Food Meditations

Two-day getaway in Seattle

2007-09-19T08:54:00.000-07:00

So, while we were visiting Seattle in June, the husband and I snuck away for a couple nights, leaving lovely daughter to play with her grandparents. We didn't go far--just 8 miles or so to downtown Seattle, but it seemed like we'd traveled across the ocean. Two full days of eating out, lounging in bed, and wandering the streets of Seattle together.

The first night we had dinner at Seattle's famed French restaurant Campagne. We've eaten at their second, less formal restaurant downstairs, Cafe Campagne, a number of times, and we always love the food and the atmosphere. Campagne has been around for a couple of decades. It is situated in a little courtyard down in Pike Place Market. And it has always been lauded for its food and setting. Maybe I just had too many expectations.

To say the least, we were really disappointed; although, our waiter did his best to make our evening special. Without him, the meal would have been not only tasteless, but a complete disaster.

The setting is just not as cozy, in my opinion, as the cafe downstairs. And the night we were there, we were informed that they had a busy weekend and they were out of 3 of the 8 entrees. This seemed shocking. With all the fresh food right there in the market, the chef couldn't come up with something to make up the difference? The cheese we ordered was very old. The wine overly-priced. All-in-all, it was much less of a fine meal than the Cafe, where prices are half as much. We won't be going back.

The next day we ate lunch at a little French bistro not far from Campagne, Le Pichet. Here the food was great. I highly recommend this place for lunch. Little jugs of cold wine, an excellent salad with chicken livers (this was before the we stopped eating meat), great sausage, and crunchy bread. The casual atmosphere and location were perfect for lunch. Oh, I wish I could have lunch there today.

The second night's dinner was at Lark up off of Madison. We first went and had drinks at this cool little place next to the 5th Ave Theater. The place specializes in pre-50s drinks. The atmosphere was a bit strange (I can't remember the name now) but the drinks were interesting. And like a couple of geek academics we poured over their mission statement explaining why they focused on drinks from before the 1950s. The husband had a cocktail made with Pimms No. 1 that was created in the 19th century. We then caught a cab up the hill to Lark where we were seated right away (no reservations are taken, so if they are busy you may have to go next door for a drink at Licorice. But this is an excellent spot as well and we were actually hoping to have to wait!). Dinner was fabulous. This is currently one of my favorite restaurants anywhere, and nothing here in LA/OC can compete. The small plates are all fabulously prepared and a vegetarian has many options between he vegetable and seafood selections. And of course we wrapped it up with their fabulous Chocolate Madelines with chocolate dipping sauce. Afterwards, we walked back down the hill, enjoying the sights and sounds of summer in Seattle.

Sigh.

Trying to Catch Up

2007-09-04T08:38:00.000-07:00

Well, if I could only get ahead on the class prep, I would find a moment to report back here on this summer's culinary adventures, of which there were many. So many, in fact that I've felt too overwhelmed all summer to get started. The highlight of the summer? Probably, my dinner with the husband at Lark in Seattle. Always exquisite. However, pub food in Britain was a thrill too--and strange. Mashed peas? Fish and chips were the fish is one large deep fried filet (like 6 inches or more large) and you eat it with a knife and fork? And what is this brown sauce they eat over there?

The primary news on the culinary front from the summer though is that our little family of three has decided to go vegetarian. So now all new culinary adventures begin as we search North Orange County for vegetarian fare. I have to say, Durango Grill is still a plus. Their vegetarian buritto is great.

Ok, more class prep faces me. I'll get back on our not so great experience at Campagne in Seattle later.

Lima Beans

2007-05-10T20:05:00.000-07:00

I love these beans. These are not your mama's lima beans. Remember those? They were frozen or canned, then boiled on the stove. Dry and bitter. Until last year, I'm not sure I'd eaten a lima bean since my childhood.

This recipe I found in my cookbook "Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker" by Robin Robertson. I love her cookbooks for everday vegetarian cooking for my family. I own this one along with her other books "Vegan Planet" and "Carb Conscious Vegetarian." This recipe changed my opinion of lima beans forever--and it is so easy.

