Dining in the Dark

Dining in the Dark is a new craze that is gaining popularity. This concept forces us to put all of our prejudices based on sight aside. The night is a sensory adventure! After about 20 or 30 minutes, I really noticed that my other senses were heightened. You will hear the wine being poured into a glass like never before... Also, I smelled everything. It's often considered "gauche" to smell your food, but *You taste with your nose.* If you don't smell food or wine, you're not getting the full flavor.

The first course was a seared scallop in curry, paired with a Napa Valley Chardonnay. The scallop was rather large, and not being able to see, I ended up with the entire scallop on my fork--and I ate the the entire scallop in one bite. I also had to use my sense of touch. Using your fingers can be helpful in finding the food on your plate!

The second course was seared polenta and a roasted tomato, with a Rose wine. The seared polenta was so delicious that I will be making polenta this weekend! The third course was duck, paired with a Rhone varietal from Avignon, France. I have actually been to Avignon and drank wine--and I'm not sure how but for some reason I thought this might have been a Rhone Valley red. I was really surprised when the sommelier told me that I was correct. I think I may have some wine intelligence after 5+ years of wine tasting! The last course was panna cotta, paired with a Canadian dessert wine. I had actually had this wine a couple of years prior and recognized it as a Canadian varietal.

Overall, this was a very enlightening experience. I felt like I appreciated the food so much more without being able to see it. I ate things that I would have otherwise avoided. The ambiance was very casual and relaxed. At one point, I was about to knock my entire plate of food on my lap, and someone working there prevented it.

The price was reasonable ($45). Several venues offer this experience under slightly different circumstances (pitch black rooms instead of blind folds). I thought the blind fold was ideal because I was able to shut my eyes and relax--instead of straining to see in total darkness. You can check out the place I went to last night at http://www.themustbar.com and look under the "events" tab. The staff was incredibly friendly. The sommelier was very knowledgeable, and the chef was passionate about his food. It was refreshing to have such an interactive experience with the chef and sommelier. Don't worry--I didn't spoil the menu for you because it changes for each tasting.

Dark Chocolate Brownies

For the Chocolate Lovers...

(The chocolatiest chocolate anything i've EVER had)

Ok, really, this recipe should have had a warning. CAUTION: Serious chocolate lovers ONLY. A few small bites are sure to satisfy even the most intense chocolate cravings. The brownies were soooo rich and moist. You'll probably want to have a glass of milk or a scoop of vanilla ice cream nearby.

I'll cut straight to the point. This recipe is an excellent recipe for chocolatey homemade brownies. It requires several steps but is well worth it. If you don't have a double boiler (one pot that fits in another pot to keep chocolate from getting too hot and burning), you can use a glass bowl on top of a small pot of barely simmering water. Just make sure the water is not boiling and touching the glass bowl. OR, you can just stick the chocolate in the microwave on 50% power and check every 30 seconds or so to stir and make sure the chocolate is not burning. Enjoy!

Prep time: one hour

Bake time: 35-40 minutes

Difficulty: medium

Recipe- Dark Chocolate Brownies

6 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped

3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1 inch pieces

3 large eggs

1 and 3/4 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350. Butter an 8 inch square baking pan.

2. Place the chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler placed over barely simmering water. Heat, stirring often, until the butter and chocolate melt. Remove from over the water and set aside to cool slightly.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla until blended. Whisk in the chocolate mixture until blended. Sprinkle all of the flour over the mixture and whisk slowly just until blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly with a rubber spatula.

4. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean, 35-40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

Curried Corn Chowder

I love soup. I love soup because it is healthy, and I can control exactly what goes in it! I love soup because you can't really mess it up--anything goes. I love soup because it not only warms the body, but it warms the soul. Yes, Los Angeles is not a winter or fall city, but it has been around 60 degrees or so here, so this is soup weather for us!

A good soup cannot be made in 5 minutes. The ingredients need time to get to know each other. I think that soups are kind of magical--you take a bunch of independent ingredients, and you make something that is greater than the individual ingredients.

I served this soup with dinner rolls that had been in my freezer. I defrosted the dinner rolls, and then I cut them in half and broiled them in the oven with a dab of butter and some grated parmesan cheese until the cheese was slightly dark and bubbly.

Enjoy this healthy, vegan dinner alternative!

