Catching up: 7-11 Salted Buttercream on vanilla cupcakes for Billie’s Birthday

I’m starting to think that, “about a month ago…. “ is how I should begin most of my blogs because often, that is how long it takes me to post a food adventure.  Though, I’m not really comfortable with this routine.  Even though, I am only transcribing food experiences and recipes onto a screen, they seem to go stale if not shared soon enough.  I like my food fresh and I like my blogs fresh too.  So, I’ll be working on that.

Before I become this aspired super blogger, I’ll catch you up on some recent creations.  September 25^th, (about a month ago…) marked my dear friend Billie’s Birthday.  As many understand, a birthday to me means cake.  Or in Billie’s case cupcakes.  I was pretty broke at the time but I had enough flour and supposedly enough unsalted butter for some cupcakes.  I was short a few things but a good friend Mary came over with some contributions and we made a baking date out of it- sweet!  Sweet… yes sweet and a little salty.  Turns out I didn’t have enough unsalted butter for frosting so Mary kindly made a 7-11 run and returned with salted butter.  So, the vanilla buttercream had a hint of salt.  It must have been tasty because we continued to lick our fingers and enjoyed one of the final products, but it was different indeed.

Have you ever made salted butter cream?  Apparently people do this all the time.  While I don’t like overly sweet desserts, I still prefer the classic approach to buttercream.  However, I could see it working on an ultra sweet cake filled with something like dulce de leche.  I’m curious about your salted and unsalted baking experiences?

Anyway, September 25^th marked a day of sweet, salty and creamy cupcakes for a very sweet lady.  Embrace in all of those juxtapositions.

Related cake adventures: 

Banoffe

The cake is the best part- It’s plain and simple 

 

 

 

 

First day of fall- roast your worries away

Working less, due to my recent injury is a challenging predicament.  At moments the decreased income is enough to make me want to pull my hair out or have a shot of whiskey.   However…  yesterday was the first day of Fall, which marks of the beginning of my most cherished season for cooking.

I love this season because it is harvest time.  This time of year is overflowing with heaps of vegetables that pine for roasting – namely squash.   Roasting squash, I am convinced is one of life’s most superb mood altering activities.  The beauty of roasting squash is that it is a process that takes a hard cold subject like an acorn squash and transforms it into something tender, sweet, savory and delicious.

So, I decided to “squash,” my financial anxiety by halving an Acorn Squash, heating the oven to 375° F and roasting it along with all of my worries.  The intoxicating mix of sweet and savory aromas that filled the house along with that crisp autumn air and the soothing melodies of Arthur Verocai, reminded me of the joy of seasons changing.  This simple intro to fall bliss reminds me that just like seasons, hardships are only temporary.  They come and they go.  While they are here, I think I’ll turn on the oven and roast them with some squash so as to bring out the nutty sweetness.

 

 

Dirty hands and staying planted

My younger sister Rica called me few days ago from Ojai, to check on me and my foot.  I gave her physical details: the pain, the bruises, the swelling, and an over all picture of ugliness of my foot.  Then I jumped to the most challenging aspect of this predicament: “staying planted.”

“You know,” I said, “I think in some ways, it’s been a good exercise for me, but I’ve really realized how difficult it can be for me to just sort of stay planted.”

Rica very casually responded back, “ I know, it’s hard to keep you in one place.”

“ Who me? “ I replied, in some sort of shock that she knows this.

“Yeah.”

“I know.”

We both laughed with a sort of mutual understanding.

There is something very liberating and grounding about knowing that someone understands you as well as a sister does.  You see, Rica knows probably almost as well as I do that I like a lot of movement in my life. I am a very active person- active mind and active body.  I like to keep those two elements engaged so that my mind doesn’t go too “ape shit,” on me.  Needless to say this injury has required me to get creative with ways to keep these two elements engaged.

“But hey, I started planting some herbs,” I later told her, “to keep me busy and I’m loving that.”

“Awesome!” she replied.

