caprese salad

If I am allowed to only eat one thing for the rest of my life, I would probably have the caprese salad. Caprese salad is a very simple dish. It can be eaten as a first course or add a little more protein and have it as a main course. It's light and consist of tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella (or fresh mozzarella), fresh basil, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Preferably aged balsamic. Buffalo mozzarella is a mozzarella made from the milk of a domestic water buffalo. It can be imported here from Italy and you can find it anywhere in the high end cheese aisle. It's perfect for these hot days we are having.

1 heirloom tomato

1 package of fresh buffalo mozzarella

1 sprig of fresh basil, thinly sliced

pancetta, that is sliced thinly and still shaped like a wheel

great quality extra virgin olive oil

aged balsamic

freshly crack black pepper

kosker salt or fleur de sel

Preheat to the oven to 375 degrees. Slice the heirloom tomato into wedges and lay them over paper towels to absorb the juices. Slice the buffalo mozzarella into 1/4 inch size circles and lay them over paper towels to absorb the juices as well. Take the slice pancetta and lay them on a half sheet pan, lined with a silpat or parchment paper. Lay another silpat or parchment paper over the pancetta with another half sheet pan on top of it. Bake for 10-15 minutes until it becomes crisp, like bacon, remove from oven. BE CAREFUL to not let it burn. Season the tomato and mozzarella over the paper towels. It's best to use fresh cracked better pepper because it gives the dish better flavor. Start assembling the dish by shingling the wedge and the mozzarella cheese around the plate. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and fresh basil around the plate and on top tomato wedges and cheese. Lay the crispy pancetta over the top and serve. 

spaghetti alla carbonara

Spaghetti alla carbonara is a quick and easy recipe. It will take about 30 - 35 minutes to make and it is absolutely delicious. This recipe isn't diet friendly, so make sure you're having this dish on a cheat day! 

Ingredients 

1/2 pound of pancetta, chopped (bacon is fine)

1 tablespoon of garlic, chopped

1 pound of spaghetti, cooked to al dente

4 large eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons of heavy cream

1 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano

s&p

1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped

Bring a large pot of water over medium heat to a boil. Salt the water, add the spaghetti and cook to al dente.

In a large saute pan, over medium heat, cook the pancetta until crispy. Remove the pancetta and drain on paper towels. Pour off all the oil except for 3 tablespoons. Add the garlic. Season with black pepper. Saute for 30 seconds. Add the crispy pancetta and the pasta. Saute for 1 minute. Meanwhile, beat the eggs and the cream together. Add a little bit of cheese and salt to the mixture. Being careful because the cheese is already salty. Remove the pan from the heat and add the eggs, whisking quickly until the eggs thicken, but do not scramble. Add the cheese and re-season with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley and serve.  

tomato bisque with a crab corn relish

What is the difference between a regular (hybrid) and heirloom tomato?
A regular tomato is selected for their yield, resistance to diseases and shelf life. Also, a regular tomato usually have no taste. Heirlooms are prized for their diversity of color, shape and flavor and come from plant seeds that are at least 50 years old.
Below is my oldest and most favorite recipe, Tomato Bisque. It's a simple recipe but can be turned into a classy dish by simply making a crab corn relish to go along with it. It can be eaten either cold or hot and when it's raining outside, I serve it along side cuban sandwiches.


2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion - diced
3 stalks of celery - diced
2 carrots - diced
2 cloves of garlic - chopped
1 can (28oz) of san marzano stewed tomatoes
1 cup of white wine
1 1/2 quart of chicken stock
4 whole peppercorn
1 bay leave
1 sprig of thyme
2 parsley sprigs
s+p to taste
1/2 cup of cream



relish:
1 container of fresh lump crab meat - picked
2 ears corn - kernels only
4 leaves of chiiffonade of basil
1/2 of heirloom tomato - diced to the same size as the corn
1 zest of a lemon
juice of half a lemon
olive oil
s+p to taste

