Grow Where You Are Planted...

Spearmint Lavender Sage

Everything Grows with Love

(pungent herb box outside kitchen window

...it's forever gardening season in this climate!)

August 2013

Bringing What We Know to Our Tables...

After traveling 2,500 miles in a Prius with a boyfriend, a dog, a brother, two bags of clothes, nine plants, spanning over nine state lines in four days to California we made it to our new digs and have begun building a new nest with old items.

I am contemplating my direction in life. What a luxury, eh?! I seem to find myself in these positions often. One door closes (in the form of a job, or a home) and another opens. Here I am wide eyed, with many routes to take. With small experience in many areas (I seem to spread myself thin with the cooking, the nannying, the teaching) I am going to first look into my cooking options professionally. While this "profession" comes to fruition, in the mean time I will continue to cook, to explore with this wonderful blog that is my table.

Tomato Basil Mozzarella

clearly my first meal in new kitchen

August 2013

 Arugula Lemon Olive Oil and Romano

clearly my other first mean in new kitchen

August 2013

Mouth Watering

Delicious Summer and

Last Meals in My Cincinnati Kitch

August 2013

Asheville Flavah

 

Whilst in Asheville, we explored... we really explored. From music to food, restaurants galore, drinks alcoholic and non, nature, hiking, fresh air,  a comfy rental mountain home, friends and lots of love. A swirl of beautiful energy. A noteworthy possible recreation on my behalf is the above salad. Seemingly raw kale (which surprised me because typically such would be bitter, this was not), a soft sweet potato, a yellow raisin, white onion, I believe pecan halves, and lastly the strength to the salad the pink whole peppercorns.

 

French Broad Brewery

A Pilsner (if I remember correctly?!)

 

The Sunset Terrace Cairpirinah

At the Grove Park Inn

Cane Rum, Ginger Lime Simple Syrup, Blueberries,

Club Soda, Sprite, Lime Wedge

 Massive Drum Cirle 

Asheville July 2013

A Tasty Drink 'o Nature

 Homemade Coffee Drink 

in an Asheville Mountain Home Rental

July 2013

We went to Asheville with some close buddies. The one guy we traveled with, created a tasty soy coffee drink with fresh whip cream and crushed chocolate sprinkled on top (m&ms for color and crushed coffee beans for added flavor and color)  It was a fun simple creative way to enjoy the vacation morning. Slurped up the drink then sipped in some nature...

 

Change Your Perspective

I understand we don't all have the luxury to walk to the beach to sit and eat your hand prepared dinner, but this post is meant to highlight the spaces in which we consume our creations. Mix it up. Make it an event. Take it outside in the back yard, picnic in the park, sit on pillows on the floor with a movie...

My Mother and I 

Anna Maria Island, FL

July 2013

Flying July

Since I have made the move to move, I have also made the decision to travel most of my July month, visiting with friends and family. Reason for the lack of posts aka the lack of creating time in the kitchen but I have all the while been surrounded by good food, good drink and of course, good company. July literally provides me with 4 days at home. From an East Coast road trip, to a Minnesota/Wisconsin road trip to a flight to Anna Maria Island, Florida and lastly a road trip to Asheville, North Carolina this coming and long weekend. After that, it's pack up and go. Newport Beach, here I come!

Back to the grub though, when I was visiting my family in Anna Maria, my ma and I managed to make some good tasty meals, many of which were consumed with a view on the beach. Because I was in vacay mode, I only managed to capture a few good snaps. Here was a nice breakfast my mother and I shared together. I love working with what you have. Especially in someones stocked fridge. Like a toy box...what to play with? what to create?!

Here was our egg white omelet topped with tomato basil mozzarella (I seriously can not get away from the combination this summer!?!) and our stuffed avocado (olive oil, sea salt, diced tomato and red onion). I just love seeing everything you are about to eat. It's so simple! And anything done with love translates. Smiles and love to you all. Life is good, keep it simple...

