The Joy of CostCo

So I'd never been. Honestly. I'd been to a Sam's Club a million years ago, before I was domesticated and understood the joy of not needing to go to the grocery store every 10 minutes. All my friends were raving about it and even my friends who love to cook. They were slagging Trader Joe's and raving about CostCo. I couldn't put my head around it. I decided I had to check it out. I'm sure I'm preaching to the converted. I can't believe it took me this long to explore. It was wonderful, organic eggs, Annie's organic whole wheat snacks, already seasoned salmon steaks that were super yummy, and bread for La Brea Bakery. I'm a believer and I haven't even tried the hot dogs... yet. What do you buy there?

Honest Tea Was Not Served by the Bush's

Honest Tea Rocks Obama's World
Word is out that President Obama likes to drink tea. His current favorite is Black Forest Berry, an herbal infusion made by Honest Tea of Bethesda, Maryland.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/1430580/honest_tea_rocks_obamas_world.html

Pink Butcher Paper and The Perfect Sandwich

Sometimes I feel like I don't know my neighborhood very well. I tend to get into a rut about where to eat and where to shop and where to order carry out... Then I discover something new (to me, anyway) and my head explodes with love for this city. Have you seen this new book? Our friend, Carley gave it to me for Christmas and I've been perusing and daydreaming about eating, shopping, cooking, baking with it in hand. I have a thing about sandwiches, and am always on the hunt for the perfect sandwich. I came across the listing for Romo Italian Deli & Grocery which extolls the owner, Rosario's sandwiches as the best in the world. I checked out this Yelp listing too, which intrigued me even more, because it mentioned he only makes one kind of sandwich. Well, now I HAD to know. I'd driven by the place a thousand times, without a glance at the mini-mall exterior and tight parking lot. But little A and I headed over there after pre-school pickup and wandered around checked out the cheese, chocolate, cookies and pasta and ordered one of the famed sandwiches. It was so great, splash of olive oil, perfect crusty bread, prosciutti, salami, and provolone, wrapped in pink butcher paper--like the deli where I used to work when I was a kid. I loved it and picked up some hard to find pasta as well. Maybe I need to wear this book around my neck.

And don't miss this deal... lots of area restaurants are slashing prices on Prix-fix dinners for the next couple of weeks, inspired by the recession. Here's more details...

Such “Deluxe” (and EAT: LA fave) places as Beacon, Angeli Caffe, Carousel, Luna Park, Ita-cho and Royal/T will have three-course meals at $16 for lunch and $22 for dinner. “Premier” places (at $22 and $34, respectively), include Ford’s Filling Station, the timeless Dal Rae, Max, Vertical Wine Bistro, Chaya Venice and Cafe Pinot. On the high end are the “Fine Dining” places ($28 and $44, respectively), including BLT Steak, Bashan, La Cachette, Comme Ca, Water Grill and Grace.

And those are just the beginning — go to dinela.com for the roster of plenty more participants. Do your part, and show your favorite restaurant some love!

C'mon people... C'mon

This is the lamest contraption I've ever seen. I can't believe anyone would buy this plastic gizmo to make perfect s'mores in the microwave. Seriously, how lazy do you have to be? I want to ask the people who bought one if they make other people "start their oranges". Do you know what I'm talking about? Have you ever met someone who pleads with other people to beginning peeling their orange for them, so they won't risk the slight sting or stickiness on their skin? I had a roomate like that. I'm sure he owns one of these.

Lovely Little Bites...

Check out these amazing teas and the box is compostable...

Bacon and Chocolate... just close your eyes and take a bite, because it's unexplainably wonderful.

Blood Orange Olive Oil... I received this as a gift a couple of years ago and buy it every chance I get. Roast some beets, drizzle the oil on and you have winter perfection.

I'm jonesing over this table/ chairs, work surface... from Sur La Table. I really want to roll out cookies, knead dough and cook with my kid, right there.

Menu for the BIG DAY!

It's seafood heavy and not very kid-friendly. What's doing at the kid's table, you think?

My dad was proud of the fact that he had fed two presidents and their families, both Ford and Carter. I have a set of the presidential seal cufflinks that were given to him by Carter, and cocktail napkins with the seal. He loved to tell the story of how an older woman surprised a secret service man in the bathroom, and not the other way around...

