Art: Super Grandma

Delicious living is not just about eating and cooking - it's about living life to the fullest and appreciating the beauty and wonder in the world. I've already created sections for music and movies. Now, I'm going to start sharing the work of artists who I like, and am inspired by on this blog. I absolutely love this set of photos by French photographer Sacha Goldberger.

A few years ago, French photographer Sacha Goldberger found his 91 year old Hungarian grandmother feeling lonely and depressed. He suggested by taking pictures of her as a superhero as a way to cheer her up. It seems to have worked! This photo series and the story behind it is really heartwarming, and will surely put a smile on your face!!!

Happy Monday. :)

*Click on "photoseries" for hyperlink to more photos

Listen: Florence + The Machine - You've Got the Love

Florence (+ the Machine) rocked out on the Oscars tonight! She is one of our favorite new artists. Her album "Lungs" is awesome.

Cook: FJ Steak Dinner #1

We like eating steak, and tend to have it 1-2x a month for dinner. J is the grillmaster and in charge of the steaks, and I am in charge of the sides. Many people think that steak = fancy dinner with lots of preparation, but we whipped up this delicious dinner in less than 30 min! (15 min for prep, another 15 for cooking/grilling). It was so easy that I am going to put all the recipes into this one post! It was economically too - we got our Ribeye steaks from costco (we had 1/2 the package = $10) and all the sides from trader joe's (approx $15)

Making the Steak:

J is learning how to become an even better chef with our online cooking classes from Rouxbe. He tried a whole bunch of new tricks on our steaks including a) took them of package and let them set on a rack on a plate in the refridgerator x 12 hours b) took them out of fridge and let them come to room temperature x 2 hours, c) seasoned them with salt, pepper and a little olive oil, d) grilled them at high heat until they were rare (J)/ medium rare (F). He knew when they were done because we used our nifty new meat thermometer!

Garlicky Green Beans:

I used the "Pre-washed, Ready to Eat, Microwavable Green Beans" from Trader Joe's. Microwave the package for 3 minutes. Then in a small skillet, heat up approximately 1 tablespoon of olive oil, saute 3 garlic cloves (crushed), add salt and pepper to taste, and stir-fry the green beans until tender.

Mini-Tomato, Mini Mozzarella Salad and Basil Salad:

TJ had some cute hierloom mini tomatoes this week. To make this salad, slice the tomatoes in half, then slice small mozzarella balls in half to match. Drizzle olive oil lightly over the tomato/cheese and then salt and pepper (freshly ground) to taste. Sprinkle some hand torn basil over the top.

Roasted Red Peppers:

These were on sale for 60 cents a piece this week! J threw two of these on the grill whole and turned them until they were fully roasted. Let cool and slice! That's as easy as it gets!

The rice was microwavable brown rice (also from TJ) - 3 minutes and then it's done! We enjoyed our steak dinner iwth a bottle of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars 2006 Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon!

Drink: Stag's Leap Wine Cellars 2006 Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon

We have many different bottles of wine- some bought, others gifts from friends. Since we don't really have any specialized knowledge about wine pairing other than "reds with meat, whites with seafood", we tend to pick a bottle from random out of our rack to pair with dinner.

Tonight, we choose this bottle to go with our steak dinner. We enjoyed it and thought it made a nice pairing. This is the description from wine.com:

winemaker's notes:

The 2006 Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot.

Focused and complex, the wine opens with aromas and flavors of black fruit—blackberry, currant, and plum—that slowly give way to layers of nutmeg, rosemary, grilled game, and warm pie crust. This firmly structured and full-bodied wine gains depth and richness through the finish.

Enjoy this wine with filet mignon with green peppercorn cream sauce or braised veal shanks with green olives and capers.

critical acclaim:

"Made almost exclusively from Cabernet Sauvignon, this is a deeply colored, ripely rich young wine that shows masses of blackberries. There are supporting notes of pain grillé, anise, violets, anise and smoky oak, with a firm grounding of minerals."