Recipe- Curried Corn Chowder

Preparation/Cook time: about an hour and a half
Servings: 6

1 big yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. fresh thyme OR 1/8 tsp. dried thyme
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 and 1/2 cups frozen or canned corn
4 cups vegetable stock
1 tsp. sugar
2 tablespoons, unsalted butter, clarified (see directions below)
1 tablespoon Madras-styled curry powder
1/4 cup canned coconut milk
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon salt
pepper, to taste

1. Saute the onion, garlic, and thyme in 2 tablespoons butter (regular) in a large soup pot over high heat, stirring occassionally to keep the onions and garlic from sticking to the bottom of the pot. After the onion has begun to reduce in volume (5-10 minutes), lower the heat to medium and continue cooking for 10-15 more minutes, until the onion is tender and translucent.
2. Add the corn, stock, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let the stock simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Prepare the clarified butter. To prepare clarified butter, melt the butter in a small saucepan until the milk solids have separated from the oil (there will be white, cloudy liquid floating on top after melting the butter). Use a spoon to scoop out the milk solids. Milk solids cause butter to burn more easily, which is why we are removing them.
4. In a separate saucepan, warm the clarified butter over medium heat. Add the curry powder, and cook until the curry aroma permeates every inch of your dwelling (3-5 minutes).
5. Remove the soup from the heat. Let cool for a few minutes. Pour half of the soup into a blender, and blend. Return blended soup into the soup pot. Heat the pot over medium heat; then stir in the clarified butter/curry blend (step 4).
6. Stir in the coconut milk, cilantro, salt and pepper. Cook for another 15 minutes, until all the flavors come together. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Sweet Potato Pie Muffins

An instant classic..

I first baked these about 2 weeks ago for our book club meeting. It was right in the middle of my baking frenzy, so I actually baked two different types of muffins for the meeting--sweet potato muffins and parsley parmesan muffins. The parsley parmesan muffins were probably the grossest muffin i've ever had. But, the sweet potato muffins were a real hit. An instant classic.

I've been in Baton Rouge for the past few days. I found a bag of unshelled pecans in the kitchen pantry, so I decided to make these muffins. Also, I wanted to share my new find with my family. So, i got to shelling pecans and boiling sweet potatoes so that I could use the absolute freshest ingredients.

They were DELICIOUS. I renamed them sweet potato pie muffins because I used all the spices that my mom uses in her super-popular sweet potato pies.

Ingredients 101

To my novice bakers and cooks: I feel responsible to emphasize the importance of following a recipe--especially if it's your first time making something! One of the most important parts of a recipe is the ingredients. Good food comes from good ingredients.

Most recipes for baked goods call for unsalted butter. Though you can use salted butter as a substitute, unsalted butter has a better flavor for baking.

Most recipes for baked goods assume that you will be using whole milk. You can almost always substitute it for other types of milk. I've got skim milk in my fridge, so I use skim milk. I've also used rice and soy milk with no problems. It won't taste exactly the same, but it will cut down on the fat and calories in whole milk.

Almost every baked good recipe calls for vanilla extract. I don't use imitation vanilla extract. I use "pure" vanilla extract, but you can probably get away with the imitation vanilla extract.

Some ingredients are NON-negotiable, unless you have a chart with substitutions. Altering any of the following ingredients may cause your baked good not to rise: baking powder, baking soda, and eggs. Also, an ingredient that may be unfamiliar to you may be the key ingredient in the dish (e.g., cilantro in tortilla soup or fresh sage or Marsala wine in chicken marsala).

Lastly, different oils burn at different temperatures. For example, a recipe may call for vegetable oil, but you've only got olive oil. If you are just sauteing something for a short time, it is probably OK to substitute. If something needs to be sauteed for a long time, be sure to use the type of oil that the recipe suggests. Also, the extra virgin olive oil that the pesto calls for is NON-negotiable.

If anyone else has any tips on ingredients, please leave a comment so we can all enjoy!

Pesto

Stop and Smell the Basil...

We live in a fast-paced world. Sometimes, we need to just slow down and take a moment to appreciate the beauty around us.

As I walked through the market a few days ago, I smelled basil. I, personally, have a problem of going to the market and buying many things that are not on my grocery list, causing me to go over budget. However, I took a moment and smelled the sweet smell of fresh basil. I was instantly inspired to make pesto.

Pesto is a raw sauce that can be used to spice up pasta, soups, or even mashed potatoes. I used a food processor, but it is traditionally made with a granite mortar and pestle. You don't really need a recipe for pesto. Just add however much of the ingredients that you like for the texture you like.

Recipe-Pesto

2 cups fresh basil leaves
3 cloves of garlic
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup of pine nuts
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

My easy way: Put everything in the food processor and pulse until mixed. Traditional way: chop everything.

I like to put my pesto over whole wheat pasta, and top with grated cheese.

Restaurant at the Getty Center

This restaurant can be part of the *perfect* date--wandering through the gardens and art buildings, then sitting down and having a wonderful meal with an AMAZING view of L.A.

My lunch started with an amuse bouche--beef tartar on a Parmesan crisp with pesto. I have something against eating raw meat. Had I not been on a "business lunch," I would not have eaten it. However, I was practically "socially forced" to eat it. The Parmesan crisp and pesto was quite good. The beef tartar was a thin, shaved, raw piece of beef. The beef tartar was not something I would eat again.

