I had an epiphany the other day, and it involved broccoli. No, really. It’s taken me a while to come around to broccoli. While I wasn’t the pickiest of eaters as a kid, I didn’t have much of a taste for green vegetables. My mother and grandmother would typically make me have a full serving … More An epiphany
I wish I had some nostalgic tale to tell you about spaghetti and meatballs, but I didn’t grow up with this dish like a lot of kids in the states did. I suppose I had a certain childhood affection for spaghetti-o’s, but whenever my mom made spaghetti, it was always a meat sauce more akin to … More No nostalgia—just meatballs
Stop reading. No, really. Turn off your computer, put on your shoes, and go to the store to buy some eggplant. You know you want to. Eggplants are like reverse ugly ducklings. Find a farmer with several varieties of eggplant, you might well be overwhelmed: small, pea-sized green ones; big, nearly black American ones; skinny … More Devilish
We were spared the heat dome that covered most of the country (and the news) last week—in fact, it’s been unseasonably cool in Southern California, with the overcast mornings and cool evenings more expected in the Pacific Northwest. However, when I saw a recipe for cold noodles with sesame sauce, I couldn’t help myself. I just … More A real love affair
Los Angeles has much more wildlife than most people (even Angelenos) would believe. I see raptors at least a couple times a week on light poles overlooking the freeways; deer, rabbits, and rattlesnakes are commonplace in the hills; raccoons wander along the sidewalks at night; I once even saw a brief glimpse of a coyote … More Wild America
Lately, I’ve felt like my life has exploded around me like a meteorite. Things haven’t been bad (in fact, most of the chaos has been the good variety), but I’ve felt like I haven’t had a chance to breathe. My days have been longer (at least the sun is playing along); I go to bed … More Climbing out of the crater
I do intend to post the recipe for the orange cream and the entremet, but yesterday something happened. I made dinner, and it swept me off my feet. With each bite, I fell more in love, and by the end of dinner I was eyeing the leftovers with anticipation. Who would have thought that I … More We interrupt our regular scheduled programming
Roasted Garbanzo Beans with Swiss Chard Adapted from this Michael Psilakis recipe on Epicurious, from Bon Appétit This dish calls for a large amount of garlic, but as most of it is roasted, and the rest lightly sautéed, it offers a mellow flavor. Use whatever kind of chard you like; the red chard, which I … More Roasted Chick Peas with Swiss Chard
Beef Stroganoff Serve over egg noodles or rice; this would also be great with roasted potatoes, and I can see it pairing well with a parsnip purée, too. Dried porcini mushroom flour can be found at various gourmet food stores, and it adds some rich flavor to the sauce; alternatively, you could finely chop/blend another … More Beef Stroganoff
Pasta amb romesco i calçots (pasta with romesco sauce and green onions) I used mostaccioli (unridged penne), but I think this sauce would also be great with fettucine—just leave the onions long and perhaps halve them lengthwise. ½ pound mostaccioli or penne rigate pasta 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 3 bunches (about 2 dozen total) … More Pasta with Romesco & Green Onions
the procrastikitchen 