have those.  We are more "living in the moment" type people.  So we sat at the bar, which was divine.  Lauren got the yummy mojito type thing on the left, which is notable for the float of 12 year old rum on the top.  I told her she should just drink that part and send back the rest but truthfully the whole drink was stellar.  I got the yummy watermelon type thing on the right, which I loved.  The drinks all had awesome hipster-y names like "The Mule's Apprentice" and "Buzz Buttons".  Love that shit.

This is looking outside, where they have a nice outdoor seating area and after dark the lovely fairy lights in the trees look so inviting.

And this is looking at the bar.

We also got a yummy hatch chile, smoked goat cheese, and sardine pizza which I totally recommend but it was too dark by that time to take a decent pic.  Then we had to run away home because this very nice and decent "East Coast" guy was trying to hit on Lauren but she already got a man.

All in all, it was a lovely evening and I am sure we will return to Laurel Hardware again.

What Is A Weekend?

Good weekend y'all, good weekend.

My friend Polly was in town to sell at the Patchwork Craft Fair (read her recap here) and we got to hang out and have tons of fun together.  We ate yummy chilaquiles & cinnamon-tinged coffee, went shopping, got pedis, watched lots of trashy tv (Duck Dynasty anyone?) and topped it all off with a lot of really inspiring girl talk.  Friends are the best aren't they?

Salty/Sweet

If you know me at all, it is to know that I am obsessed with foods that are salty & sweet.

I had seen chocolate covered corn nuts on some blog recently and put them on my mental "to buy" list the next time I got paid.  But then I couldn't remember where I saw them and when I googled, all I could find were ones that had a hard candy shell.  That just didn't sound good to me so I decided to get on with life and make them myself.  I melted some semi-sweet Ghiradelli chocolate chips, poured in the corn nuts and stirred until they were coated in chocolate, and them painstakingly separated them on a cookie sheet covered in foil.  For the finishing touch, just 'cuz I'm cray like that, I liberally sprinkled some fancy times sea salt over the finished product before it dried.

OMG you guys, THE BEST.

Tabletops of Los Angeles

Lately I have been drawn to taking rather random photos of table tops when going out to eat!

Top photo- Cafe Stella

Middle photo- Wurstkuche

Bottom photo- The Market on Holly

Holiday Bark

Remember those rosemary roasted cashews from the last post? 

Well, I took them and made amazing-out of this world-crunchy-salty-sweet-spicy chocolate bark!

I guess I have Trader Joe's to thank, because when I went there yesterday they were completely out of pistachios that I needed to make the white chocolate bark I was planning.  I was super annoyed at the time, but after tasting this yummy treat I couldn't be happier. 

So what I did was, make the rosemary roasted cashews, but leave out the salt.  Melt some chocolate, spread it on some foil or parchment paper, sprinkle over the cashews, and then take some fleur de sel and liberally sprinkle that over everything.  Let the chocolate set and then break into large irregular chunks.  Oh my goodness.  It tastes soooo good.

I made some white chocolate bark too, with dried cranberries and apricots.  Too bad it's being totally eclipsed by this amazing chocolate bark!

Ina Garten's Rosemary Roasted Cashews

{image via Leite's Culinaria}

Have you ever tried these?  If you haven't you need to do yourself a favor.  Put down the laptop, drive to the grocery store, buy the ingredients below and make these rosemary roasted cashews.  Unless you don't want to eat a whole pound of cashews by yourself and hissing at anyone that tries to take some.

They make a great last minute foodie Christmas gift as well! 

1 pound roasted unsalted cashews

2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons light brown sugar

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175°C).

2. Spread the cashews out on a sheet pan. Toast in the oven until warm, about 5 minutes.

3. In a large bowl, combine the rosemary, cayenne, sugar, salt, and butter. Thoroughly toss the warm cashews with the spiced butter and serve warm.


*Recipe from Barefoot In Paris

(Susan Feniger's) STREET

Ate at Street and it was amazing and delicious!

Beverages are very important.

Clockwise from top left: some citrusy/sidecar thing, bacon infused bloody mary, fancy take on a manhattan, and goddess cucumber gin heaven.

To read a much more interesting and comprehensive take on the meal we had there, read my friend Lauren's blog, This Is La La Land!



The Widow's Touch

Looks yummers, right?  I have been wanting to make a fall-tinged drink with Applejack ever since I read a recipe for one in Bon Appetit about 3 years ago.  
Then I was at Big Bar at Alcove with Lauren the other day and I saw a drink featuring it on the menu.  From what I could remember of the original recipe, it seemed quite similar.
Well, one sip of this drink was enough for me to run to the nearest BevMo and buy a bottle of Laird's Apple Jack.  And enough Benedictine and St. Germain to make my new signature fall beverage all winter!



