Pot Luck Home Run

We are lucky to have multi-talented neighbors who have creative day jobs and happen to be talented cooks at home.  (And I'm not just saying that because they will clean the cat box when we are out of town.)  You rarely meet creative people who don't like to cook.  I suppose there are non-cooks out there who can do "creative" things with your investments, but I don't think that counts.  In my experience, people who use their imaginations at work don't stop when they get home, they just unleash it on food.

Anson put together a potluck this weekend so we could all showcase our culinary prowess. Between the four households we each chose a different course and ended up with quite a spread.  Darren and Jess both made different styles of fish lettuce wraps--one fried, one grilled.  What a great variation on the ubiquitous chicken lettuce wraps.  I made my version of Thai peanut noodle salad (cilantro on the side of course--yuck!) and Dan made some awesome grilled veggies, but the show stopper was Sharon's grilled black bean and soy lamb chops.  I think we'll be talking about those for a while.  At one point I realized everyone was silent because they were chewing every bit of tender meat off the bone.  And just to ensure her place in the Potluck Hall of Fame (no, it doesn't exist, but I'm thinking of starting one) Sharon made grilled pineapple with rum sauce for dessert.  

I'm not sure if we'll be able to top this one, but we're definitely going to try at another potluck.  

(I tried out the ISO 3200 setting on my camera, I think it's pretty decent, but kind of looks like an interrogation!)

Son of a Beach

So where is this so-called beach you reference in your title?  It's right down the street.  We met up with some friends and their kids over the weekend and camped out at the beach for a half day.  I love these classic California days.  The kids played in the sand, the guys surfed, the girls held down the fort.  No really, we actually had to get up and turn over the tent when a gust of wind upended it!  I got a little artsy with the point-and-shoot and shot the fins that Anson uses for body surfing.

We are so lucky to live in quite possibly the most perfect climate on earth.  There truly is a reason that so many people are all packed in like sardines, or as Anson calls these houses, "shoeboxes."  It's not because we want to drive 20 minutes just to get on the freeway or that we like tourist hordes on the weekends.  It's those ocean breezes that keep us cool in the summer and warm in the winter.  And every once in a while at night when the clouds are low we can hear the waves crashing on the beach.  That makes me stop and just listen.  It's easy to forget that this 'peaceful' ocean can be so powerful.

I drive around all day for work, mostly inland, and in the summer it's brutal.  I visit places, like Irvine, that I swear are hotter than the face of the sun.  I don't know how I don't spontaneously combust sometimes as I walk across parking lots. By the time I get home I am a soggy mess.  I open my car door and a cool breeze caresses my shiny face.  "Ahhhh....that's why I live here."   

Anson would differ in his reasons.  He's out every day either running, surfing or riding his bike. Whichever one it is, he's off to the beach, full steam ahead!  He really takes advantage of the water and how close we are to it.  Me, I'll get on my bike and cruise around with Anson, we'll see what's happening downtown, maybe get a beer at Lugatti's (Firestone Double Barrel Ale on tap!).  But I have to say I'm not out duck-diving or doing push ups in the sand.  Most days, I'm happy to come home to the cool onshore winds and get into a beach state of mind.  Kenny Chesney knows what I mean: 

"Want a towel on a chair on the sand by the sea,

Want to look through my shades and see you there with me, 

Want to soak up life for a while, in a laid back mode, 

No boss, no clock, no stress, no dress code..."

Metamorphosis

We spotted our first baby tomato this week!

Anson commented that it's amazing how flowers turn to fruit.  The sunlight and water bring the flowers. The little insect drones come over to see what's up.  A little bit of pollen goes from this flower to that flower and before you know it, you've got the beginnings of a good marinara. 

Nature's perfect design has no finer example than this incredible transition of one state of being to another, so here's to the little guys who make it all possible! 

Mon Petit Chou, I Love You

In French, mon petit chou is a term of endearment that means "my little dear." It's what you call your precious child, what your boyfriend says when he kisses you on the nose, you know that lovey-dovey stuff.  As sweet as that sounds, it literally translates to "my little cabbage." And what else is a little cabbage, but a Brussels sprout?  (To be completely accurate, I should note that there is also the opinion that mon petit chou is the shortened version of mon petit chou a la creme which is a cream puff. I prefer the Brussels sprout version because cream puffs have never done much for me.)

That a vegetable so maligned here--relegated to a once-yearly preparation and viewed as more of a punishment than a treat, like taking a bitter medicine--would be associated in France with a loved one is a demonstration of our markedly different culinary heritage.  Sure, we've got different food staples here, owing to our broader climate, topography, native foods, etc., but I don't think that fully explains why we are so different in our approach to food.  As with many differences between American and French cooking, I think it can be explained with one simple ingredient: butter.  