As an appetizer, I ordered a fruit salad with nuts. Since I ate this salad as an appetizer, I was grateful they skipped on the fatty cheese. For an entree, I enjoyed the striped bass. It reminded me of catfish. It was accompanied with green beans, sugar snap peas, and potatoes. The snap peas were absolutely delicious--so much fun when the peas would pop into my mouth! the potatoes and fish were well-seasoned and well-prepared.

Skipped out on dessert but overall very, very tasty.

I definitely recommend this place. I recommend lunch over dinner so that you can enjoy the view (and the lunchtime prices). Walk-ins are welcomed but it is probably safer to make a reservation the day before. If you make a reservation, ask for a table by the window.

Banana Bread

Banana bread that actually tastes like banana...

Yes, I made banana bread just last week. But, I had some overripe bananas that I never got around to eating. And the recipe that I tried tonight was slightly different than the one I used last week. This one is healthier because it calls for wheat flour.

What I like about this recipe--or pretty much any recipe for homemade banana bread--is that it actually tastes like banana. This is not the case for banana bread in a box. Boxed banana bread is missing that authentic banana flavor. It's a flavor that you may not even realize is missing because you've been eating banana bread from a box since childhood.

Do yourself a favor and try making real banana bread! Or, come over to my house (if you live in L.A.) and try some. I've been baking faster than my roommate and I can eat...

Prep time: about 30 minutes
Bake time: 30-45 minutes (depending on size of muffin cups)
Servings: 6 big muffins; 12 normal size muffins

Recipe- Banana Bread

1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup)
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
4 overripe bananas (if they're not ripe, they won't be sweet enough)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup cold milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional) OR 1 tablespoon poppy seeds (optional)

1. Make sure the oven rack is in the center. Preheat to 400. Smear muffin tins with butter
2. Measure the all purpose flour, wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium sized bowl. Mix in nuts or poppy seeds (optional).
3. Using a stand mixer (preferable), hand mixer, or sturdy whisk, whisk the butter and sugar until fluffy and light yellow--about 5 minutes.
4. Add the bananas and continue mixing at a high speed until the bananas are blended with the butter and sugar. With the mixer speed on low, beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the milk and vanilla.
5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, using the paddle attachment of your mixer on low speed. If you don't have a mixer, use a wooden spoon. Mix until there is no trace of flour left, but do not over mix.
6. Scoop batter into muffin tins. Fill each tin to the top. Bake on the center rack 35-40 minutes (for big muffins). Less time if you are using a 12 muffin cup tin. Remove as soon as a toothpick inserted deep into the center comes out clean.
7. Remove the tin and place it on a wire rack for a few minutes. Then, remove the muffins from the tin and let cool on the wire rack. Enjoy!

Tortilla Soup

Last week, it pretended to get cold. It was at that point I decided to make soup. My roommate requested that I make tortilla soup. So, voila.

Tortilla soup is one of those wonderful things that I did not discover until I moved to California. Though soups are typically eaten during the autumn and winter, this soup is very light. You can make it more cold-weather friendly by adding black beans or wild rice.

My college roommate came over to eat, but she got here too early and got stuck helping me prepare it! When all of the ingredients were in the pot, I was a little concerned because it did not seem like anything magical happened to transform my chicken broth with ingredients into actual tortilla soup. (I'm always a little nervous to try recipes I've never made before--especially when I have an audience).

Luckily, the soup came out REALLY delicious. I was just so happy that it actually had the flavor of tortilla soup! I topped it with a little cheddar and fresh avocado. And it was so easy, really. This recipe is a *winner*--something I would make over and over again.

Prep time/Cook time: about an hour (with four hands--thanks for helping Zoe!) Will take far less time if you cook the chicken ahead of time.
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 4 large servings

Recipe- Tortilla Soup

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 chipotle chile en adobo
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons salt
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup corn (can or frozen OK)
1 tomato
1 cup cooked chicken, shredded
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
2 limes
tortilla chips
cheddar (optional--for garnish)
avocado (optional--for garnish)

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Chop the onion, garlic and chipotle and saute in the oil. Add the chili powder and salt. Cook until the onion softens (five minutes). Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add the corn and cook for five more minutes. Pull from heat.

2. Chop the tomato and cilantro. Shred the baked chicken. Juice the limes. (To get all of the juice out of the limes, microwave for a few seconds and roll them on the counter). Add all of these ingredients to the pot with soup. Stir.

3. Ladle soup on top of crushed tortilla chips (only a few chips per bowl). Top with cheddar, avocado, sour cream, or anything you like. Enjoy!

Roasted Butternut Squash

Butternut Squash--a great way to spice up your vegetable rotation!

