meat and cheese...

it all started with toppings for pizzas and/or flatbreads...at a business lunch earlier in the week, it was recommended to try italian speck from surfas in culver city. it was utterly delicious and well now i'm committed to working my way through the entire meat and cheese counter at surfas. the attached pic show demonstrates that you don't have to spend a lot of money to try new things. 

beer float....magical!

1 old rasputin beer meets one scoop of SCOOPS brown bread and one scoop salted caramel. 

for those who do not know, the main ingredient in SCOOPS brown bread is the cereal GRAPENUTS. 

the last spoonful is heavenly. 

words cannot describe how wonderfully delicious my first beer float experience was this past weekend at the golden state cafe on fairfax. my brain could not process the mind dumbing sensory overload. IF you've not had the opportunity to experience this bizarre, but oh so satisfying dessert......PLEASE, PLEASE, go and have one. i do not think you will be disappointed. one word of caution enjoy very slowly and savor every sip of creamy indulgence. golden state cafe is closed on mondays, as i discovered the hard way, and close every other evening at 10pm. 

of course one could create this deliciousness at home BUT why bother. IF you do not like this concoction then i'd love to hear from you and why you don't agree. 

http://www.thegoldenstatecafe.com

http://www.northcoastbrewing.com/beer-rasputin.htm

cheese-stuffed squash blossom tempura

sweet potato, corn and jalapeño bisque

key adaptation of ny times recipe january '09

an abundance of sweet potatoes and summer corn prompted me to try this bisque recipe. i've always thought bisques were made out of seafood and cream. however, i've come to learn bisques can also be any creamy soup made out of vegetables. this recipe is vegan, so Yin if you are reading, here's a recipe for you. this recipe can also be prepared in the dead of winter using frozen corn. 

ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 3/4 cup of chopped red onions

• 3 tsp of minced garlic

• 4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

• 4 cups vegetable stock

• 1 medium jalapeño, seed and finely chopped

• 1 cup fresh summer corn 

• 2 tbsp molasses

• 1/2 tbsp of kosher salt

• 1/2 tsp hot paprika

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

• pinch of cinnamon

• finely chopped scallions for garnish

1. in a large saucepan heat oil over medium heat. add onions and garlic and saute until just soft, 2-3 minutes. add sweet potatoes and stock and bring to a boil. 

2. reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are soft, about 20-25 minutes. remove from heat. using a food processor, puree contents of pot in small batches until smooth. cover top of food processor with dish cloth to prevent hot liquid from burning. 

3. return soup to pot and reheat, stirring in jalapeño, corn, molasses, salt, hot paprika, pepper and cinnamon. taste and adjust seasonings to desired likeness.

4. pour into soup bowls and garnish with scallions.

serving suggestion:

serve with a freshly baked baguette or ficelle, which is a thin version of a french baguette...both of which can be found at "la maison du pain" on pico blvd. ficelle in french means "string." imagine an oversized chewy breadstick....delicious!

gingerbread brownies

key adaptation from bon appetit july '09

gingerbread isn't just for holidays anymore. 

ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 tsp ground ginger

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp nutmeg (preferably freshly ground nutmeg)

• 1/4 tsp cloves

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 10 tbsp unsalted butter (1 1/4 cups), room temp

• 3/4 packed dark brown sugar

• 6 tbsp sugar (plus extra for sprinkling on top)

• 2 large eggs, room temp

• 1/4 cup Steen's homestyle unsulfured dark molasses

1. preheat oven 350 degrees. butter and flour a 10" x 8" x 1" baking dish.

2. place 2 cups flour in medium bowl and reserve 2 tbsp flour and set aside.

3. add spices, baking soda, salt to flour in medium bowl and whisk to blend.

4. using electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and 6 tbsp sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy.

5. beat in eggs one at a time, then molasses. 

6. add dry ingredients to butter mixture and beat to blend.

7. spread batter evenly in prepared pan.

8. carefully sift remaining 2 tbps flour evenly over batter, then sprinkle with desired amount of sugar....2 - 4 tbsp. 

9. bake gingerbread brownies until golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean about 22 mins.

10. cool completely in pan on cooling rack.

11. cut gingerbread crosswise into 4 strips, then cut each strip into 3 pieces.

serving suggestion:

these would be super delicious served as ice cream sandwiches. stay tuned for an update on the results. 

shopping note:

steen's homestyle molasses can be purchased at surfas in culver city.