It was exciting to share this news with Rica, because she has some stellar gardening skills.  Many a times, we have nibbled on her garden’s goodies during visits.  I had been holding out on starting a garden until my little sissy could come down and hold my hand through the process.  But I’ve been stuck at home, so I decided to be a big girl and start one on my own (sort of.)  Besides, I figure that little snot can at least come down to help water.  And then we will cook a fabulous meal with the food from the garden, and listen to music and drink wine and talk and be goofy and, and, and… Is it apparent that I miss her?  Anyway…

Nibbles from Rica's garden- Remembering some egg souffle that we made with her homegrown Swiss chard

As much as I enjoy local fresh grown food, I have no experience actually growing it.  While I have many friends (and my sister Rica) who are expert gardeners, I have been sort of intimidated by this simple little hobby. With the exception of the basil plants that I have kept by my window in many little apartments, I have never done any real planting. Fortunately, I’ve had my friend Mary to run me through the basics of elementary gardening and even drive me to Armstrong’s for some soil.  Thanks Mary!

Now I have a few pots and a couple of small boxes of things I can eat right outside my door.  In terms of herbs, I planted some rosemary, basil, mint, cilantro, Italian parsley, thyme and purple basil.  I also started some Swiss chard, a Serrano Pepper plant and a Poblano Pepper plant.

Little baby Poblano,can't wait till he gets bigger!

While my garden is petite and only calls for rudimentary care, I am really jazzed about it. Getting some stuff planted has helped me to find peace in keeping myself planted.  I have really enjoyed getting my hands in the dirt.  Going out to care for my herbs each day is both relaxing and stimulating.  However, the most epic reward is the ability to just walk outside and pick the herbs that I want while cooking.

Yesterday I used my fresh mint to throw together delightful afternoon treat- Mint,melon and cucumber salad.  

Hatch Chiles and aloof cooking on crutches

A few days after my accident I was plunged on my couch with my foot propped up, trying to read in post-traumatic scooter crash state.  The physical and emotional shock of the crash combined with a touch of stir-craziness, late summer heat, and the influence of about twelve hours of sleep had me in a real hazy state.  My eyelids were becoming a bit heavy as the words in my book started to blur.  I hadn’t taken any of the Vicodin that doctor gave me, but I may as well have.  Soon, my foggy state was interrupted by a text message from a friend reading that he just picked up a twenty-five pound box of freshly roasted Hatch Chiles and wanted to see if I’d like to help create something with them.  While, I hardly felt that I could scramble an egg in my state, I really couldn’t pass up Hatch Chiles and the chance to cook with a friend.  Why couldn’t I pass up Hatch Chiles?  (Check the side bar below.)  So, with a million ideas of what we could do with the chiles and not single solid one of what we will do with them, we headed to Top Value, (a great Mexican market,) on Tenth and Cherry and started weaving through the produce section.  So, many options!

Side Bar: Okay, so what are Hatch Chiles?  

• Origin: New Mexican Hatch Chiles are named after the original growing area in Hatch, New Mexico.  While the Hatch valley which stretches along the Rio Grande’s southern-most bend before crossing into Texas and Mexico, is the original home of these chiles, the chiles also grow in other regions of New Mexico.
• Season: Planted in the early spring and harvested in late summer around Labor Day.
• What makes them special: Growing conditions and a short season – evidently the intense sunlight during the day followed by the cool climate of the evening create a wonderful and unique flavor in these chiles.  So wonderful, that Hatch, New Mexico is considered the “Chile capitol of the world,” and every year The Hatch Valley Chile Festival attracts over 30,000 visitors! Chile lovers usually buy a bulk portion of Hatch Chiles and freeze them for later use.
• Flavor Profile: Hatch Chiles are kind of like Anaheim Chiles on steroids.  These peppers have a very meaty flesh that becomes almost buttery when roasted.  A Hatch chile’s heat level can range from mild to spicy.
• Applications: Most often the Hatch Chiles are roasted after harvest.  Once roasted, anything goes because they are so versatile.  The meaty flesh of these peppers makes them great for hearty soups and stews as well as chile rellenos.  Dice them up and throw them in a fresh salsa.  Stuff tamales with them and some good cheese, as they go wonderfully with the sweetness of corn.   Hatch Chiles are also great in an omelet, a taco, a burrito, cornbread, possibly some ice cream… The list goes on and on.