The recipe calls for 3 cups large lima beans. So I buy them dried--and large ones are crucial, I think. I soak 1 cup of dried beans overnight and then pressure cook them until they are soft or cook them on top of the stove for an hour or so. You could buy large lima or butter beans instead.

Greek Big Beans

1/4 cup olive oil
1 lg onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups cooked lima beans or 2 15.5 cans large lima or butter beans, drained and rinsed
28- ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
salt and pepper
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat, and add onion. Cook until softened and add garlic. Saute another minute.

Transfer onion and garlic to slowcooker and add the beans, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours. Stir in parsley just before serving.

We had these last week with sauteed mustard and beet greens mixed with raisins and fresh spring carrots. I served some whole wheat pita and tabouli on the side. We ate the leftovers with chicken later in the week.

Yumm, I love dried beans. All over my kitchen, in cupboards and on counters, you can find jars and cannisters filled with different colored bean and lentils: cranberry beans, flageolet, brown lentils, red lentils, green mung lentils, yellow split peas, lima beans, soy beans, cannelinni beans, urad dahl, garbanzo beans and kidney beans. Oh, and of course pinto beans--it is California after all.

So many different beans. Each with their own unique flavor and taste. I'm already thinking of some homemade refried beans next week. Does anyone else cook dried beans? What are your favorite recipes?

Fullerton Farmer's Market

2007-04-27T22:05:00.000-07:00

Yeah, the Thursday night farmer's market here in Fullerton has returned! The market runs from April to October on Thursday afternoon and evening (4-8 or so). The daughter and I have returned to our Thursday ritual of walking downtown so that we can play in the fountain, see some friends, and buy our produce.

This is always the moment in the year when my efforts to eat well are revitalized. I love all the fresh produce. I miss all my cooking friends who live elsewhere and wish that we could all get together here to cook, eat, and have a little wine with our families on the patio.

As my thoughts turn again to healthy eating, I did some research and developed a list for my family of the foods we seek to eat less of and to eat more of, in order to keep the colon, liver, and kidneys functioning and to stem off illness. Here is the list:

Eat less of:

meat
potatoes
bread
rice
dairy
processed foods
sugar
caffeine

Eat more of:

fish
eggs
green vegetables
fruit
beans
nuts and seeds
avocados
plant oils

So with that in mind here is this week's dinner menu:

Friday night: Vegetarian Thai Red Curry, Sauteed Japanese Dandelion Greens, and Green Mango Salad (pasta, sweet potatoes, zucchini, and sliced fresh white peach for the daughter).

Saturday night is Tapas night: Smoked Sardines, Lime Garlic Shrimp, Sherried Mushrooms, Spinach with garbanzo beans, and bread (Shrimp, broccoli, rice, and sliced strawberries for the two-year old).

Sunday night: Grilled Mahi-Mahi, Grilled Asparagus and Eggplant, and Salad (mahi-mahi, broccoli, sweet potato, strawberries for the daughter).

Monday night: Mung dahl, brown rice, beets, and mustard greens.

Tuesday night: Eggs, oat bran pancakes, and fruit.

Wednesday night: takeout, leftovers, or stir-fried vegetables with tofu and brown rice.

Thursday night: Slow-cooked Greek lima beans, spinach with cherry tomatoes, carrots.

Wow, I just finished cooking for two hours and I'm still dreaming about what I can cook next. Perhaps I'm in the wrong profession.

And you? What great meals do you have planned for this week?

The Kitchen

2007-04-17T17:44:00.000-07:00

Our other big food adventure during spring break, was a trip to The Kitchen for dim sum. The Kitchen up in Alhambra had just been reviewed that week (3/21/07) in the LA Times food section. So we decided as part of a trip up to Santa Monica we'd stop in and taste the dumplings.

Now my daughter loves dumplings, but she prefers plain, simple potstickers. Dim Sum dumplings, with their elegant blendings of meat, seafood, and vegetables, turned out to be a bit too exotic for her taste, although at her request she tried three or four. Knowing this food might not be to her liking I brought along a selection of tofu, cheese, crackers, steamed vegetables, fruit, and milk stored in her lunch bag. So as we tasted our selection of dim sum she could select her own food from her bag. It worked well.