Heat the butter in a large soup pot over med-high heat, add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and fragrant. Open the can of tomatoes and drain and reserve the juice, set juice aside. Dump the tomatoes in the pot and sauté until most of the liquid is gone. Add the white wine and reduced to almost dry. Then add the tomato juice and chicken stock. Tie the parsley sprigs, thyme and bay leaf together with a piece of kitchen twine and add to the pot. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from the head and allow to cool for a bit. Remove the herb bundle. Working in batches, transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Using a sieve or strainer, strain the tomato puree. (You may use a hand blender if you have one). Return the puree to the pot and reheat over medium heat. Whisk the heavy cream and salt into the soup and season with pepper to taste. Being careful not to boil the soup. Set aside to keep warm.
Take the kernels and lightly sautee it with a little chopped garlic and olive oil. Season it lightly with salt and pepper. Transfer the kernels into another container and chill it. In a different bowl mix together the crab meat, diced heirloom tomatoes, lemon zest, lemon juice, basil and olive oil just to coat the mixture. Add the cooled kernels and season the relish with salt and pepper.
In bowls, serve the hot soup and about 2 tablespoons of the relish over top of the soup. Or, if you have individual soup containers, you may serve a mixture of the relish into the bowl and have the guest pour the soup into the bowls themselves. This serve as a great appearance to the soup. Hence, making the soup a little more elegant.

jasmine brown rice

Brown rice isn't milled as much as white, so it retains the bran and germ. That makes brown rice more fiber-rich, nutritious, and chewy. It doesn't perform as well as white rice in many recipes.  Long grains of brown rice aren't as fluffy and tender, and short grains aren't as sticky.  Brown rice also takes about twice as long to cook and has a much shorter shelf life (because of the oil in the germ). 

Jasmine Brown Rice

1 cup of organic jasmine rice

1 3/4 cups of cold water

1 teaspoon of kosher salt

fresh crack black pepper

optional 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter

Take the small sauce pan and fill it up with 1 3/4 of cold water. Bring to a boil, add the salt, pepper and butter if wanted. Stir in the rice, turn the heat all the way down to low and cover with lid. Set the timer for 30 minutes. Once the timer goes off, remove the lid, fluff with a fork, put the lid back on and allow for the rice to sit in the pan for another 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes, fluff again and serve. Store in an air tight container, good for 4 days. Great along side baked chicken, fish, or to make fried rice. 

 

Hardboiled Eggs ---> Egg Salad

People have a love hate relationship with eggs. You either like them or you don't. I love eggs and it's a quick and easy meal. I always have hardboiled eggs in the fridge. You can quickly turn hardboiled eggs into egg salad. Below are fool proof instructions to hardboiled eggs and to make egg salad.

Hardboiled Eggs
1 dozen large eggs - preferably organic or cage free
1 large pot with lid
cold water
2 tablespoons of salt
ice to chill down the eggs

Before you begin, pull the eggs out of the fridge. Take the large pot fill it up with cold water and put it over high heat. Add the 2 tablespoons of salt, cover it and then allow the pot of water to come up to a roaring boil. Remove the lid, slowly drop the eggs into the pot of water. Best way is to use a ladle and drop the eggs into the water. Once the last egg has been dropped into the water; set the timer for 12 minutes. Once timer goes off: remove from heat, take the pot to the sink, drain the water using the lid, and dump as much as ice into the pot of eggs. You can also use turn on the faucet as well. Allow the eggs to cool enough and then start peeling them. It is best to peel the eggs right away and store them in an air tight container with cold water. It avoids the smell and these eggs can hold up to 5 days.

Egg Salad 

3 hardboiled eggs

1/4 cup of chopped celery

2 tablespoons of mayo

1 tablespoon of mustard

salt & pepper for seasoning

To keep the egg salad from getting watered down, make sure the eggs and the celery is completely dried. Placing them on paper towels usually works. Take the eggs and crush them over a cheese grater (large side). Dice the celery into 1/8th cube and throw both items into the bowl. Add the mayo, mustard, and S&P for taste. Mix well. Serve over your choice of bread or crackers. To store leftover egg salad, keep in an air tight container. Holds for about 3-4 days.