It's a simple equation: Brussels sprouts + butter = Love.

I never even considered eating a Brussels sprout before I worked for a short time at Lucca Cafe in Irvine.  Kathy Pavlos is the chef and owns the place with her husband, Elliot.  You could not find two nicer and more sincere people to work for.  Kathy came late to cooking as a profession, having had a career as a professor, but what she lacked in tenure she more than made up for in her complete understanding of what simply tastes good.  Her cooking brings people to the restaurant from miles around, and that says something because it's tucked back into a strip mall at the base of an exclusive housing community.  One example of that 'Food IQ' is her Browned Butter Brussels Sprouts.  I actually had to look twice at the menu the first time someone ordered them.  Yep, they were there, how did I not see that before?  And why would anyone order them?  I'll tell you why: because they are the most delicious thing you'll ever eat in your life.  

They are really simple to make. The restaurant blanches the whole sprouts first and then browns them to order.  I've adapted the method to use one pan and it's even more simple than at the restaurant. You start with Brussels Sprouts cut in half.  Put them in a heavy frying pan, cut side down, add about a 1/2 cup of water and a pinch of salt, put the lid on and steam them for about ten minutes until they are soft but still firm.  You don't want them to be mushy. Make sure to watch so the water doesn't dry up.  Take off the lid and let them dry out a bit, then add about 3 tablespoons of butter, depending on how many you've got in the pan.  Let it turn to a light brown over low heat.  The Brussels sprouts will slowly start to crisp and develop a nutty deliciousness that only browned butter can impart.  Right before they are done, I get my fork ready because when they come out of the pan at my house it's every man for himself.  Mon petit chou, my ass!

We're Blowing Up Here!

It's time for a one-month check on the garden and despite our cool spring, we've got a lot going on.  The tomatoes were about 8 inches when we planted them and they've tripled in size.  The zucchini is coming along, and it looks like we are going to have a good crop of cucumbers too.  I think the heirloom bell peppers are really going to be the interesting crop though.  They're growing at very different rates and we saw the same thing with our mixed heirloom tomatoes last year.  It worked out great because they were ready to eat at different times, avoiding the predicament of "What do we do with this tub full of tomatoes?"

The other amazing thing was the stringless green beans.  When I got home from Vegas on Sunday afternoon, neighbor Chris pointed out that one vine had attached to the trellis.  Check out what happened in just two days.  In Tuesday's picture you can see a second vine in the background too.  The things that happen when you're not looking!

I've planted the beet sprouts in the other half of the herb garden.  Grow my little ones!!!  I also added the rosemary that was growing out of it's pot in the kitchen.  I know that will do fine, it's the basil I'm worried about.  An elusive snail has been snacking on it and I don't really want to add any chemicals to get rid of him (her?).  I finally came up with what I think will work: I bought a small plastic planter, cut out the bottom and stuck it around the basil.  Anyone else have any solutions?

Las Vegas Meditations

I keep a running list of musicians whose albums I'd like to get and occasionally I'll look at it and buy one online. Jason Mraz was on that list for many years and I finally decided to get the album he put out back in 2002 called Waiting For My Rocket Ship To Come. I got his 2005 album Mr. A-Z at the same time. Why not? I liked several of the songs that got radio play and figured those would be worth buying both albums for. I really didn't know how this offhand purchase would change my life.

For the last year those two albums, along with last fall's We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things, have not left their rotation on my stereo, my computer and in my head. Not a day goes by for me that doesn't have one of his songs providing a soundtrack in some way. His music, melodies, message and voice accompany me everywhere.

Music can be such a powerful force...you know those songs that you can actually feel? The music welling up inside you, the melody filling your insides, the lyrics tapping on your brain...I don't often come across artists whose music affects me this way, but Jason is one of them.

Last night Jason ended his long tour promoting We Sing... with a midnight show at The Pearl Concert Theater in Las Vegas. As is usually the case with musicians I love (I know that someone besides me is buying Counting Crows albums, but I can't find a single one of them to go to a concert with me), I had to recruit someone to go with me. Anson went off to Birmingham, England so the duty fell on Kirsten and she was nice enough to humor me. I think she might have become a tiny bit of a fan, or at least gained a new appreciation for the music.

James Morrison opened up and did a great job with his soul-flavored British style. It was nice to hear more of him than the little bit he sings on Jason's song, "Details in the Fabric." I love the line in this song where they harmonize: "Hold your own, know your name, go your own way, and e-e-everything will be fine."

Jason came on slow, but seemed to gain some energy and started to show the musician we all came for. What a great feeling, being in the same room, sharing the same energy as someone so prevalent in my consciousness, yet so remote. It kind of brought it all together for me.