As we pulled into the smallish (for a dim sum parlor) restaurant set just a little bit back from W. Valley Blvd, we were surprised that although the review said they opened at 9:30, and it was 10:40, there was no one there. It was a weekday though, so I assured the worried husband that people would be along. They'd just been reviewed the day before in the Times, after all. As we approached the door, I noticed that their sign said they opened at 10:30, and right behind us other parties started arriving. The inside of the restaurant was light and open, and all the staff very friendly, especially with our daughter.

At The Kitchen, dim sum is ordered off a menu, which with a small child works much better. You place the order and it comes, rather than having to wait around for the food you want to be pushed by in a cart. Of course, if you are not at all familiar with dim sum, nor adventuresome, you might have more difficulty this way as you can't see what you are ordering. We based our order on our familiarity with the food and on the review, trying a number of selections that were mentioned there. Among the choices were seaweed salad, pork ribs on rice noodles, Chiu Chow dumplings, a couple kinds of seafood shu mai dumplings, bbq pork buns, pork dumplings, rice noodles with shrimp. and, for a more sweet option, we tasted the green tea dumpling which a green-tea dyed dumpling stuffed with a sesame paste that almost tastes like chocolate and which is lightly fried so the outside is a bit crisp.

The food was all excellent. I swore it was the best dim sum I've had, but I find myself saying that almost every time I have dim sum. It was the highlight of the day which then included mid-day traffic on the 10 out to Santa Monica and back, diaper rash, but no ointment, and a shortage of diapers. I think maybe we should have just called it day after the fabulous meal and headed back to the OC.

The Kitchen
203 W. Valley Blvd
Alhambra, CA

A Spring Braise

2007-04-11T07:21:00.000-07:00

I have a daughter who doesn't like meat or fish very much. She eats lots of fruit and vegetables, but meat is really not her thing. Which is fine, but I've learned that if it is braised or stewed or put in the slow cooker to soften it up a little she is more likely to eat a portion. The softened fish or meat infused with juices is more to her liking.

So, for the second week in a row, I tried a short braise with fish. Both times turned out wonderfully. Last week's braise used cod, onions, garlic, canned tomatoes, oregano and fresh basil. I created a sauce on top of the stove, added the fish, covered it, and put it in a 450 degree oven for 12-15 minutes. This week I wanted to work with fresh springtime ingredients: some cod, fresh spinach, baby carrots, and baby potatoes. Here is what I came up with:

Springtime Braise

10-12 oz cod
one small onion, thinly sliced
one bunch spinach, cleaned and roughly chopped
handful of baby carrots
10 baby potatoes
thyme
2 cups vegetable broth
spash of vermouth
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 450.

Heat a large pot of boiling water. When water boils, add carrots and potatoes, and cook 5-8 minutes until softened. Drain the carrots and potatoes and set aside.

In a heavy, oven-proof pot, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat and saute onion until softened. When softened add spinach and cook until wilted. Add a bit of thyme. Add drained carrots and potatoes, broth, vermouth, salt and pepper. Cook for a couple minutes and then add cod. Cover fish with the vegetables and broth. Place cover on pot and put in oven. Cook 12-15 minutes, until fish is done.

I served it in bowls with some of the broth for the adults. For the 2 year old, I picked out some carrots and potato and a bit of fish, and gave it to her with some avocado and chopped apple. Everyone loved it.

Tibet Nepal House

2007-04-04T07:36:00.000-07:00

Last week was spring break so we had more culinary experiences than usual. We, also, had a short camping trip to San Diego, so it is taking me some time to get around to writing about our eating and cooking adventures. But, finally a moment between potty training and lesson planning to catch up.

At the beginning of our week off, David, daughter, and I headed up to the Huntington Gardens for the afternoon. The Huntington has a beautiful children's garden where the small kids can get their hands in water and sand and play. We stopped on the way to visit Vroman's, one of the few remaining independent bookstores in the LA area, and then went for lunch in Old Town Pasadena. We headed to the Tibet Nepal House, which sits on a side street off Fair Oaks Blvd (at 36 E. Holly Street/ (626) 585-9955). It is decorated with Himalayan artifacts, photos, and Budhist statues, including a large waterfall that provides a soothing background to your meal.