chocolate brownies

this brownie is a quick and simple recipe. the best way to cut it into squares is with a pizza cutter and ruler. depending on my mood i like throw in chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, or walnuts. dust it with a little powder sugar after you cut them and you have delicious brownies. :)

what you'll need:
butter - 2 cup (4 sticks) soften
sugar - 2 cups

vanilla extract - 2 teaspoon

eggs - 8

cocoa powder - 1 cup
all purpose flour - 2 cups
baking powder - 1 teaspoon
salt - 1 teaspoon

optional:
chopped walnuts
chocolate chips
peanut butter chips
white chocolate chips


preheat the oven at 350 degrees. start by creaming the butter and adding the sugar. scraping down the sides of the bowl. add the vanilla extract and one egg at a time. mix until the batter is completely incorporated.


sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. slowly add it to the batter. mix until everything is fully blended. this would be the perfect time to fold in any optional items. pour into a lined and sprayed half sheet pan and bake for 25-35 minutes. you can check by sticking a toothpick into the middle and making sure it comes out clean. allow for the brownies to cool. use the ruler to help guide you to cut the brownies. i find that using a pizza cutter helps with less breakage vs a knife.

seared new york with a port wine reduction

who doesn't like a good steak and a delicious sauce that coats it; but who is willing to pay big bucks at a restaurant to enjoy it? new york steak is one of my favorite steaks and it's fairly simple to cook and serve. using the same pan you can easily make a port wine reduction to serve alongside the steak. 

what you'll need:

12 oz new york strip steak

salt

fresh cracked pepper

butter - 3 tablespoon

blended oil -  tablespoon

chopped onion - 1/4 of the onion

mustard - 2 teaspoon

port wine - 1/2 cup

beef stock - 1/2 cup

i like to take my steak out 10 minutes before i start to cook it. it allows the steak to come to room temperate and gives it more of an accurate cooking temp. start heating a sturdy saute pan on high heat. turn on the oven to 375 degrees. season the steak generously with salt and fresh cracked pepper. drop a tablespoon of the butter and oil into the hot pan, carefully place the steak in it. to capture a nice crust DO NOT touch the steak. using the hot butter/oil carefully baste the top of the steak. keep doing this for about 3-4 minutes. flip the steak and throw the entire pan into the oven. cook the steak for about 7-9 minutes, depending on the thickness of the steak. you should get a proper medium rare to medium. 

 

take the pan out of the oven after the steak is cooked. transfer the new york to a resting plate and cover lightly with foil. using the same pan remove most of the grease leaving about 1 teaspoon behind. throw in the onions and saute until soft. then add the mustard and stir. BE CAREFUL not to burn the mustard. deglaze with the port wine and reduce to au sec (almost dry). next add beef stock and reduce to demi sec (half dry). turn off the heat and strain the sauce into another pan to remove the onions. finally stir in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time. this gives the sauce a nice shine and rich flavor. season with salt and pepper. slice the new york against the grain and serve over your favorite vegetables, mashed potatoes, and spoon the sauce over steak or by its side. enjoy

tuna casserole two ways

this recipe is dedicated to my two little cousins attending college at berkeley. they recently told me they often use my cookie recipe to make themselves cookies for late night study sessions. nothing makes me happier then hearing that. so michelle and tammy, this one is for you. meals on a budget 101 ;)
who doesn't like a tuna casserole? it's quick and easy; plus you probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry and fridge. if you google tuna casserole recipe most of it will ask for condensed mushroom soup. i tend to stay away from those because it's high in salt and usually contains MSG. i can't really say my version is healthier but at least you know all the ingredients you're throwing into it! plus you can make two different meals out of this one!!

what you'll need:
pasta (elbow, spiral, rigatoni) 1-2 cups
parmesan cheese-grated
brown mushrooms-sliced
heavy cream-1/4 cup
sour cream-2-3 tablespoons
garlic-chopped
butter-1 tablespoon
salt and pepper-to taste

optional:
zucchini-diced
frozen corn
frozen peas

 

start by heating water for the pasta. in saute pan melt butter and a little blended oil (half extra virgin olive oil and half vegetable oil). throw in the slice mushrooms and saute until golden brown. throw in the diced zucchini and garlic, cook the zucchini until barely al dente. then add the frozen corn/peas and heavy cream. season the veggies with a little salt and pepper. let it come to a slight boil and turn the heat to the lowest setting. in the boiling water add some salt, the uncooked pasta, stir and cook until the pasta is al dente. drain the pasta completely, add the veggie cream mixture to the pot, sour cream, canned tuna, and parmesan cheese. stir until completely blended and adjust for seasoning. being careful not to add too much salt because the cheese is naturally salted. serve and eat