I really start to laugh out loud as I recall this particular shopping and cooking process because it was so wonderfully unfocused.  It was no joke when I said that I felt completely out-of –it.  When we entered the store I immediately threw back a Powerade with the intention of hydrating and getting some synapses firing- it didn’t really work, but that’s okay.  Seriously, I may have been firing on more cylinders if I had taken one of those Vicodin.

My friend Adam loves potatoes, so a bag of those went into the cart at the jump.  Beyond that, we had lots of ideas and very little direction or commitment.  During our hobble and stroll session we bounced around ideas ranging from vanilla honey Hatch Chile ice cream to enchiladas, to tamales to salsa, to a tamale pie, to Hatch Chile and potato tacos.  With this, “make it up as we go along mentality,” we just started throwing enough stuff in the cart to possibly make this and or that.  So, we had a pretty open canvas and a lot of paint.

Well, the benefit of this type of shopping is that you can keep your options open, yet a side effect of this method is forgetting ingredients necessary to make your options come to life.  So, when we got into the kitchen and finally decided on enchiladas, a salsa and ice cream as an after thought, we realized that we didn’t have everything that we needed to make the enchiladas.  Oops… It became a new game in which our ingredients and time-line determined our creation.  Again, I am laughing out loud at this comedic cooking affair. After a bit of deducing, we came to a very simple Hatch Chile and cheese tamale pie and a Pico de Gallo style Hatch Chile salsa.  Finally with a plan, we could start chopping it up (both the chiles and the conversation).  And let me tell you, after lying around the house for a few days it sure felt good to balance all my weight on my right leg, to hold my self at the cutting board and “chop it up,” a bit.

Crippled reflection

It took me about ten or fifteen minutes to get myself situated at my patio table with my computer and a glass of wine.  A routine that would normally take me about 5 minutes is a bit “molassifed,” because I’ve got a bum left leg.  About a week and a half ago, I crashed my scooter and went down pretty hard.  Man!  It was really scary! The accident was one of those textbook scenarios that happen less than a mile from your home.  I slammed on my brakes to dodge a car that was pulling out of a driveway too fast and I went flying off the bike. Fortunately, I am ok and came out with just a sprained ankle, some torn ligaments, a broken toe and a bruised left side.  The whole experience was incredibly humbling as well as a glowing spotlight on how great of friends I have.  While I am always pretty aware that I am an incredibly fortunate person, this experience has put that perspective in High Definition.  Immediately after the crash my friends Mary and Grey rushed to my side, got splattered with my tears and drove my to urgent care.  They proved to be a tad more helpful then the EMTs‘ that figured I could just walk my bike home?!  Anyway,  from that moment on, between icing, reading, occasional daytime television and hobbling , I’ve had a lot of pals check in on me and get me out of the house to taste good things, listen to music and see some pretty breath taking views.

So, I could go on and on about what a lucky S.O.B I am, but that would be pages long.  I intended to blog each of these revitalizing excursions from the couch as they happened.  But, things came up.  You know… sleeping, icing, NPR podcasts, hobbling, The Ellen DeGeneres show, stretching, breathing exercises, coffee dates with the voices in my head.  It’s been a mending period.  So, now I am reflecting on some of those neat things and wanting to share some of the food related ones- the ones that remind me once again what it means to be oven happy.

I’ll begin with a Hatch chilies adventure in the next blog.  If you don’t know about precious Hatch chilies and their short season – you should.  I get excited about these New Mexico Chilies every year!  Check out the next blog to learn more about these fabulous chilies and my handicapped cooking experience with them.