The Widow's Touch


1 cup ice cubes
5 Tbsp Laird's Apple Jack
3 Tbsp St. Germain
1 Tbsp Benedictine liqueur
2 dashes Angostura Bitters


Place ice cubes in cocktail shaker.  Add remaining ingredients and stir 20 to 30 seconds. 
Strain into 2 chilled coupe glasses and serve.

What's For Dinner?

Lentil, Butternut Squash, Apple, and Curry Soup!

I was going to make a simple butternut squash soup, but I was more in the mood for a hearty

almost- stew, so I searched my fridge and pantry for some inspiration.  This is what I came up with:

Ingredients:

1 cup lentils

1 can Trader Joe's diced tomatoes

1 quart chicken stock

2 cups water

1 package Trader Joe's butternut squash

1 green apple, diced

3 small carrots, diced

3 stalks celery, diced

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 tbsp curry powder

1 sprig fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

2 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Heat olive oil in large pot on medium high heat.  Add onions and saute until translucent. Add carrots, celery, squash, and apple, salt & pepper and cook for 8-10 minutes.  Add garlic and curry powder and cook for 2 minutes.

Add tomatoes, lentils, and herbs to pot.  Cover with lid, reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes.  Remove lid, add stock and water to pot.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.   Cook soup for 1 hour or until vegetables and lentils are tender, adding water if needed.

Blend 3 cups of soup in blender, then return to pot to thicken soup.  Stir in balsamic vinegar.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Serve hot.

What's For Dinner?

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

I have to admit I have a soft spot for casseroles, they are so comforting.  I also love Mexican food, so this recipe in the latest issue of Everyday Food caught my eye immediately.  It was very easy to put together and the best part is that every serving has only 300 calories!  Yay!

Ingredients:

2 pounds tomatillos, husks removed & coarsely chopped  (I used a large jar of green enchilada sauce)

2 tbsp vegetable oil  (I used olive oil)

1 white onion, diced small

2 small jalapenos, seeded & diced small

3 garlic cloves, minced

salt & pepper

12 corn tortillas

3/4 pound cooked & shredded chicken  (I used a rotisserie chicken)

3 tbsp sour cream

1/2 cup cotija cheese

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a blender, puree tomatillos until smooth.  In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high.  Add onion and jalapenos and cook until softened, about 8 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.  Add tomatillo puree and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until sauce is thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.  Season with salt & pepper. 

2.  Briefly run stack of tortillas under cold water, turning to lightly dampen.  Wrap stack in a clean kitchen towel and microwave until pliable, about 30 seconds.  Fill each tortilla with about 3 tbsp chicken, fold in half, and arrange in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, overlapping slightly.  Top with tomatillo mixture, cover with foil, and bake until bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes.  Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

3.  In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream and 2 tbsp water.  To serve, drizzle casserole with sour cream mixture and sprinkle with cotija cheese and cilantro.

Everyday Food

Do you read Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine?

Personally, I love it.  When I was younger, first starting to live on my own and learning to cook, this was my go to source.  The recipes are easy, fast, and most importantly- seasonal.  Plus, there is always a lovely accompanying photo to show you what your dish is supposed to look like! 
I have bought a ton of these magazines over the years.  When I am lacking inspiration in the kitchen, I will pull out all of the current month's issues from years past and go through them for ideas.  Also, their diminutive size makes it perfect to throw one or two in my handbag on the way to the grocery store, that way I will know what ingredients to get.  In short, they are kind of perfect.

Here are links to some of my favorite recipes over the years:

Molten Chocolate Cakes

Cucumber-Watermelon Salad

Roasted Zucchini & Tomato Pasta

Tomato & Grilled Bread Salad

Cashew Chicken

Pressed Salami Sandwich
Plum Upside Down Cake

Bay Area Eats

I had a super time last week on vacation in the bay area and I got to eat all the best foods!

1.  Homeroom in Oakland- Perfect macaroni & cheese.  I got the cacio e pepe with broccoli and it was so so good.  Also, don't miss the homemade oreos.

2.  The famous Tartine.  Must haves include: jambon royale & gruyere sammie, croque monsieur, coconut cream tart, lemon bars, and well... basically everything on the menu.  It's just as amazing as everyone says it is!

3.  Miette.  I have been wanting to visit this beautiful jewel box of a store for years and my dear friend Polly was lovely enough to indulge me and take me there.  It's filled with candy, chocolate, cupcakes, a whole wall of licorice, and dreams.  Corny I know but it's so adorable you will want to move in and live there forever. 

4.  We also went to a great German restaurant called Suppenkuche, but it was too dark to take pictures.  It was the perfect spot for the newly cold nights and we had a delicious and cozy supper of braised meats, venison, dumplings, and hearty mugs of beer.  A perfect introduction to fall.

Rhubarb Compote

Mmmmm, rhubarb compote.