You can download the recipes here...

Cinnamon Apple Sponge Cake
Yield: 10 servings
Ingredients
Apple Filling

ӫ4 lbs Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

ӫ4 tablespoons unsalted butter

ӫ¼ cup water

ӫ1/₃ cup granulated sugar


ӫ1/₃ cup apple sauce

ӫ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

ӫ¼ teaspoon salt

ӫGrated zest from 1 lemon

ӫ1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Bread Crust

ӫ14 tablespoons unsalted butter, melt 10 of tablespoons

ӫ2 tablespoons granulated sugar

ӫ34 slices brioche bread (or white bread)
Equipment

ӫ10 Ceramic baking ramekins or metal molds (3” diameter)
Sauce

ӫ2 cups caramel sauce(store bought)

ӫ2 cups granny smith apples, peeled, cored, diced small

ӫPinch sugar

ӫPinch cinnamon

ӫ1 tablespoon butter
Ice Cream
1 quart vanilla ice cream
Preparation
Filling
1. Melt butter in 6-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Add apples and caramelize, add water,
cook, stirring occasionally for 15 to 20 minutes, or until apples are completely soft. Remove cover
and add sugar, nutmeg and salt. Increase heat to medium-high and continue to cook, stirring apples
frequently, until liquid has completely evaporated, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in
lemon zest, apple sauce and vanilla. Set aside to cool while making crust. The filling can be made
one day ahead
Making crust and assembly
1. Position oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 425°F. Grease 8 ceramic dishes with 1 tablespoon butter. Sprinkle sugar in dish and tilt to coat bottom and sides. Tap out excess sugar and
set aside.
2. Using a bread knife, remove crusts from bread. Center the bottom of mold over one of the bread
squares. Cut around mold to form circle to use as the top. Make a total of 20 of these round pieces.
Ten will be for the bottom and 10 will be used for the top. Dip each one in melted butter and place at
the bottom of mold.
3. Cut each of the 15 remaining slices of bread into four rectangular pieces. Dip one side of each strip
in the melted butter and arrange strips, upright, around the inside of molds, buttered-sides against
mold and overlapping by about 1/2” to completely line mold. Use 6 rectangles to line the mold.
4. Spoon the apple filling into bread-lined molds, mounding it slightly in center.
5. Take the remaining ten rounds of bread and dip pieces of bread into the melted butter and place on
top of filling, buttered-sides up. Press down lightly.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, then cover top loosely with aluminum foil. Bake for an additional 15-20
minutes, until top is deep golden brown and side slices are golden brown (slide a thin-bladed knife
between bread and pan to check). Remove from oven, uncover, and let rest for 15 minutes on wire
rack. Run thin-bladed knife around edges of molds to be able to flip the mold out onto serving
plates.
7. For the apple cinnamon caramel sauce, sauté 1 cup of peeled and diced Granny Smith apples in
butter, add a pinch of sugar and cinnamon. Allow to cook until apples are lightly browned and all
sugars have dissolved. Remove from heat and add 2 cups caramel sauce to the apples and stir to coat
apples.
To Assemble
Pour caramel apple sauce over warmed apple cakes and serve with your favorite vanilla ice cream.

Hope Cupcakes... Inaugural Party Toppers...

These are lots of fun...

Diving into the New Year... In Slow Motion

I'm getting a slow start into the new year. Our very last Christmas hurrah was last Friday and our last guest heads out of town tomorrow morning. We're not quite back to our routine since my kid has Chicken Pox, amazing since she had the vaccine, but we're hanging around the house, playing dress up and watching The Muppet Show. I'm intermintently cleaning closets and cabinets. I came across this article from Mark Bitman, "Fresh Start for a New Year? Let’s Begin in the Kitchen". It's a great article on everything from croutons and bread crumbs and vegetable stock. I can't believe that I haven't thought of making my own stock. I've been working my way through the Julia Child's cookbook soup recipes and discouraged by the different stocks. I really think the chicken and veggie stock sold at TJ's is awful, sometimes even sweet. I've found stock by Wolfgang Puck to be better, but the chicken and veggie are hard to find and the low sodium is even harder. I can't wait to make my own and I've got a loaf of sourdough that will make great croutons. All these choices are pretty green too, when you think about it and we're all short on kitchen space, especially with all the new toys that Santa brought!