I was still recovering from the flu, so I stuck to the vegetarian entrees. I began with Sabjee Pakoda, similar to Indian pakoras. These are deep-fried vegetables battered with chickpea flour and spices, and I ate them with a little mango chutney on the side. Next, I tried the lentil soup, a thin daal simmered in Himalayan spices. I ate this with a bit of rice, and it was delicately spiced, perfect for my recovering stomach. Very flavorful, but not heavy. Other vegetarian entrees included Aloo Baigoon Tarkarri (a Nepalese dish with eggplant and potatoes) and Tofu Saag (tofu cooked with pureed spinach).

David partook of some of the meat and seafood dishes. There was a very spicy chicken dish called Chyamtange Pujaari that I was dying to try and Himalayan Chicken that was similar to Tandori. And lastly, he tried Masala Jhinge Macha, shrimp cooked in a Masala cream sauce. All excellent and distinct from one another. For little daughter-person, we brought along some vegetables, cheese, fruit and milk, and she had some rice and half a basket of Naan.

We all enjoyed the meal and then headed off to the Huntington, where we checked out the children's garden and the large John Constable exhibit. Then we headed over to the Japanese gardens, so that the kid could look at the Koi in the ponds. As we headed to the fish ponds, we walked past the new Chinese garden that is being built. The stones that they have brought from China are incredible. I walked through it last summer when it was open for a sneak preview and the stone shapes were absolutely amazing. Afterwards, we let daughter run her legs off as we headed out of the park. It's a great place for kids on a nice day.

So, this was the first of our dining experiences of the week. We wished we lived closer to Pasadena so we could pick up some take-out. Their menu includes yak entrees, and I'm dying to try them.

And what about you? What new restaurants have you tried lately in your area?

Mung Kichdi

2007-03-27T21:45:00.000-07:00

Last week when I was at yoga class with my stomach beginning to not feel well with the bug going around, my yoga instructor, Dolly Lai, recommended this meal. Unfortunately, it was Saturday before I was able to get to the Indian grocery to get the yellow mung dahl. Nonetheless, it worked fabulously. My rumbling stomach calmed down, and I was able to finally eat some food.

This recipe is good for settling the digestive system. It is also great for young kids. Using yellow mung lentils is essential as they are easy on stomach. Top with a little plain yogurt if you want.

Mung (Moong) Kichdi:

In a little oil saute a bit of 1/2-1 tsp cumin seed. When the seeds start to pop add just a bit of tumeric. Stir quickly. Next, add 1 cup yellow mung dahl, rinsed thoroughly, and 1 cup basmati. Stir to coat with oil and add 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then turn to warm and cover. Cook 15-20 minutes until water is absorbed and lentils and basmati soft.

Durango Grill

2007-03-25T07:18:00.000-07:00

Culinary Adventures have been a bit few this week as I've spent the latter part of the week down with a stomach bug. So we've been sticking to the tried and true, the easy and close-by. One of our local favorites that meets this category is Durango Grill on Imperial Highway in Brea (between Brea Blvd. and Randolph). This casual taco shop used to be one of the outposts of the Taco Mesa family, but a couple years back changed its name, although the owner I believe is the same. We've been eating there frequently since we moved to town 4 years ago.

I'm picky about my burritos. And frankly most places don't live up to my expectations. I hunger for those Mission Burritos in San Francisco, which I know many would argue are not "real" burritos. Nontheless, I like that combination or rice, beans, cheese, choice of meat, salsa, maybe lettuce and tomato all rolled together that you find in every burrito spot in town. Give me "spicy chicken," any day. Having now lived here in the Southland and in Texas, the burritos have often been weak in comparison. And let's not even talk about Wahoo Tacos. What is with that place? If I have to *pay* for my salsa in taco shop, there is just something absolutely wrong with the place.