One of the most entertaining numbers they did wasn't even his own song, it was Lionel Richie's "All Night Long." You know it: "We're going to party, karamu, fiesta, forever, come on and sing along...all night long!" Jason's flawless voice was perfect for that song, and his band with the congas and brass horns really made it. Here's a clip I found on YouTube.

His last two albums show a strong influence from Eastern philosophy. In an interview he credits an anonymous box of books on world religions that arrived for him with a simple note to pass them on when he was done. One of his lyrics is written on my computer monitor: "Leap and a net will appear." I try to think about that every day. One day I'll practice it. Something he said last night echoed it, I wish I had written it down. I think it was, "Everything you want you can have at this very moment."

The concert went to 3:30am, what a trooper, that guy. Earlier in the night he had opened for Dave Matthews so I had expected a short show. I was glad for all that he put into it and for having the experience. The poor guy deserves a long nap though.

We walked out in the soft desert air and opted to skip the cab and walk back to the hotel. I felt uplifted, energized and inspired, not just from the concert, but from the talks Kirsten and I had. Year 33 is supposed to be an auspicious year she tells me. Definitely true. There are changes that need to be made.

I didn't get any pics from the concert because the website said cameras were forbidden. I almost lost it as I watched every other person in the venue click away on their cameras all night. Aaargh! So, here's an "unposed" shot of me earlier in the night, obviously unaware of the camera. ;)

Kale: Not Just For Decor Anymore

At my day job working for a food broker we use a lot of kale. We display fish on it at food shows, we tuck it around turkey breasts on ice, we make plate displays that sit all day with that perky green substituting for lettuce. Never do we actually think to cook something with it. At the end of the day it goes in the trash. I didn't really think of it as something you were supposed to eat until I read a piece about it in Bon Appetit magazine. Turns out, it has a lot of iron and calcium, not to mention tons of vitamins K, A and C. Imagine spinach on steroids and you've got kale. Because it's so tough, you can use it to cook dishes that would turn the delicate spinach into a 98-pound-weakling. I figured a stir-fry would be the best place to test it's mettle.

This dish was really the last of the vegetable drawer. The kale, carrots and red pepper needed to used, and I always have some red onion and frozen corn. As I cut the veggies, I marinated the tofu in soy sauce and other asian flavors, and added some corn starch to thicken it once it hit the heat. At the same time, I got some water going for Chinese egg noodles. My quick veggie stir fry was turning into a full-on dinner; these things always get away from me!

I turned the gas all the way up on the stove and did my thing, adding the onions, garlic and carrots first, then the peppers, corn and kale, and finally the tofu with sauce. A couple minutes later, the hearty egg noodles got their proper vegetable vestments and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds topped it off.

When Anson got home I announced I had made him power food, and you know, I think he is looking a little healthier today.

Babies On The Way!

Good attention-getting title huh?  Well, of course it's not what you're thinking.  It's baby plants! So, the beet seeds we planted didn't seem to be able to sprout on their own in the dirt outside, so I decided to plant some inside where I could nurture them by hand and whisper encouraging words to them.  It seemed to work because they sprouted in 5 days and have grown almost 2 inches in the last 3 days.  Those kids grow up so fast!  I think I'm more excited about the beets than any of the other crops.  My favorite salad includes roasted beets, goat cheese, spicy pecans, tangerines and shaved red onion.  It will be even more delicious when I can yank them out of the ground myself.

Last year for my birthday, Kirsten sent me a wonderful present--Egglings!  They are little "eggshells" that you crack open and in which you sew the included seeds.  The first one was parsley and I must have done something wrong because it didn't flourish.  I waited until it warmed up a little to try again and it worked this time.  We are now growing strawberries and flowers (I can't remember what kind of flowers they are--I guess it'll be a surprise!).  

Succulents don't suck

After Christmas I found these great ceramic planters at Michael's on the clearance rack.  They were 70% off and I thought that was a great deal, they would come out to about $12 for all three. I brought them up to the counter and my total was something like $4.50.  I asked whether the checker had scanned them all and she said she did.  Apparently, it was 70% off the clearance price! Sometimes there is nothing more exhilarating than a really great deal, the same feeling as 5:00 on Friday, getting your tax return, walking into your hotel room on vacation.  Ahhhh.....

My plan was to make a living sculpture with succulents.  It took several months, but I finally got around to it.  It lives behind the sink and I enjoy watching it grow a little every day while I wash dishes. One of the plants came with a little vine-type thing sticking out from the center and it has tripled in length in the last month.  Also, the vine moved around during the day and I finally figured out it was following the path of the sun, even though it's not in the window. Plants are cool, huh?