Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Dine Out? I'm in.

Before Best Coast last night at The Neptune, Mr. Two Drinks and I stopped at Cedar's Restaurant in the U.

Don't tell me you don't know Mr. Two Drinks

Delicious



Deliciousher





Seated instantly, we were served quickly and well tended until it came time to get a box and get moving. It was getting busy, but, you know. I complain. Oh, but the food...
Against my better judgement, I passed over the highly-recommended garlic naan for the mint naan. Refreshing, its cooling powers were appreciated next to the 3* heat in our Butter Chicken. Close in flavor to a tikka masala, the butter keeps surprising you. Occasionally putting down your fork is recommended, (per usual) to better appreciate the absence of any acidity. "Creamy" doesn't really do this dish justice. Let's say, in a whisper, silky. Silky, with chicken. 
I can't say much for the iced chai other than I wished I'd ordered it hot, because their was a strange flavor I like to think was from the ice. Bill tried it, decided it was heavy on the anise, so I decided to love it. Ah, the power of suggestion, and anise. His mango lassi was delicious, precisely creamy (no whisper needed), and blended with rose water. Purr.

This past weekend Bianca came through, inspiring me to go beyond the usual egg breakfast. We whipped up a quick Dutch Baby and Fritatta with tea and fruit.


No you whip it.




 Dutch Baby in a buttery cast iron skillet

  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour
  • 1 pinch ground nutmeg
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar for dusting
Preheat skillet, buttered, in a 475 degree oven
Mix ingredients and add to hot skillet
Lower heat to 425 and bake 12 min or until puffy>>>
Dust with powdered sugar and serve


Fritatta Loaf  

3 eggs
A handful of whatever veggies you have, chopped (I sauteed some creminis and shallots ahead of time)
1/2 cup shredded cheese
Fresh herbs (Oregano, basil, parsley are all easy, approachable breakfast herbs)
1 T melted butter

Heat butter in loaf pan in oven

Toss vegetables in melted butter, add 3 beaten eggs, shredded cheese and fresh chopped herbs to a loaf pan
Bake 15 min at 425, allow to cool slightly.

Serve on hearty, buttered toast. 


Nom of the week

I'll carry you around like an infant, Juanita,
and hold you close.
No, it's not butter. It's my girl Juanita. We discovered Juanita and her magic bag of chips a few weeks ago, and have been stocking our pantry ever since.When a bag runs low, nothing feels quite so right as buying a new bag. Sure, they're gluten free. But that's pretty irrelevant. They're also bullshit free. These chips are the end of every other chip. Forever. 

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Happy Mother's Day

This morning, we hosted a Mother's Day Brunch without any mothers. Admittedly, we sent out the invites too late.


On the menu, we featured Italian sausage & spinach omelettes, banana yogurt granola bowls, hot tea and fresh mango bellinis in homage to our moms.
My omelette was duly overcooked, just like Mom used to make. 

Here's to you, Mom.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Seis de Mayo

Because Cinco de Mayo came at the end of a tiring week of this,
Posing in factory apparel. Exhausting.
my holiday was spent like this after a few Coronas:
Ole!

Sunday morning was a slow-moving, ill-humored wake up, disgruntledly drowsing at the alarm until I actually got going with these increasingly-popular breakfast foods.

Coffee/tequila not pictured.


 Camp counseling, 2003. I taught canoeing,
drama, music and salsa eating.
Salsa Verde recipe I picked up long ago from one of the kitchen ladies at Camp Arrowhead. Muchas, muchas, muchas gracias, Senora.
This will make damn near a quart, which is not enough.

1 small red onion
1 lb. tomatillos, blanched and skinned (or 3 cans) (I know)
1 small tomato
1 lg bunch cilantro leaves and a few stems
2 mean serranos, seeded to reduce the heat (or not, ole!)
juice of 1 lime
1 1/2 t cumin
1t salt

blender or food processor

1. Blend/pulse tomatillos, tomatos, cilantro, cumin & lime until mixed.
2. Chop fine by hand or pulse in serranos and onions. Do Not Liquify.
3. Add salt to taste. Then chips. The biggest bag you can find.


We took this batch to my cast mate's house for a small fiesta writ large with comida, cerveza and...


Photo by Emily Ho

Horchata!
What you need for fast aguas frescas:
1 1/2 cups uncooked rice
1 cinnamon stick
1 can sweetened condensed milk
3 cups hot tap water
A holding vessel & a pitcher
Tea towel or cheese cloth

1. Allow the rice to soak with the cinnamon in water, our holding vessel was a tall tumbler. Many people add blanched almonds to the soak. See this recipe for more. Soak overnight or as long as you can wait. A few hours will do. (thankfully)
2. Using an immersion blender, blend/grind the mixture, now softened slightly until smooth. Strain through cheese cloth or a tea towel, like your abuela used to do.
3. Add the sweetened condensed milk and blend well. Now you have horchata concentrate. Add water to taste (you're aiming at about two quarts total). Chill in a pitcher to make your aguas frescas frio then go to town. I enjoy mine over ice. Maybe with a churro or two. Yes. Vicky I'm thinking of you.

That same day, Bill and I had a chance to try Two Bells Tavern, a legendary old burger hole that smells like, well, an old burger hole that's seen some grisly days. There is a smell. Their burgers arrive on crusty sourdough lengths with your choice of cheddar, swiss, havarti or bleu, (I hear their blue burger is a siren song.) Bill had the Tavern burger with swiss, and I was in love. I had the basic havarti burger, and must admit it was not as juicy as I had heard it would be. For sides, no fries will do. They make baked beans in house, which I've never had the occasion to rave about before but do so now, since I kept pilfering from Bill's small bowl, and a cole slaw with bacon and a mustard wash, (yes!) Potato salad is also an option, and if you have no heart, there's also chips. 

See all of you soon.