Ana's Nori Rolls

My cousin made some AWESOME vegetarian Nori rolls with "nut" rice to go side by side with our girls yoga class at home night. They were absolutely inhaled by all in attendance. The "nut rice" was actually a sunflower seed puree. It was delicious! I have tasted the sunflower seed puree once before in college, a friend of mine worked at this little vegetarian cafe and they made the sunflower seed puree mix, it was spread over bagels with sprouts and all the hearty veggie goodness you could think of, they called it Sunflower Seed Pate. A great meat substitute because of the thickness of the puree and depth of flavor. I had forgotten the sunflower mixture for the last 5 or so years, it was great to be reawakened to it. Can't wait to try these rolls on my own, or even just work with the sunflower seed mixture. My cousin was tipped off to the idea from a clean detox program. Also, we used Tamari sauce (a soy sauce) and wasabi mayo for dipping! Check out Trader Joe's Wasabi Mayo! That might be a must have staple in the fridge now;)

Girls Yoga Night

(plus good clean food, plus good delicious wine, plus good tasty dessert)

Ana's Rolls!
Vegetarian Nori Rolls with Nut “Rice”

Ingredients
Via Dr. Oz Website
Serves 2
1 c. soaked sunflower seeds
1 c. walnuts, soaked in pure water for 2 hours
1/4 red onion
Chopped fresh herbs
1 packet of nori wraps
1 carrot, cut into very thin strips
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into thin strips
1/2 avocado, cut into strips
1/4 red cabbage, finely shredded
Sprouts
Wheat-free Tamari Soy Sauce
Wasabi (she subbed wasabi mayo)
Fresh ginger
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp water

To make the “rice,” place the sunflower seeds, walnuts, onion, and herbs in a food processor. Process for 2 minutes, or until nut mixture has the consistency of rice. Set aside. Thinly slice the ginger and marinate in vinegar and water. Take a sheet of nori and spread one-fourth of the rice mixture onto it. Lay carrot, cucumber, red cabbage, avocado, and sprouts over it. Roll the nori up tightly, using a sushi mat if you have one. Cut the roll into about six pieces, using a sharp knife. Repeat for three more nori sheets. Serve wraps on a platter with ginger, wasabi, and wheat-free tamari.

Lost and Food... West Coast Style

I traveled home to see my people this last week. It was soul lifting and heart warming. It was just what the doc ordered. My family and my girlfriends have been located just a lil too far for my liking for the last 4 years. Now, to make it more difficult on my person, I'm trekking even farther West with the man and not much of a plan (all very much welcomed though;) Other than the lure of the adventure and my love for him plus the idea of exploring the foodie culture out there professionally, I do not have too much on my radar. Lost and Food continues, West Coast style...

Intimate Dinner with Family and Friends

Celebrating a Birthday with Yoga, Clean Foods, Wine, Music and Dessert

Needing a Healthy Boost...

I was needing a boost of health last night. After some days off work, and a lil tooooo much fun had with good company, I found myself craving a strong healthy meal. And as it went, as it always goes, I had some vegetables in the fridge needing to go. There is nothing like seeing everything you are eating, everything you are about to consume. Fresh vegetables sauteed, baked, boiled and steamed. Whole grainy rices, cooked. Oil. Salt and peppers. It requires a lil more effort and creativity from ourselves but in the end your body and your wallet thank you. 

 

A Great Combination

Last night, I made a tomato, basil, mozzarella pasta dish for a friend visiting from Philly. For these hot summer hang outs, as of late, its my go to combo. She diced the tomatoes, I diced the mozzarella and chopped the basil. Tossed it in with a whole grain rotini pasta, oil, salt and pepper. Bing, Bang, Boom! Below is the combo taking a different shape, a sandwich with roasted red peppers and balsamic glaze.

Breakfast for Din

Trader Joe's Whole Grain Pancake Mix

w/ almond milk, egg whites, flax seeds, chia seeds and oatmeal 

substituted and added

Agave Maple Syrup and Earth Balance Butter (soy free)

Yes. Delish!

Irish Brussels Sprouts Maybe?

The only reason I am linking Ireland to Brussels Sprouts is because a woman I work with made the connection in the kitchen today. And I very much enjoyed her thoughtful eye. She pointed out, amidst the long list of todo work, just how beautiful a color the brussels held. How she was imagining nothing but Ireland and that one day she would love to travel there. In her few words she said a lot. I thought it such a nice and quiet moment, a real moment, between two female co-workers learning more and more about one another as the days just fly by...

I tried to capture the moment, and her thought below...

Apple Cider Vinegar...

Not only can you use it to make delish dressings (vinaigrette galore) but its got mucho medicinal powers!

Smitty the Pizza Master...

Our buddy has been perfecting the pizza. This weekend he served us up some delicious homemade pies. Such a fun, delicious and creative meal. The Pizza, ladies and gentlemen!

A Breakfast Sandie

Black Bean Burger with a Fried Egg

 Colby and Pepper Jack Cheeses and Onion Slivers

on a Whole Grain Bun

A hearty weekend, after a night of fun, breakfast.