90 Points

Wine Enthusiast

Cook: Hot and Delicious Spinach and Artichoke Dip

This is the best spinach and artichoke dip - I've made it a dozen of times and it always a hit at parties. My recipe is a slight modification of the Hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip II from Allrecipes.com:

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup pecorino and romano parmesan blend (you can find this at trader joe's or use 1/4 cup each of parmesan and romano)

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp garlic salt

1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (in water, NOT in marinade or oil)

1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach thawed and drained (squeeze out excess water)

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

pepper to taste

*tip - I usually use trader joe's canned artichokes and half of a 16oz (1lb) bag of frozen chopped spinach.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. lightly grease a small baking dish (spray with pam)
2. In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, romano cheese, garlic, basil, garlic salt, salt and pepper. Gently stir in artichoke hearts and spinach.
3. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with mozzarella cheese.
4. Bake in preheated over 25 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned.

This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled depending on the size of your party! Serve with chips or crusty bread.

Cook: Bagel with Lox, Cream Cheese, Capes and Tomatoes

This is one of our favorite things to eat for breakfast on the weekends. You can go out and order it at a restaurant, but we prefer to make it ourselves so we can adjust the fixin's to our liking. The best part of this gourmet treat, is that it is incredibly easy to prepare!

Ingredients:

• bagels, split in half and toasted
• plain cream cheese
• lox (this time we tried scottish smoked salmon from costco! it was delicious!)
• red onion (sliced thinly)
• capers
• lemon, cut into wedges
• cherry tomatoes (cut in half) - optional
• freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1. Spread cream cheese over one half of the bagel
2. Spread a thin layer of lox over the cream cheese layer
3. Squeeze some lemon juice over the lox
4. Add capers, red onions, and tomatoes (whatever combination you are happy with)
5. Sprinkle some freshly ground pepper over everything

Enjoy! Serve with freshly brewed coffee, and fruit on the side (this morning, we had papaya and strawberry -yum!)

Cook: Prosciutto, Mozzarella, Tomato Basil Panini

I apologize. I don't have a photo of the panini I made for last night's dinner because it was so delicious, we devoured them before I could grab my camera. J's comment was "I think that is the best first bite of sandwich I've ever eaten". Here's my recipe for a delicious supper that takes less than 5 min to make!

Equipment needed: George Foreman Grill (if you own one, you can use a panini grill but the foreman does quite well)

Ingredients: (I bought everything other than the bread from the local trader joe's)

• baby heirloom tomatoes, sliced in half
• fresh basil, torn into smaller pieces
• small mozzarella balls, sliced in half (if using the larger sizes, slice into 1/4 in pieces)
• proscuitto
• freshly ground pepper
• artisan bread - we used a wheat/nut loaf my sister in law brought us, but you can use any type of bread you like (country, french or sourdough), just not the white sandwich bread as that flattens out too much when pressed.

Directions:

1. slice bread into 1/2'' slices depending on how firm it is (if it is a denser bread, you can slice it thinner 1/4'')
2. butter 1 side per slice, place butter side down on cutting board (or flat service where you will assemble the sandwich)
3. place 1 slice of prosciutto over the bottom slice of bread. put the cut tomatoes on top. cover with 1-2 more slices of proscuitto (by putting the tomatoes in between the slices of meat, you prevent the bread from getting soggy from tomato juice when pressed in the grill)
4. top with slices of mozzarella to cover 75% of the service.
5. top with torn fresh basil
6. grind some black pepper
7. add the top slice of bread with buttered sides facing out
8. place on george foreman grill. Grill until sides are nicely toasted and slightly crunchy.

Remove and enjoy! Repeat as many times as you would like until full! Serve with your favorite soup (we had leftover homemade fresh asparagus soup).

Cook: 17 Bean and Barley Soup with Sausage

This is one of our favorite soups. It is hearty and can be enjoyed as a meal.