I have been craving some ever since I was served an adorable tiny pot of it a few weeks ago at brunch.  They still had some rhubarb at Whole Foods so I bought it and got to work finding a recipe.  The only problem was I couldn't find one I really liked.  So I sort of cobbled them all together and just got to it. 

First I chopped up all the rhubarb and added it to a pot over a low flame with some honey and lemon and sugar.  Then I split a vanilla bean and added all the delicious vanilla bits.  After it cooked down I let it stew away in the oven for a while at 300 degrees.  After a taste it was still too sour, so I added more honey.  

When it was cool I poured the compote into these adorable tiny Weck jars I got at Broome St. General Store.  It's so yummy and I love eating it with yogurt in the morning, or on strawberry ice cream after dinner!

Tasty Treat

Coolhaus Maker's Mark & peach/oatmeal cookie ice cream sandwich.

Coffee, Tea, Or Me?

I have to admit, I'm not much of a coffee drinker.  I know, shocking.  I mostly just drink it when I meet a friend for coffee.  Usually I go the route of herbal tea and it's always mint.  I'm kind of a creature of habit and I don't try new things that often when it comes to social non-alcoholic drinking.  Which is weird because I am so up for trying new things when it comes to food or restaurants or whatever.  Anyway. 
The other day I was meeting a friend for coffee at Lamill but it was just so early and I could tell the coffee was going to give me a stomachache but I wanted a treat.  I looked over the menu and decided to try the Vanilla Rooibos Milk Tea Latte and it was so so so yummy.  I wanted to drink it every day.  So I got home and researched a few recipes online (it turns out this drink is super popular at Starbucks too, who knew?) and decided to whip up my own delish version that doesn't cost me $5.25 every time I drink it. 

After trying to be fancy and make this more complicated than it needs to be, I found the best way is to take a mug, fill half and half with milk and hot water and a rooibos tea bag and microwave for a minute, then add a dash of vanilla flavored syrup.  Of course it's not quite as magical as the one at Lamill, which I think is made out of baby twin tears and stirred with a glittery unicorn horn, but it tastes quite yummy and makes me happy every morning! 

Easy Like Sunday Morning

Rather than going off to work last Sunday like I always do, I had a delicious pre-birthday brunch at the Roosevelt Hotel (aka The Roozy) with Lauren.  We consumed between 40-50 bellinis and the rhubarb compote was off the hook.  There is nothing I love more than fancy meals and pretending I'm rich...sigh.

Also, get the duck confit hash if you go, it was outstanding!

What's For Dinner?

Tomato & Cheddar Pie

Oh yum.  I got the recipe from the newest Bon Appetit and I think you should probably make it.  It's pretty easy and comes together quite fast once you chill the dough and drain the tomatoes.

The crust is very biscuity and delicious, the tomatoes and cheddar are lovely together, and the dill really makes this dish.  Next time I am going to add corn or maybe bacon too!

Peach Elderflower Yogurt Pop

I was looking over my summer to do list the other day, since it's August and all, and I realized I hadn't done much besides take pictures and wear sunscreen.  So I decided to make popsicles- goal #4.  I've been wanting to make these Campari Orange pops, but I didn't feel like going to the store to buy things.  So I made one up- it's officially titled the "Peach Elderflower Yogurt Pop" and it's freakin' amazing. 

Ingredients

3 Peaches

1/4 Cup Sugar

1 Tbsp Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

1 Tbsp St. Germain Liqueur

Pinch of Salt

17 oz. Greek Yogurt (I used Fage 2%)

Directions

Peel peaches and cut into sections.  Transfer peaches to saucepan and add next 4 ingredients (don't add yogurt!).  Bring to a boil over medium heat, then lower heat to a simmer until mixture has thickened.  Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. 

Add a few spoonfuls of syrup from peaches to yogurt and mix well.  Then alternate layers of yogurt and peaches in popsicle molds, or if you prefer, mix yogurt and peaches together before freezing in molds. 

Freeze overnight and enjoy the deliciousness!

What's For Dinner?

Grilled romaine with blue cheese dressing and steaks!

It was all delicious, including the steak marinade which was garlic, cilantro, lime, brown sugar, and olive oil.  But the lettuce didn't taste any different, maybe I needed to grill it more?  Next time I'll get it real crispy!

I don't have a recipe for the marinade, I just kind of eyeballed it and it was super yummy. 

I find that I'm becoming more relaxed with cooking, trusting myself to guess at quantities of things.  This is good and maybe shows that I'm learning to chill a little bit in my old age? 

Pardon me as I go obsessively categorize my bookcase by the Dewey Decimal system.

Organized

As I was walking through a store the other day these large glass jars caught my eye, and I realized I had been meaning to buy some to store foodstuffs in for about 12 years.  All of a sudden I got quite angry that it had taken me so long and bought a bunch of them in an effort to become more organized.

I'm so happy I did, I love looking at flour and sugar in these much more than a boring old paper bag!