Don’t Panic! There’s always tacos and beer, and then more beer- Lola’s Mexican Restaurant 6th stop Long Beach Summer Taco Tour

A Tuesday prior to today I was having a panicky day, and the Monday prior to that was pretty panicky too. As a matter of fact, it was just a pretty good panicky stretch. I get that way sometimes. I’m a little too proud to say to what extent but humble and human enough to say that it happens and that, that shit sucks. So, last Tuesday I decided to meet up with a dear friend who without fail, makes me feel good. She is just a lovely little lady who is funny and real and wonderful to have a beer with. So Billie and I decided check out Taco Tuesday at Lola’s Mexican Restaurant on Fourth Street. The deal- two-dollar tacos and two-dollar pints of Pacifico; a pretty good way to quell anxiety I’d say. That is of course, if the tacos are good and it turns out they are! Go check it out, for it is Taco Tuesday!

We ordered chicken tacos and a zucchini mushroom taco as well. I did not take any pictures, because I was just not in that kind of mood. But, I promise you that the chicken was ultra moist well seasoned and delicious. Though, the veggie taco was the real stand out, because as most vegetarians and veggie lovers know, it can be difficult to find a good veggie taco that actually contains vegetables. Lola’s zucchini and mushroom taco is my favorite veggie taco in LB so far. Perfectly tender sautéed mushrooms and zucchinis topped with shredded cheese and wrapped in a soft corn tortilla makes this taco appealing to veg-heads and omnivores alike. We were able to top these tacos with a tasty and slightly picante red salsa as well as a unique creamy green salsa. We enjoyed all of this faire in the bright and colorful, “Day of the Dead, “ themed dining room with servicio muy fabuloso. While, one can certainly find great one-dollar tacos on a Tuesday in Long Beach, Lola’s is a nice place to treat yourself to great atmosphere, great service and Pacifico on tap, for just a buck more.

Devil’s dust- It’s not what you think…

The last party that I catered with my father spontaneously became the birth of one of my favorite new combinations- devil’s dust.  To me it sounds like some sort of drug reference.  In fact, after a little, “googling,”  I discovered that it is.  But don’t try snorting it- it’s way too spicy.  What it is… is the perfect combination of grated Parmesan cheese, cayenne pepper and good flake sea salt.  This little seasoning is great for crusting baked and fried foods.  Crusting what?  Well, I’m thinking a lot of things.  One could use devil’s dust to crust chicken fingers, shrimp, cauliflower, or in the case of its’ first application macaroni and cheese bites.

The party menu consisted of a lot of small finger foods.  The client requested macaroni and cheese bites as one of the munchies.  Because, mac and cheese bites have become such a trendy menu item, my father decided to do them just a little differently by adding roasted poblano peppers and bacon to the cheesy pasta mixture.  After rolling them in some Panko, he said, “Needs a little salt, but here try.”  The fried little morsel was perfectly crisp on the outside and outrageously creamy and slightly smoky on the inside.  Nonetheless, he was right, the exterior needed a little zing of salt, or in my mind spice.  I let it sit on my palate for a minute and then said, “ Maybe a little Parmesan on the outside… wait, I know, let’s blend the Parmesan with a little cayenne pepper and toss them in that.”  My thought is that it would marry the slightly spicy, smoky and super creamy interior with the spicy, salty, zesty and crunchy exterior.  So, we tried it, and bam!  It kicked me with the most pleasant, spicy pungent and zingy blow that I’ve had in a while.

Try it.  It’s quick, easy, inexpensive, invigorating and alive.  Make a little batch and keep it around to play with.  Beyond the previously mentioned applications of chicken fingers, fried shrimp or mac and cheese bites, you could use this little blend for some grown-up fish sticks, French fries, tater tots or green beans. Even if you are not in the mood to do something as involved as crusting a protein try tossing it with some homemade popcorn, or sprinkling some on pizza or freshly grilled corn on the cob.  Devil’s dust is fun.

Devil’s dust 

Ingredients

• Good quality grated Parmesan cheese
• Cayenne pepper
• Flake sea salt

Method of Preparation

In a small mixing bowl combine all ingredients to taste.  Some like it spicier than others, so blend it to your preference.