Ingredients:

• 16 oz (1lb) bag of 17 bean & barley mix (I use Trader Joe's but you can probably substitute any mixed dried bean mix)
• 2 -32 oz Chicken Broth
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1 cup carrot, choped
• 1 cup bell pepper chopped
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 clove garlic crushed
• 2 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 1 can TJ canned tomatoes (I usually use whole tomatoes, and then chop them in the pot so they are big chunks, but this time I used crushed tomatoes)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp italian seasoning (I use oregano)
• Andouille chicken sausage

Directions:

1. De-gas the beans. You can either do this by soaking the beans overnightin a large pot of water, then rinse and drain. Or, to quick soak them - in a large saucepan, cover dried beans with triple their volume of cold water. Bring water to a boil, then lower heat and cook uncovered beans over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and soak beans for one hour.
2. Pour 4 cups of chicken broth into pot with the beans.
3. In a separate pan, cook onion, celery, carrot, pepper, basil and garlic in olive oil until soft.
4. Combine this mixture with remaining ingredients into the bean pot and add more broth if necessary.
5. Simmer covered for about 1 hour to desired tenderness. Be sure to occasionally check liquid level and add more broth if necessary.
6. In the meantime, slice sausage into 1/4 in thick slices on a diagonal, then pan fry.
7. When beans are done, add sausage to soup and simmer another 10 min.
8. Salt and pepper to desired taste

Makes about 8 hearty servings.

Red Velvet: Vanilla Bake Shop, Santa Monica

I frequently drive by the Vanilla Bake Shop on Wilshire, and have always found the shop charming from the outside. After reading some favorable reviews on yelp.com about their meyer lemon raspberry (supposedly, Martha Stewart's favorites) and red velvet cupcakes, I was looking forward to giving it try. It was close to 6 pm (closing time on Sunday) and unfortunately, neither of those cupcakes were available. Not ready to give up, I spotted a red velvet cake in the corner of the case, and ordered up a slice to go.

To my utter dismay, when I got home and took my first bite, I was shocked and surprised... the cake tasted like a wet rag. I closed my eyes, and took another bite. Yuck. The cake was dense and overly moist with a strange flavor that did not resemble chocolate or buttermilk (key ingredients in Red Velvet Cake). The frosting also lacked flavor and tasted like a big glob of whipped butter. I can't speak for the other flavors or baked goods at the bakery (which may in all fairness, may be very good), but this was the worst Red Velvet Cake I have ever tried (and I've tried dozens, maybe even >50).

Grade: F

Vanilla Bake Shop

512 Wilshire Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 458-6644

Must Eat: Tofu-Ya, Los Angeles, CA

My brother and his family are visiting this weekend. For lunch, per his request, we went to his favorite restaurant in LA, Tofu-Ya. Let me preface this post by explaining that outside of Los Angeles, it can be difficult to find good Korean BBQ. Luckily for us, we've heard that there are quite a few options in Los Angeles. We haven't gotten around to try many of the ones in Koreantown yet, but we do give Tofu-Ya props for it's convenient location on the West Side and for it's consistently delicious food. Every time we've eaten there, we have left happy - satisfied and very full.

Listen: Radiohead - Lotus Flower

Radiohead is one of my all time favorite bands!!! Their new album "The King of Limbs" is available for download today!

Skip this: The Yard, Santa Monica

My friend Stephanie is visiting from NYC this week. I met her while doing a rotation in psycho-oncology (= psychiatric support for cancer patients) in the city, and we worked long hours - a typical day was from 8am to 8pm. However, a few times during that month, we were done "early" (=6pm). On those days, we would jump on the train in order to make it downtown in time to take advantage of the dollar oyster happy hour special at the Lure Fishbar. Those were some good times, and good eats. So, it only made sense for us to meet up again at a happy hour in Santa Monica.

We decided to try out The Yard - "your neighborhood gastropub" based on it's fantastic sounding happy hour menu. We arrived at 6:45pm and the place was busy, but not too packed. Within 10 minutes we were able to sit at a communal table. We placed an order for a $5 cosmo (F) and $5 margarita (S), and went for the pulled pork sandwich and fish tacos ($6 each).