           

baked tuna casserole

what you'll need:

breadcrumbs or potato chips of your choice crushed down as small as crumbs

extra sour cream

parmesan cheese

cheddar cheese if you have any

after everyone is done eating, take the leftover and put it into a buttered, crumb dusted casserole dish. add more sour cream and cheddar cheese. then top the mixture with more crumbs and parmesan cheese. refridgate and bake a few days later. cover it with foil and bake it at 350 degrees until the center of the casserole is hot. usually 30 mins. then remove the foil and bake until the top of the casserole is golden brown. 

wish you were here....

hola from the bahamas!! ;) i have been blessed to have a job that allows me to travel. being here is a little busier than i had expected; so i haven't had time to do any blog post but i promise i will!!!! but attached are some sneak peaks of my trip.

im not gonna lie. im coming back to LA with a tan!

out of office reply: 'leaving for work...in the bahamas' :)

hello!! even though my ravens lost, i had a crazy fun filled weekend in vegas with a few of my intelligent and beautiful ladies friends. drove back to LA and had to pack for  my business trip in  bahamas!!! yes, this trip is strictly for work...there will be no fun in the sun. okay, i lied. i'll be working for 5 hours a day and the rest i SHOULD be laying on the beach catching a golden bahama tan.


i'm writing this post on a jetblue plane at the logan airport in boston. our flight is delay because the captain is coming from the baltimore flight which is also running behind schedule. the weather on the east coast is awful...snow, snow, and more snow. it was hard leaving the 80 degree los angeles weather. i boarded my flight from lax to bos in shorts, tank top, sandals and a light weight sweater. the bostonians must think i am crazy walking around their airport with barely anything on. oh well ;) also, i just bought a new canon SLR and i'm pretty excited to get back into photography again. so you'll be seeing a lot of pictures. hopefully this week i can get caught up on some posts im behind on. ie church and state restaurant and blue ribbon sushi and grill at the cosmopolitan hotel.  ;) adios for now....

gumbo por favor

with the weather being gloomy and cold, nothing warms you up like southern style gumbo served over broken rice. the broken rice idea i got was from my mom. it's a house favorite, she usually serves the broken rice with charbroiled pork chops, fried egg, pickled carrots and sauteed green onions--but thats another post.

broken rice:

1 tbl unsalted butter

1/4 diced onions

1 minced garlic

1 1/2 cup of regular american rice 

2-3 cups of water

1/2 chicken bouillon cube

chopped parsley

salt and pepper to taste 

-preheat oven to 350 degrees. in a sauce pan, melt the butter. throw in onions and allow for it to sweat. then add the garlic and rice, stirring frequently so it does not burn. season with salt and pepper. GO EASY ON THE SALT because of the bouillon cube 

-add the water. depending on where you live, humidity, elevation...etc depends on how much water you need to put. a little vietnamese trick my mom always thought me is stick your index finger into the pot barely touching the top of the rice. the water level should be right above the first line on your index finger. throw in the bouillon cube, stir, and allow for it to come to a boil. throw the lid on and put it in the oven for 20-30 mins. take the rice out, fluff it with a fork, testing to make sure the rice is cooked. once cooked adjust seasoning and throw in parsley. set aside 

gumbo:

6 pieces of chicken thighs

4-5 louisiana sausage
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup flour
5 tbl unsalted butter
1 large onion
8 cloves garlic minced

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 bunch flat leaf parsley
4 cups chicken broth
2 chicken bouillon cubes

14 oz can stewed tomatoes with juice
2 cups frozen sliced okra
1/2 pound small shrimp, peeled, deveined







season the chicken with salt and pepper. heat the oil in a heavy bottomed dutch over/non stick pot over medium-high heat. cook the chicken until browned on both sides and remove. add the sausage and cook until browned. then remove, sprinkle the flour over the oil, add 2 tablespoons of butter and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until brown, about 10 minutes. let the roux cool

return the pot to low heat and melt the remaining butter. add the onion, garlic, green pepper and celery and cook for 10 minutes. add worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, to taste and the 1/4 bunch parsley. cook, while stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. add the chicken stockand bouillon cubes. whisking constantly. take the chicken thighs and separate the skin and bone and dice. add the chicken and sausage to the pot. bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes. add tomatoes and okra. cover and simmer for 1 hour, just before serving add the shrimp and parsley.

beginning of roux

roux beginning to brown

best....