 

 

Reggae, rollerblades, cheap French wine, warm goat cheese, salad

I started to blog this little rant on a Monday with intention of expressing some bottled up tension and embracing in some of life’s small pleasures.  Amongst some pain I was able to find some bliss.  And then I found myself asleep with all of my lights on, music going and a book on my face, so needless to say I never posted.  Yet, I feel the rant is still worthy.  I’ve been pushing through a funk.  Weaving my way through some internal difficulties, while trying to stay in touch with the external.  Gradually I’m coming to.  But prior to this particular night I was in the place where the internal was overwhelming the external and I was having trouble just feeling my feet on the ground.   I was trying to do more than just go through, the motions, but the air felt really thick because my heart and my head were more twisted than tortellini.  I was far from ovenhappy and lacking an appetite because my system was in heavy processing mode.

Despite the sensation of the air feeling like mud, I usually try to keep moving through it.  Last week after a good session of “fruitbooting,” to some reggae and sunshine I was able to tap into some bliss with some good food and drink.  I share this not because I feel my turmoil is particularly special, but rather because I truly believe that food can elevate an emotional state and bring peace and joy to our lives. Beyond just the biological transaction of calories entering our bodies and fueling us for activity, food nourishes us.  Just like music or art or literature, food slows us down and allows us to savor beauty and complexity.  While this may seem a simple phenomenon, I think it is an important one and I revere it.

So, I was able to find nourishment on this Monday night with some reggae, rollerblades, cheap French wine, warm goat cheese, salad and reading.  Yes, rollerblading.  I’ve been really into it recently.  It’s like I’m having quarter-life crisis and trying to relive the nineties.  While, fifty somethings’ are trying to relive the freedom of being twenty-something with bars and tube tops and stuff.  I’m trying to relive the freedom of being eight or something.  Next thing you know I’ll be playing tetherball.  So after about an hour of Black Uhuru and bootin’ I finally got my appetite back.

I didn’t get much sleep the night prior, so I didn’t have much energy for cooking, but I wanted something simple and satisfying.  I didn’t have much in my fridge either.  But, I did have some really fresh mixed greens, a Roma tomato, some goat cheese and some inexpensive French Cabernet that I heard was decent.  These items were perfect for my mood.

I poured a glass of the $4.99 Cabernet, and let it breath.  I tossed the mixed greens in some excellent olive oil, balsamic and salt and pepper.  The goat cheese went in the oven to warm up.  I quartered the tomato and sautéed it in a little olive oil and salt and pepper.  I dumped the mixed greens onto my favorite plate, topped them with the warm goat cheese and sautéed tomatoes and grabbed a fork and my glass of wine.  It was still light out and the temperature was perfect so I went to sit outside.

As I sat with this food in front of me, I felt so fortunate- like royalty for having access to such simple but special ingredients and a home to prepare them in.  The air was cool, but the sun was still leaking softly on me.  I took a bite.  Warm creamy, slightly tangy goat cheese against crisp greens, round fruity olive oil, sweet and acidic sautéed tomatoes, freshly ground pepper and subtle crunches of coarse sea salt were gracefully colliding together. I sighed with satisfaction and gratitude for this simple little symphony. I sniffed and sipped the wine that was indeed, decent. Finally, I was out of my head and completely in the present.  Acknowledging this, I sat back, smiled and reveled in the fact that food was a medium for bringing me back to the present.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rhythmic acoustic guitar duo, hummus trio, and more…

Last week was a busy one.  There was lots of work and no days off.  I’m on my tenth day in a row and I just woke up from a deep two-hour recovery nap of intense dreams and little ganas to get up.  As a matter of fact, I am still a little groggy.  On top of my regular workweek I proceeded to do some catering with my father.  Over the four days working with Dad, the menus varied greatly.  On Thursday alone we did three events.  However the highlight for me was a last minute vegan luncheon that my dad passed on to me while I sat on the Blueline up to L.A. the night before.  After giving me the task at hand; vegan snacks for fifteen to twenty musicians and crew to graze on while rehearsing, I was pleased to make a shopping list.  While such a request is simple, I am always excited to cook for people who love and appreciate vegetables as much as I do.