When I think of pulled pork, I think of juicy meat slow cooked and slathered in bbq sauce. The Yard's version tried to be fancy with their friend onion ring garnish, but tasted utterly unremarkable.

Pulled Pork: Grade: C

The fish tacos were a bit better. They were better than Wahoo's (though more expensive, even at $6), but no where as good as the ones at Sharky's. Fish Tacos, Grade = B

By the time we finished those appetizers, happy hour was over. We were still hungry, so we decided to get something off the regular dinner menu. I love mac and cheese - my favorite in the world is at Armsby Abbey in Worcester, MA. Based on the menu description at the Yard "Mac n Cheese, Pancetta, Sauteed Market Kale, Crispy Bread Crumbs" $14, I had high hopes...

When it arrived, it was not macaroni, but orechiette in a gooey mess of cheese. I am not sure I tasted anything other than cheese. The kale and bread crumbs got lost in the sea of cheese. So did the pasta. It was so heavy and filling that with each bite, it became more difficult to eat. Unfortunately, this mac n cheese was not the one for me. Sigh. Mac N Cheese = C

This is my first "Skip this" dining post. That may be a bit harsh as the food was not bad, and the happy hour prices were decent. It's just that the food wasn't all that good and the ambiance wasn't all that charming. Why eat something that is just okay, when there are so many better things to eat! Next time, I'll suggest going to Venice Beach Wines for happy hour, where I'd give the entire menu a solid "A".

Cook: Bacon Wrapped Dates

I made these for J as part of Valentine's Day dinner and they were a huge hit! They are simple, delicious, and make a fantastic appetizer!

For the first batch, I didn't use enough bacon (only enough to cover the date) and overcooked the dates. The result was a overly crunchy and not entirely enjoyable morsel. We ate them all anyway. I learned from that batch, and made some changes for second batch. This time around, I omitted the almonds (was trying to stuff too much into a little date) and got the timing just right!

Here is my recipe for Bacon wrapped dates stuffed with blue cheese:

Ingredients:

• 1 package of bacon - cut slices in half
• dates - however many dates you want to make. we ate 20 between the two of us easily, but I think a "normal" serving size is probably something like 3-6 dates per person.
• blue cheese - whatever kind you like

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F

2. Slice dates in half and open them up (if they aren't already pitted, remove the pit).

3. Pinch off pieces of blue cheese and place them in the center of the dates. Close the halves of the dates.

4. Wrap a half-slice of bacon around the outside. Secure with a toothpick.

5. Arrange in a 9x13 baking pan covered with aluminum foil (for easy clean-up) - (If using a baking sheet, make sure your pan has sides to keep the grease from dripping into your oven!)

6. Bake for 15 minutes - turn dates over for even cooking

7. Bake another 15-25 minutes until bacon is crisp. Watch carefully not to overcook!

Remove from oven, allow to cool for 5 minutes, then enjoy!

Red Velvet: Cuvee

Red Velvet is my favorite type of cake. When I realized that more often than not, it tastes terrible (it is a complicatedbalance of flavors and frosting to get right)... I started a "quest for the perfect red velvet cake". After trying several dozen over many years, I finally found it- in Truckee, California. On this blog, I will continue to rate Red Velvet cakes and will probably bring back some of my older posts/reviews, with the hopes that I will spare you from eating the lousy ones.

The cake had a nice flavor but was a bit too dense.

The frosting was cream cheese but had a very strong and heavy butter taste.

All in all - a good attempt, but too heavy all around. Grade = B-

Cuvee

www.mycuvee.com

145 South Robertson Blvd

Los Angeles, CA

(310) 271-4333

Listen: Bruno Mars - Just The Way You Are [Official Video]

For all you lovers out there... Happy Valentine's Day! :) Pretty interesting video with tape art....