I bought a butternut squash from the market about a week ago. They just seemed so Fall and festive. I figured I’d let it decorate the kitchen until I was ready to do something with it. I’ve never cooked with butternut squash before—I actually didn’t even know what one looked like inside or tasted like. Well, it looks like the inside of a pumpkin. I needed a side—a vegetable—to go with my dinner last night. I get so tired of eating the same vegetables--broccoli, carrots, repeat. I found a quick, easy recipe for roasted butternut squash. Butternut squash is super healthy—it’s loaded with Vitamin A. It’s also really filling.

Though the squash was the color and texture of a sweet potato, don’t be fooled! Prepare your taste buds—squash are not as sweet as a sweet potato. I kind of liked it. The glaze that I prepared was really yummy—I don’t know if I would have eaten the squash without the glaze. I used sage, but you can add rosemary or thyme or a teaspoon of hot sauce instead. i think the sage and maple syrup made a really nice flavor together.

Again, this recipe is super easy and requires no special equipment.

Preparation Time: About 10 minutes

Cooking Time: About 40 minutes

Difficulty: Super Easy

RECIPE- Roasted Butternut Squash

1 Butternut Squash

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 teaspoons fresh sage, rosemary, or thyme; or 1 teaspoon hot sauce

1 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 425. Cut the stem off of the squash, then cut it in quarters, lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds. Line a baking sheet with foil, and place the squash on the baking sheet.

2. Microwave the maple syrup and butter until the butter melts. Stir in salt and hot sauce or herbs.

3. Pour half of the sauce over the squash, letting some pool in the seed cavity. Roast for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, turn the squash to coat it in the sauce, and arrange the pieces cut side down. Bake for another 10-15 minutes. Remove. Turn the squash so that the other side is down. Cook for another 15 minutes or until the squash is brown and tender. Transfer the wedges to a platter and drizzle with remaining sauce.

Pumpkin Scones

I recently baked pumpkin scones with fresh cranberries and pecans. I was not too excited about the idea of nuts and berries in my scone, so I baked the first half with no nuts or berries. They came out really yummy, but I felt like my taste buds were searching for that burst of something. So, I went to three different grocery stores and finally found fresh cranberries! The recipe called for walnuts, but I had pecans left over from something else, so I used pecans. The recipe also calls for raisins, but I hate raisins and will never put them in anything I bake.

The scones came out incredibly moist--like, about to fall apart moist and delicious! The key to their perfect texture and moistness is: Don't overwork the dough! For scones to have a flaky texture, you've got to keep the dough cold--as in use really cold ingredients. COLD butter--right out of the fridge. COLD milk. The butter should melt in the oven--not in the mixing bowl! Don't open the oven door during the first 10 minutes--you will interrupt the baking temperature at a crucial time. Also, if you don't want to invest in the 4 spices needed in this recipe, you can substitute the cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves and ground ginger for 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice; however, it will have a slightly different taste.

Preparation Time: about an hour
Cooking Time: about another 30 minutes to an hour if you've only got one baking sheet and one oven!
Difficulty: Medium

This recipe makes 12 huge scones or 24 small scones.

RECIPE-Pumpkin Scones

4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup sugar
2 and 2/3 sticks cold, unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
2 large eggs
3/4 cup cold buttermilk (or sour milk)
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins
1. Position an oven rack in the center. Preheat to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Measure the dry ingredients into the bowl of a food processor (with blade attached). Pulse to mix.
3. Add the butter all at once. Pulse until there are no chunks of butter and the mixture looks like moist crumbs (see pic). Don't overwork the flour and butter.
4. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs to break up the yolks. Whisk in the buttermilk, pumpkin puree, and vanilla. Stir in the cranberries, walnuts, and raisins.
5. In a large bowl, combine the wet and dry ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture just comes together. Again, you don't want to overwork the dough!
6. Scoop even amounts of batter onto the baking sheet. Use a 1/2 measuring cup for large scones, or a 1/4 measuring cup for smaller ones. Leave 2 inches between each scone.
7. Bake of 12-17 minutes for smaller scones. 20-25 minutes for larger scones. Remove as soon as a toothpick entered into the center of one of the scones comes out clean.
8. Place baking sheet on wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove the scones with a spatula and transfer the scones directly to the wire rack, or directly to a serving dish. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Because I love good food

I have many sources of inspiration for writing this blog. The main one is simple: i love good food. In this blog, you will find everything from restaurant reviews to recipes. Winery summaries to wine pairing suggestions. The best cheese to the best chocolate!

I have recently been cooking and baking non-stop! I am a baker who cooks occassionally, so my cooking experiences have been pretty interesting. Also, I was watching a dating reality show a few days ago. It was the "meet the parents" episode. The bachelor's mother was shocked that none of the ladies knew how to cook.

Well, cooking and baking (like anything else) take practice! I am going to do some of that work for you by passing along some of my favorite recipes. So, check back often for my cooking, baking, and eating out experiences!