Monsieur Marcel - A Sweet Surprise

An old friend was visiting this weekend and I wanted to take her to experience some of the Southern Californian sweet life. We ended up toddling around Santa Monica by the ocean and eventually wandered up to the Promenade. My friend wanted a glass of water and I wanted to get the kids some milk so we went to what we thought was a coffee bean type of place in the middle of the walk. It turned out we had stumbled into Monsieur Marcel, a wine and cheese bar.

We had wine and a cheese plate, and the girls had their milk. We chose three cheeses, a
taleggio, Saint André, and something else... This is the problem with cheese plates, you spend a while going back and forth on which cheeses to get and by the time it comes to the table, you forget what you actually selected. The best cheese plate I have ever had was found at Patina in Downtown LA and they gave us a summary of the cheeses to take home. Back to the matter at hand, at Monsieur Marcel, our waiter was very attentive and kind to the baby girls. It was a lovely stop on our journey and very So-Cal.

This Monsieur Marcel is related to the Wine and Cheese bar and Shop at the Farmer's Market at 3rd and Fairfax.

Monsieur Marcel Pain Vin Fromage – french bistro, wine and cheese bar
Santa Monica - 3rd Street Promenade at Arizona
(310) 587 1166

The Gift of Southern California

Growing up in Midwestern America and living on the East Coast through my college years, I now know the great gift I have living in Southern California. Is it the sun, the ocean, the access to great comedy? Maybe all of these things, but above this... I have the pleasure of living in a part of the world where really good Mexican Food can be found. I find myself missing terribly it when I visit other places, even parts of Mexico. It is astounding that places like Del Taco and Taco Bell can stay open in this area of the country when delicious authentic Mexican Food can be attained quickly and cheaply at any time of Day or Night. Good Mexican food is the standard in this town and great Mexican Food is hardly rare.

I was recently reminded of our bounty when an East Coast friend came to visit. She developed a fondness for something I take completely for granted, fresh Guacamole. She said that the stuff they serve on the East Coast is a premade green paste. How unacceptable! Guacamole is easy to make with fresh ingredients, and it is often made table side at restaurants here.

Here is my "recipe" although, if I make guac, it's a pretty improvised affair:
2-3 ripe avocados, the ones that feel a bit soft with the skin on.
Half an onion chopped up
One clove of Garlic crushed or minced
Maybe a tablespoon of cilantro, fresh if you can get it
Half a tomato
1-2 table spoons of fresh lemon or lime juice
A touch of Chile pepper or Cayenne for heat
Dash of salt

Mash it up in a bowl or with a pretty mortar and pestle at the table for your guests.

There are some Guacamole recipes in some of my favorite cookbooks, I am not sure what the fair use laws are, so I won't print them, but I will link to the books here.




Mexican Family Cookingby Aida Gabilondo.
Guacamole with Zucchini or Guacamole con Calabacitas.

This recipe is unusual because of the Zucchini.

And


The New Moosewood Cookbook (Mollie Katzen's Classic Cooking)

Ms. Katzen suggests leaving the avocado pits in the Guacamole until just before serving to retain its color.


For even more ideas, on the California Avocado Comission Website, I found a treasure trove of Guacamole Recipes. I have tried none of these, so if you do, please leave a comment and tell me how it goes. They also provided the lovely picture of the Guacamole above... thanks California Avocado Commision for the picture and thank-you for your gifts, Southern California.

One is Pure Gold, The Other Not So Much

While in Las Vegas, The Family of Food loves to visit Lindo's Michoacan which we profiled before in the post entitled Ole.

Yesterday, we went back at an off hour for lunch with the twins. The meal was started with Lindo's tortilla chips, salsa, and bean dip. Then we were given soup which was quickly requisitioned by our toddlers for spoon in mouth practice. They need more work. The staff was kind and patient with our many spills and thrills. For our lunch, we had a combo platter with Chile Relleno, Chicken Enchilada, and Beef Taco and Fajitas de Gallina. I tried a small bite of the chicken enchilada, but for the most part the combo platter ended up in the the belly of my mate. He may have even licked the platter clean, which indicates it was probably pretty good. My fajitas were delicious. I shared them with the kids. The impressive thing about Lindo's is that the basic things are so good. The flour tortillas are some of the best I have ever had. The whole family was happy. The Lindo's experience is always golden.

Later we went to Planet Hollywood and grabbed some late night sandwiches at The Earl of Sandwich. The "Original" roast beef sandwich was decent for a fast food type of situation, but otherwise I was not impressed. My "All American" Turkey was below par. I wish I would have saved my appetite for the Lindo's leftovers.

Lindo's Michoacan
2655 East Desert Inn Rd.
Las vegas, Nv. 89121

Healthy, Satisfying, Low Calorie, 4 Point Breakfast

For those on Weight Watchers, or for those who just want a healthy start to their day, here is a completely satisfying 4 point breakfast.

3 Egg White Scramble
Spray the pan with Cooking Spray (I use Wolfgang Puck's Spray Olive Oil) (0 points)
Add 3 scrambled egg whites with a touch of yolk for color, texture, and nutrition. (1 point)
Salt and pepper to taste. (0 points)
Add 1 wedge of Laughing Cow Light Cheese. (1 point)

Add any two of the following ingredients:
1/2 cup of spinach (0 points)
1/2 cup of tomatoes or (0 points)
1/2 cup of red,green,orange,or yellow pepper(0 points)
1/2 cup onions(0 points)
1/2 cup mushrooms (0 points)

Scramble over a medium heat.