Cook: Molten Chocolate Cakes

Made this last night when our friends S and A came over. Would make a fabulous valentine's day dessert too :)

Molten Chocolate Cakes (recipe adapted from Epicurious.com)

Ingredients:

2 ounces bittersweet, 3 ounces unces bittersweet (or any combination of the two = 5 oz), chopped

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1 tablespoon brandy

2 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

5 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

Large pinch of salt

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Directions:

Generously butter four 3/4 cup souffle dishes or custard cups.

Arrange on baking sheet

Stir chocolate and butter in heavy saucepan over low heat until smooth.

Remove from heat; stir in brandy. cool 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Using electric mixer, beat eggs, yolks, 4 tablespoons sugar, vanilla, 1 teaspoon espresso powder and salt in medium bowl until very thick ribbons fall when beats are lifted (about 6 min). Sift flour over batter; fold in flour. Fold in chocolate mixture.

Divide batter among dishes, filling completely. Preheat oven to 400 F. Bake cakes until tops are puffed and dry, about 11-12 minutes. Cool cakes 5 minutes. When cool flip and transfer to plate and serve with ice cream of your choice (we used green tea to go with our asian fusion dinner theme).

Drink: Haiku Sake

We don't know anything about sake, but we figured it would be a good accompanying drink for our asian themed dinner. We found this bottle at whole foods and thought it was pretty nice.

Here is the official description: "Slow fermentation at low temperatures gives this sake a slightly dry flavor with a light aroma reminiscent of orchard apples. Enjoy chilled or over ice.

Cook: Seared Tuna with Mango Salsa

S and A made this incredible main dish (recipe courtesy of Ina Garten, "Barefoot Contessa"). It was so amazing. YUM! (we doubled the recipe to serve 4)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons good olive oil plus extra for searing

1 1/2 cups diced yellow onion (2 onions)

2 teaspoons peeled, minced fresh ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 ripe mangos, peeled, seeded and small diced

1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

2 teaspoons light brown sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1-2 teaspoons minced fresh jalapeno pepper to taste (1 pepper)

2 teaspoons minced fresh mint leaves

2 tuna steaks

from Santa Monica Seafood

Directions:

Saute the olive oil, onions and ginger in a large saute pan over medium-low heat for 10 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the mangos, reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 more minutes. Add the orange juice, brown sugar, slat, black pepper and jalapeno; cook for 10 more minutes until orange juice is reduced, stirring

occasionally. Remove from heat and add the mint. Serve warm at room temperature or chilled.

Heat a saute pan over high heat for 5 minutes until very hot. Season the tuna liberally with salt and pepper. When the pan is very hot, add a drizzle of olive oil and then the tuna steaks. Sear for 2-3 minutes per side or until the outside is browned, but the inside is very rare.

Serve the tuna on top of the mango salsa.

Cook: J's fantastic Ceviche

J invented this delicious ceviche. It was AWESOME!!!

Ingredients:

1/2 pound red snapper (sushi grade white fish)

1/2 pound scallops (sushi grade)

juice of 1 lemon

juice of 3 limes

handful of cilantro leaves, chopped

2 serrano chili peppers, chopped

1/2 red onion sliced thin, chopped

2 teaspoons sugar

sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

chop fish and scallops to 1/2 in cubes, season with salt and pepper

then cover with lemon and lime juices

add cilantro, pepper and onion, toss

let marinate for at 1 hour.

We get our fresh seafood from Santa Monica Seafood.

Santa Monica Seafood

www.santamonicaseafood.com

1000 Wilshire Blvd

Santa Monica, CA. 90401

(310) 393-5244

Cook: Cucumber sunomono

Recipe courtesy of S

Ingredients:

1 large English cucumber, or 2 to 3 Japanese cucumbers

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1 drop soy sauce

Directions:

Peel and slice cucumbers into very thin slices. Sprinkle sliced cucumber slices with salt and let stand a few minutes. Squeeze out excess moisture. Combine vinegar, sugar, and soy in a bowl and mix well. Pour the vinegar mixture over cucumber slices and mix well. Serve in individual dishes.