The opportunity to celebrate veggies was enough to have me smiling.  However, when I got to the studio and discovered that the food was for some musicians that I happen to love, I was extra joyful.  Better yet, they were rehearsing right outside the kitchen.  So, I got to listen to and cook for Rodrigo and Gabriela- sweet.  A good day to say the least.  I didn’t do anything too out of the box because I wasn’t sure what the groups’ palate was like.  No two vegans are the same you know?  Unfortunately, I think this can be a common misconception and chefs just throw out a bunch of bread and lettuce when asked for a vegan menu.  I think sometimes chefs forget that many vegans love food, perhaps even more than some omnivores.  So, I aimed for simplicity, quality and diversity.  A little Latin, a little Mediterranean and a little Asian.  Turns out they really enjoyed the food too!  Here are a few of the snacks that I put together…

Fresh hummus trio of:

Roasted red pepper, Kalamata olive and Garlic hummus with fresh pita chips

Hummus trio- roasted red pepper, kalamata olive, garlic and fresh pita chips

Black Bean, grilled corn and grilled poblano pepper salad

Black bean, grilled corn and gilled poblano salad

Mediterranean style grilled vegetable wraps with goddess dressing for dipping

Mediterranean style grilled vegetable wraps with goddess dressing for dipping

Teriyaki baked tofu

Teriyaki baked tofu with sesame seeds and micro greens

Beef with salad- the nut,cheese,fruit trifecta is forking frustrating

I love salad.  Not everyone does- I understand that.  However, I feel that if a restaurant chooses to offer salads on their menu, the creator should at least understand salad. Poor mixed greens are tired of being dressed in bullshit and embarrassed. Therefore, I am going to rant on a public salad “ beef,” that I have had for some time.  Unfortunately it seems like many restaurants simply regard salad as the redheaded stepchild, kid-brother, annoying neighbor, mother-in-law or some other obligation to which they mindlessly address with a default response.  The careless default salad response- greens, nuts, cheese, fruit, and tad-a! In the words of Drake,” Oh you fancy huh?”

The problem is not the concept of this classic salad combination, but rather the misunderstanding, misuse and overuse of it.  The nuts, fruit cheese ensemble can be wonderful.  The right cheese, with the right fruit, with the right nuts can really flatter fresh greens when tossed in a nice vinaigrette.  A salad like this, that celebrates each ingredient, with a good glass of wine, is simple, but special.  However this outfit is not for every salad.

Too often the salad list at a supposedly decent restaurant consists of five to six mediocre flavor profiles, “fancified,” with nuts, fruit and cheese.  The nuts, fruit, cheese trifecta is applied whether it works or not.  Salad is not a box mix with simple instructions of, “ just add fruit, nuts and cheese.  My breaking point was a local restaurant’s recent salad special:

Chile lime grilled shrimp

Ok, sounds great,

fresh spinach with an Asian style citrus vinaigrette,

Perfect- light and bright Asian flavors- exactly what I’m in the mood for,

topped with blue cheese crumbles, fresh strawberries and walnuts.

Eh  fork…

Hey forkers, this is not forking special!  So, please don’t call it special. Light, bright, spicy Asian Style flavors could be living and thriving but someone had to go and dump the trifecta on them.  These flavors don’t compliment one another – they offend one another. The worst part is that the second salad “special,” was also accessorized with blue cheese crumbles, fresh strawberries and walnuts.  I am offended, and so is salad and I can only imagine how forking blue cheese feels!  Greens are something to be celebrated.  So, please celebrate them. If one feels the need to apply the trifecta, please apply it with care.

When I gripe about tired salads to fellow eaters I often get a weak defensive argument salad may not be a particular restaurant’s “high point.” This defense never satisfies me.  Salads are a food. People who love food also love salads not just dieters and girls on dates.  That’s fine if a chef can’t appreciate the qualities of fresh greens, but if that is the case don’t put them on the menu.  We need some real “motherforkers, “ in this society to stand up for salad and not make a fool of it.