....beef dipped sandwiches?
Philippe's in chinatown/downtown LA. freshly carved roast beef that is juicy and moist; then piled on top of a freshly baked french roll. i also pay an extra $.40 to get the american cheese; which melts perfectly into the beef. the carver takes the top of the bun and lightly dips it into the au jus and then wrapping it. There is just enough au jus that you don't need anymore  on the side to dip. People are concern that dipping the top causes the sandwich to be soggy but that is not the case. The french roll is durable and still soft. Everything is a la carte: chips, potato salad, macaroni salad, pickled eggs, soups, chili, soda, ice tea, and several selections of beer. prices are reasonable but it is CASH ONLY. they have an ATM on site. if you never had Philippe's, it's a must try.

koi restaurant, ending our new years celebration with a dinner

as i sit here munching on red vines and watching my guilty pleasure, "real housewives of atlanta" (don't judge me, it makes me feel normal) i'm recapping last nights dinner at the trendy koi restaurant - west hollywood. koi is a japanese, sushi fusion style restaurant. they serve everything from sushi, salads, cold asian dishes, and hearty entrees. 
this dinner was for us to catch up on NYE festivities and for me it was to meet new lifelong friends. there was a lot going on for all of us this past weekend and we all couldn't spend it together. so last night we got to sip over cocktails, have a bite to eat, and chat. great conversation, great new friends buuuuuuuuuuut the food and service was another story. i felt we definitely paid for the ambience, location and nothing else. between the 10 of us the bill was roughly $750 including tax and tip. my biggest pet peeve about going to an upscale restaurant is that they don't do seat positions. having the food runner call out your dishes and interrupting your conversation especially for a group of ten is annoying. another peeve is bringing out the main courses at different times. restaurants, such as koi, like to use the excuse, "since there are so many kitchens here. food will be coming out at different times. so please don't get upset if you don't see your food. it's coming, we promise!" so sure of enough i rolled my eyes, because obviously koi and their staff has a huge communication problem.  i truly think it's complete bullshit that cooks and chefs can't give each other a time frame of when food is ready. especially when most of the food they serve are sushi, appetizers and salads. needless to say all of my biggest pet peeves happened at koi. 
now, i know i should have ordered a fish dish or even sushi at koi but instead i order the peppered filet mignion with shishito mashed potatoes. it was sunday and i don't order fish on a sunday. (why? that's another post) anyway, i ordered it medium and it came out med well. the filet, which looked more like at flat iron rather than a filet minion, was sliced 1/4" thick. it was laid on top of a well reduced peppered sauce and surprisingly delicious. the dish came with shishito flavored mashed potatoes and frankly the dish would have been fine without it. the mashed potatoes were over whipped and flat. shishito is a pepper from japan. they roast, blend, and strain then fold into the mash. very similar to horseradish mashed potatoes or wasbi mashed potatoes. side note - this was when the food runner started bringing out dishes a few at a time and started calling them out. one of the girls ordered the famous koi dragon roll and literally waited 20 mins after we all got our hot dishes. i would understand if the restaurant was busy and the sushi chef had a lot of orders, but another girl ordered a different type of roll and she got hers before all of ours. not only that, but the sushi station was next to our table and both chefs we're standing around chit chatting. no sushi was being made! another no-no, we had to ask the food runner for drink refills and to find our server many times. that to me was unacceptable because the restaurant was coming to a bare. 

so between bad service and overcooked averaged food, i didn't have much of an appetite. i wish i would have taken pictures of the dishes but i simply forgot and was not planning on writing a review. but sitting here today, i just figure my readers would want to know my opinion on any restaurants i have dined. again, i had a fantastic night with friends, my year has already started off amazingly but i just wish the amount of money we spent for dinner was worth it. 

here is to an already amazing year :) xoxo