Durango Grill is my favorite joint around. It is the place we go to if we don't know what else to have for lunch or we need something quick. Our daughter has gone there since she was an infant and now asks for the place by name. So child friendly it is. The owner's own son is sometimes there helping out dad. The daughter person loves the kids quesadilla plate with rice and beans. She can devour the entire thing, and it is not a small amount of food.

The husband usually has a burrito plate, often a special called "the phoenix burrito." I tried this last week and it was very good with veggies and chicken, served wet. I, however, almost always have the tacos, either blackened fish or blackened chicken. This week I had the blackened fish covered with cajun spices and grilled quickly, then served on soft corn tortillas with cabbage slaw, to which I added a bit of lime and some *free* salsa. If I'm really hungry I'll get a couple of these with some rice and beans, but I ask for black because otherwise you get white beans.

I've already pushed the place on most of my local friends, but if you are close by and haven't checked it out, bring the kids over for lunch today! Oh, and they have dollar tacos on Tuesday. Can you beat that?

Braising

2007-03-21T08:49:00.000-07:00

Braising

I love the idea of braising. To me the word conjures up images of French peasant food: meat and vegetables stewed together in a pot (Le Crueset, of course) over a fire in some rustic farmhouse. Now, I know that in some cases braising is really no different than what our mothers and grandmothers called pot roast or stew, but in my mind the two have very little in common.

Braising is clearly a winter culinary form, but as "cool" weather lingers on a little longer here in SoCal (meaning cloudy with the temperature only in the 60s. Sorry, for misuse of the term for those of you in colder climes), I find there is still time to get some in before the farmer's market begins in two weeks and springtime really begins.

One of my favorite such meals is at Cafe Campagne in Seattle. I've been to this restaurant twice and am likely to go again as this is the kind of place that makes you feel comfortable while also serving you fabulous food. It sits in an alley in Pike Place Market. As the cafe venue below the more formal dining room (known simply as Campagne), it is elegant and casual. You might just think you were in Paris! There they serve a pot au feu with beans, vegetable sausage and other meat, in its own individual Le Crueset pot. Ok, yes--the pot is half the fun. But the food is delicious also.

This week I made a stew with chicken and tomatoes from a recipe courtesy of my friend Christina. The recipe is below. It comes from Everyday Entrees, slightly revised. I served it with whole wheat fettucine. Thanks Christina!

Chicken Spezzatino

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 celery stalks, cut into bite-size pieces
1 carrot, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 14 1/2 oz can chopped tomatoes with their juices
1 14 oz can chicken broth
1/2 c fresh basil, torn into pieces
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 skinless chicken breasts with ribs (about 1 1/2 lbs total)
1 15 oz can cannellini beans

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Saute celery, carrot and onion until soft, about 5 min. Add salt, pepper, tomatoes, broth, basil, tomato paste, bay leaf, and thyme. Stir. Add chicken and bring liquid to a simmer. Be sure chicken is covered with sauce as it cooks. Reduce heat to medium low and cook for at least 30 minutes. Add kidney beans and simmer for a bit longer. Remove chicken and let cool. Cut meat into bite-size peices and return it to stew. Simmer 10 more minutes.

What great braised meals have you had? Any recipes to share? Any vegetarian ones?

New Starts

2007-03-19T22:26:00.000-07:00

Ok. This is a new start. I began this blog last summer (under fresh food love), but when the fall semester began the free time to write blog postings was sucked up in the whirlwind of teaching, researching, and child-rearing. Plus, there were all those oh-so-fabulous postings from Monster Munching that I just could never live up to. I wanted to. I love them--they are my own little Zagat guide to the OC (without having to rely on the opinions of idiots). I wanted to be able to have my camera ready and write delectable, detailed descriptions of my meals, but the pressure was immense. No one can live up to the Monster's rantings (I bow low). I was paralyzed by the impossibility of meeting my own expectations (do you get a sense of what I'm like as a professional researcher and writer?). So, I just stopped writing.

But, food is still the life here. So, this blog, as the title suggests, will be my weekly (or so) mental perambulations on food. Sometimes it will be about feeding my child, sometimes about the places I eat, and sometimes about the meals I cook, or would like to cook. I would welcome your thoughts and contributions as well!