Archive for May, 2012
Carne Asada Sobre Arepas de Queso, Spicy Pimento Chimichurri, Lentejas de Elvira
Beef & Lamb • Tags: arepas, carne asada, chimichurri, Colombian, El Camaguey, Ethnic Exploration, lentils
This month’s Ethnic Exploration takes us back to South America. While we were in the full throws of planning and executing April’s Polish Ethnic Exploration, I stumbled upon an article in the Kitchen Daily section of the Huffington Post that heralded the arepa. Crispy, golden brown on the outside and soft, airy on the inside, the article described an arepa as a “golden, thick goody” that’s a “cross between a tortilla and a pita.” What’s more, these small delights are generally stuffed or topped with anything from cheese, your choice of meat or veggies, even a savory sauce. Of course, in true Huffington Post fashion, a slideshow of breathtaking photos concluded the piece, offering great ideas on potential arepa stuffings. Well, I couldn’t even make it pass the first image before I sent an excited email to Chrystal: “I know what our next EE is going to be. We’re going to make arepas!”
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South Carolina Squash Casserole
Vegetarian • Tags: Guest Test Kitchen, panko breadcrumbs, Southern food, summer squash
Happy Memorial Day everyone! Don’t forget to have fun and honor all of those men and women who have served and protected. One way to do that is to cook for them. Who doesn’t love a great holiday weekend bbq? More than the meat on the grill, a successful bbq owes everything to the side dishes on the table. Summer squash is starting to look oh so perfect, so use it more often! I’m pretty sure Amir has never met Daphne, although we all attended UNC-Chapel Hill at the same time. It’s a shame because she’s hilarious, intelligent and over the last few years, I’ve discovered we share a mutual interest in food. When’s she’s not working, writing or traveling, Daphne finds time to cook. In July, she’ll teach a Skillshare vegetarian cooking class, so if you want more than this recipe, sign up! For now, she’s serving up Southern squash.
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Eating At The JazzReggae Fest
Special Events • Tags: JazzReggae Festival, Los Angeles, music, UCLA
Who’s going to the 26th Annual JazzReggae Festival this year? If you don’t have a ticket, you still have time to grab one! What does jazz and reggae have to do with this food blog. Obviously, no festival is complete without local vendors hawking their edible wares. That is where the focus of this event, at least for us, comes into play. That doesn’t mean the sounds of The Roots, Thundercat, Selah Sue and Booker T. Jones won’t be enjoyed. But they will be enjoyed while walking through the field dotted with more than 25 vendors. The offerings include bites from Kobbler King, Pampas Grill, Nu Nu Orleans, Delrose Jamaican, Rastaco, Natraliart and more.
Another cool aspect of the festival is its commitment to green and sustainable practices. Who knows if the weather will cooperate, but let’s cross our fingers, shall we? Hop on two wheels and ride your bike to the UCLA campus. Bike valet will be available. Or you can get a ride one of the many MTA bus lines or the Santa Monica Big Blue Line to arrive in mass transit-style. There will also be refillable water bottles, recoiling and composting of course and the collection of …
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Got Milk? A Day of Cold Summer Treats
Special Events • Tags: Bittersweet Treats, Blooming Gelatin Arts, blow torch, Eatz cooking school, Got Milk, meringue
Last week, I attended an event hosted and sponsored by the folks behind the Got Milk? campaign. A morning cooking class with a bunch of bloggers and baking enthusiasts would be led by the pastry chef behind Bittersweet Treats, Danielle Keene, and Blooming Gelatin Arts owner, Michelle Quilas. With summer literally knocking at our doors, this class would present a few of the most perfect milk-based desserts for your family, friends or large parties. It would be a girls only kind of day, plus Amir was occupied with a long work day, so I traveled over the hill to the Eatz cooking school for a few hours of instruction.
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Los Angeles Times Festival of Books
Special Events • Tags: Festival of Books, interview, LA Times, Michael Voltaggio, top chef
A few weeks ago, the Los Angeles Times presented the Festival of Books, a free, public extravaganza that brought together publishers, authors, booksellers, cultural organizations, and story enthusiasts in general for a fun-filled weekend with one goal in mind: to celebrate all-things books.
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Sweet and Spicy Pepper Pinwheels with Cream Cheese Dip
Vegetarian • Tags: easy appetizer, Greek yogurt, pinwheels, sweet and spicy
A new friend invited me over for an early evening of wine and cheese. There would only be three of us in attendance, so there was no need to make a lot of food. Just enough to satisfy the bellies of three girls. Amir and I would be cooking the next day, and I was in charge of doing the shop for our Ethnic Exploration this month. Time was tight, and I knew that I wouldn’t have the opportunity to tack on a busy shop, prep and cook type of appetizer for a party as well. As I walked up and down the aisles, I racked my brain to recall all of the easy appetizers I have wanted to make for so long. What I settled on wasn’t the first thing that came to mind, but it was the first one that seemed like the best choice–pinwheels! They only require a few ingredients, and they can be made in just minutes. When you’re short on time, this is just the appetizer to keep in your back pocket.
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Spiced Walnut Bars
Cookies & Bars • Tags: bar cookies, coconut, freezing nuts, maple syrup, oat flour, walnuts
There are some ingredients that keep so well in your freezer. Flours, polenta, homemade cookie dough rolled into individual balls and ready for the baking. Nuts too. If you are someone who packs away bags of raw nuts–we’re not talking about Planters here–then you know what it means to have protein-packed snacks on hand at any time. The unfortunate thing is that nuts can spoil, so as the temperature starts to rise, keep your nuts in the freezer. Their natural oils will prevent them from actually freezing, and you’ll be able to toast, chop and grind away without worrying about potentially rancid ingredients. Just don’t forget they’re in there. Then, when you feel like baking up a sweet treat, you can make these walnut bars.
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Pierogi Ruskie (Cheese Curd and Potato Pierogi), Cheddar and Paprika Pierogi
Poultry & Pork • Tags: Eastern European food, Ethnic Exploration, pierogi ruskie, Polish, Ruthenia
When I was a kid, one of my favorite snacks were frozen pierogi. I would slide down the frozen food aisle, pop open the glass door and grab a bag of Mrs. T’s frozen potato dumplings. At that time, I had no idea that pierogis were traditional Polish delicacies or even that what I was eating had a true connection to another culture different than mine. I just knew that the creamy potatoes in a half moon of soft dough tasted good with applesauce and sour cream. Fast forward 20 years, and I’ve just had pierogis again following a long break from my childhood favorites. Amir and I decided to explore the making of pierogis for this month’s Ethnic Exploration. There may have been one small snafu, but after a second go ’round, we got it just right.
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Grilled Salmon Salad Tacos with Mango Pico de Gallo, Baked Coconut Shrimp Tacos with Apricot Orange Sauce
Seafood • Tags: Alaska Seafood, Cinco de Mayo, contest, fish taco, homemade taco salad shells, trip to Alaska
This has been a week of fish tacos! Are you sick of it? Hopefully not yet. Here are two more fish tacos to send you into the Cinco de Mayo weekend. Make sure the cerveza is cold, and slice up the limes. We know just how you should spend the weekend, and maybe it will include Alaska Seafood. Over the last few months, we have created fish taco recipes that have become part of Alaska Seafood’s fish taco promotion. As we wrap up the promotion, here are the final two recipes we’ll share with you that will hopefully find their way on your plates.
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