1 slice of whole wheat toast. (1 point)

1 cup of Blueberries or Cherries (1 point)

Total = 4 points

It works for me.

Cooking Stone

I recently acquired a cooking stone. I knew it would help with my baking, but I didn't realize the difference it would make for my pizzas. Father of Food can make a fantastic pizza with any old cookie sheet from the grocery store, but I have always had trouble getting my dough crisp. I have a terrific cookie sheet, with two layers of metal separated by a thin chamber of air to even out the heat, which is terrific for cookies, but not pizza crust. I also have a pizza sheet with holes at the bottom, which is decent for crisping, but this sort of pizza pan has its problems. The dough gets stuck in the holes and you don't get the same coverage for cornmeal at the bottom a must have ingredient for me.
For Pizza, the stone is the only way to go.

Today, I made a variation on the dough I have been using lately for pizza, the calzone recipe from The New Moosewood Cookbook .
I substituted ½ cup of flour with ½ cup of cornmeal and only used 2+1/2 cups of flour total. I should have added a bit more flour, because the dough came out a bit sticky. Nevertheless, the test pizza I made for lunch was still crispy and delicious. It was not pretty, as you can see, but the stone made it quite good.

If you get a stone, here are some tips for its care:

• One is not supposed to wash the stone with soap just water and a scraper. Anything you put on the stone can sink into its porous surface, and affect the flavor of your food.
• For the same reason, keep high fat foods (like cookies) off of the stone. You can put aluminum foil or a cookie sheet directly on the surface instead.
• Spots and discoloration can be scrubbed off with a scouring pad and a paste of baking soda and water.
• Keep the stone in the oven and it is supposed to even out the temperature of the oven. When I make cookies with the stone on the lower rack, they do come out more even.
• Heat up your stone in the oven as the oven pre-heats.
• Always use hot pads or oven mitts when touching your stone. It can retain heat for a long while after cooking.
• Do not submerge a hot stone in cold water or it will crack.
• To put your uncooked pizza or dough on the stone, use a pizza peel covered with cornmeal (to help the pizza slide off) and slide the dough on to the stone. I like to use the peel and a spatula to get the pizza back off of the stone.
  
  

This is my Pizza Peel.

It doubles as a cutting board and can be washed in the dishwasher.

If you make pizzas and breads, I highly recommend investing in a stone and peel.

Warm House, Warm Heart

This is the aftermath in our kitchen of our house rewarming celebration. It really was not too bad to clean up and I credit the ease of the wrap to the design of the kitchen itself.

This is the thing which we celebrate.

Husband of Food and I spent the last year in the midst of remodel madness. We removed some walls, painted the house top to bottom inside and out, removed a half bath, added a full bath, completely replaced all piping, as well as the electrical and the HVAC (heating, venting, and air conditioning), redid the floors, added a deck, added a two story master bedroom and studio loft space, landscaped the yard, and rebuilt the entire kitchen.

We spent the better part of a year away from our home and most of our possessions. We spent every spare penny we had and then went into a deep and stressful debt. We lost our cat. The pain of a major remodel is difficult to believe until you go through it yourself.

When all was complete it was hard not to see the house like a scene in an old noir film, in cold contrasty grey tones, but as the days fill the space between then and now, the beauty begins to creep back into the walls. Like the in the iconic moment from cinematic history, when Black and White turns to Color as you enter the Land of Oz, our house rewarming popped the color back into our frame.

Many friends, family members, artisans, and craftsmen gave their blood sweat and tears to build this home. Being able to thank those who helped and encouraged us gave us a sense of fulfillment and closure.



Now, what did we serve?


Various Chips and Dips

Mini Pizzas featuring pesto made with Basil from our garden.

A tray of Vegetables and Dip.

A bouquet of Fruit flowers to eat from Edible Arrangements sent by Father of Food and greatly enjoyed.

Deviled Eggs with eggshells gently peeled by the tiny fingers of twin twenty-one month old girls... a preparation so sweet they should be called Angeled Eggs.

Mixed Baby Green Salad with Walnuts, Cranberries, and Blue Cheese.

Tri Tip Steaks and a Tri Tip Roast marinaded in a sauce that included Basil and Thyme from our garden and then Barbequed on the grill outside on the new deck.

Chicken marinaded in teriyaki sauce and then Barbequed on the grill.

Crackers and Homemade Cheese Ball made with my prized Kitchen Aid Mixer, the one that matches the electric green kitchen wall, unused until I found the books while unpacking for the party.

Also made with the Kitchen Aid, a large batch of Oatmeal Cookies

and a large batch of White Chocolate Chunk, Pecan, and Walnut Cookies,

and a Berry Cheesecake Mousse.

The Food was accompanied by an eclectic collection of Beverages.



All was devoured. I hope we had enough to fill the bellies of our guests. I know my heart is still filled to the brim with happiness, living in my warm home.

Tip of the Day!

If your recipe calls for
1 cup of strong coffee,
they mean 1 cup of strong coffee, brewed.

PES

The artist PES mixes up several of my favorite arts forms, animation, craft, and FOOD! Here is the latest PES creation, "Western Spaghetti."



Check out
http://www.eatpes.com/index.html for more. I would recommend the short "Game Over."