Cook: Roasted Edamame

Another recipe courtesy of S and A!

Roasted Edamame

Ingredients:

1 - 1/2 cups frozen shelled edamame (no need to thaw)

2 tsp olive oil

1/4 tsp dried basil, crushed

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp seasoned salt

1/8 tsp ground cumin

1/8 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

Toss to coat

Arrange the beans in a single layer in a shallow baking dish.

Roast, uncovered, at 375 degree 25-30 min stirring once, until the beans begin to brown

Serve hot as vegetable side dish or cooled as a snack

Drink: Candied Ginger Martini Cocktail

S made this delightful cocktail. It was so refreshing, different and delicious!

created by Adam Wilson of Beretta San Francisco

Ingredients:

Candied Ginger Martini Cocktail

2 oz ginger vodka

1/2 oz fresh orange juice

1/2 oz fresh lemon juice

1/2 oz honey syrup (combine .25 oz honey, 0.25 oz water)

4 raspberries

candied ginger for garnish

Directions

1. Muddle raspberries in a cocktails shaker.

2. Add rest of ingredients with ice and shake vigorously

3. Strain into cocktail glass and garnish with candied ginger.

Cook: Recipes will be posted all day today!

As much as we enjoy eating out, there is probably nothing we enjoy more than a night at home, cooking together with friends. Last night, our friends S and A came over and we made dinner together. Normally, I'll post one or two recipe from a particular meal, but this dinner was so amazing that throughout the day today, I will be publishing all the recipes!

Here is a preview of what is to come:

• Drinks: Ginger cocktails with candied ginger, Sake
• Appetizer: Red snapper and scallop ceviche
• Main course: Seared ahi tuna with mango ginger mint salsa
• Sides: cucumber sunomono, kelp seaweed salad (the only thing that was bought!), roasted edamame
• Dessert: Molten chocolate cake with green tea ice cream.

Maybe Eat: Bagel Nosh, Santa Monica

Many people say Bagel Nosh has the best bagels in LA. This may be true, the bagels are good. But when it comes to a good bagel sandwich, my favorite is the fried egg and cheese from Bagel Gourmet in Providence, RI - and sadly, my bagel sandwich this morning didn't even come close.

Egg Sandwich, Grade: B-

I enjoyed my bagel - it was dense, chewy and delicious. But the egg and cheese part was just too healthy, not enough grease. As a result, the overall sandwich was just a bit too dry and plain for me. J had the lox sandwich which was, in my opinion, a better pick.

Lox Bagel Sandwich, Grade: A

For me, the Bagel Nosh egg sandwich is a Maybe Eat... something I'd go for only if I'm too lazy to make it myself at home.

Bagel Nosh

www.bagelnoshdeli.com

1629 Wilshire Blvd

Santa Monica, CA. 90403

Must See: The Kings Speech

We watched this last night! Bravo.

Listen: Closer [Presets Remix] - Kings of Leon

Soulful.

Must Eat (If you're invited): Summer Winter private supper club

J and I love to eat. Everyone who knows us knows that to be true. And apparently (and fortunately for us) it is obvious to strangers as well! Several months ago, when we were at Gjelina for the first time, we sat across the table from a fellow from South Africa. He noticed that F was taking photos of everything she ate and conversation ensued. By the end of the night, we were invited to this private supper club.

This was the second Summer Winter dinner we attended, and it was, hands down, one of the most interesting, most fun, and most delicious meal we've had so far in 2011! Not only was the food artfully and thoughtfully prepared, but the drinks (home-brewed beer + mix/match wine) were phenomenal. The crowd was charming and delightful. The setting (a private residence in Topanga Canyon) was perfect - we dined to the soft hum of records playing on the turntable and basked in the cozy warmth provided by the burning embers in the fireplace.

PS. If live in LA, and you want an invite to the next one, please leave your email in comments for more info. :)