Everyone seems to be putting eggs on burgers these days...

Parents and Pancakes...

My parents were visiting this weekend. It was oh so nice to have them oh so close for a long while. My mother and I prepared these delicious multi-grain cakes with chia and flax seeds and fresh organic blueberries. And closed it off with a dollop of butter and some agave maple syrup. Get creative. Get healthy. And remember, there ain't nothing wrong with a lil butter;)

Mas Mirepoix?!

Yup. Another shot of some pretty mirepoix. Maybe they're trying to make a "saucier" of me (a master of sauces, stews, soups in a traditional kitchen brigade).

A Colorful, Flavorful Mirepoix

 I had to make vegetable stock for a vegetable barley soup at work. A good 5 gallons of soup. A good 5 gallons of vegetable stock requires a good amount of mirepoix to sit on the stove top simmering in seasoned waters for a good hour or more. And to draw on a past post or two the mirepoix is an essential in the stock/soup making bizz. It's the aromatic addition to the soup, the stock, the sauce even. It's half onions, one quarter celery, one quarter carrot. You "sweat" the mirepoix in the pot with a lil oil and seasoning (salt and pepper), sweat meaning you saute it until it unlocks those tasty smells and appears a tad translucent. After you sweat the mirepoix you add the water and then the herbs and seasons: parsley, thyme, peppercorn, salt. You let that big pot simmer for an hour and then you strain the mirepoix out and whats left is your broth! You can then add fresh vegetables to the vegetable broth and go from there. See photos below...

Check out the rainbow carrots. They are a great addition to a plate for color. Typically not used in mirepoix because there is no visual interaction the customer and the mirepoix from a stock. We used rainbow carrots because we had some leftover from a dinner. I love using what we have. It feels right and it feels more creative. 

Some Local Flave

So we unearthed these two gems recently. Two awesome lil microbreweries, within 2.5 miles of the house. It was a reminder to me, to keep it local. The feeling of community was strong. We felt a part of something bigger than us whilst drinking there. Like these two delicious breweries were taking a risk, going up against the giants and all of us there supporting them, drinking their beer knew something special that the world did not, yet.
So get out there locally, and taste the flavor of those small restaurants, tiny breweries and petite cafes. Love and hard work never tasted better!

MMMmmeditteranean

Probably some of the prettiest, most delicious, simple food I have had eating out in this city in a long time. I love being able to see most of the ingredients. We commented while eating that the food felt alive and prepared with love. Like it was just washed, cut, mixed, seasoned and decoratively arranged on the plate.
To a healthy, delicious and uber satisfying meal plus a great deal on a bottle of Cabernet!

More Works Snaps...

Some shots from behind the scenes, plating up 350 salads and desserts in a hallway...

We peeled beets forever and ever. It was probably in the end of the day the most expensive thing on the menu. From cutting to washing to seasoning and roasting to peeling to slicing about 1400 halves were needed, and some of those beets were TINY. It really makes you think about the ingredients on your plates...

 

 

Mother's Day Brunch Snap...

 

CHA CHA CHA CHIA!!!!! (and a tasty dessert...)

I made some homemade dark chocolate whip cream. Simply, by beating whipping cream and folding in melted dark chocolate is how it is done. The only downside to the chocolate whip cream is the cold cream and the warm melted chocolate don't fully blend, leaving the dessert streaky and chippy. I topped a large dollop of dark chocolate whip cream with a handful of fresh blackberries. And finished the tasty light dessert off with a teaspoon of Chia seeds. The Chia seed is relatively new to my world. It can be added to smoothies, salads, yogurt and in this case my whip creamy dessert. It blended in wonderfully with the crunch of the blackberry seed. The benefit to the tasty seed is that it's chock full of fiber, omegas and protein! Sorry for the messy photo... I was hungry and wanted to chow down on my dessert!

These Lil Guys?!

Whipped Smoked Salmon... in these lil guys!

The shells are not edible or anything just a fun lil vessel to hold food. The guests ate them with tiny lil spoons aside a green salad. They stood on a bed of pink sea salt.

Tea Sandwiches

Tea Sandwiches

Don't forget about the tea sandwich... how simple, how delicious and how perhaps, ceremonial tea sandwiches can be. Make them with a bit more funk and flare at your next get together? We did a traditional tea party at work the other week. Cucumber and Watercress, Smoked Salmon and Creme Fraiche, and Apricot Peanut butter on the plate below.