Happy Belated Passover

So as usual, the spring holidays of Passover and Easter snuck up on me without warning. Since it's been a long time since I lived near family, Tony and I had become accustom to non-traditional celebrations of Easter and Passover that usually involved picnics in Griffith Park or at the beach. This year, I am thankful to spend the holidays with my family and we kicked off the mixed faith fest with a week day Passover Seder with my sister-in-laws family. I was delighted to attend a real Passover Seder and when asked to bring a dessert, I had a mild panic as all of my best dessert recipes included flour, which is not suitable for Passover! So who do you turn to when you need a great passover recipe in a flash? The biggest WASP in cooking of course! Martha Stewart came to the rescue with her Chocolate Chunk Macaroon recipe which was incredibly easy and delicious. I could have eaten the entire batch myself! I highly recommend this recipe for any future Passover celebrations.

*Cooks Note, she says to mold the dough like "hay stacks" which of course made me think squares but it's more of a "sand dune" shape to get a true Macaroon form.

Before:


After:

Day Trippin'-Santa Cruz

Tony and I love to go on little adventures and now that we have new territory to explore, we've been making an effort to take day trips on weekends. Since Tony grew up in Southern California, he hasn't been to many of the treasures in Northern California. A few weeks ago, we decided to venture south to Santa Cruz to explore where the redwoods meet the ocean. We went to the infamous mystery spot (which was indeed, very mysterious), ate at the legendary vegetarian haven Saturn Cafe, and explored the beaches. It was a great way to kick off our first of many weekend expeditions.



The Mystery Spot in all its glory. I am actualy standing upright in this picture.

Go Green

One of the best things about my new hood is the awesome Farmers Market held two blocks from my house. I've made a Sunday tradition of grabbing a cup of coffee and walking over to see what's fresh. Many of my meals have been inspired by the seasonal goodies they've had lately and since it's the tale end of winter, there is an abundance of leafy greens. On last Sunday's trip, there was a special on Swiss Chard (a fantastic super food that doesn't always come to mind when I'm shopping). When I got back to my apartment, I had a mild freak out as to how I was going to use up all of this Swiss Chard but soon remembered that I had a killer recipe for Swiss-Chard, Potato and Chickpea Stew. This rustic Spanish Stew although vegetarian, is incredibly hearty and filling, super healthy and best when cooked with your loved one. Topped with a hard boiled egg, it's the perfect quick dinner on a cold night. You can find the recipe here.

Slow Cookin'


Finished Product

Everything Old is New Again

Alright , so it's been a while. We decided it was time for a change and in January 2010, we left our cozy westside neighborhood in Los Angeles and headed North to Oakland. So far, I am LOVING the East Bay and the city of Oakland. The local farmers market, the amazing food and wine culture in the Bay Area and having seasons again has inspired me to cook, travel and blog again. Also, with this move, Tony decided that it's time we got a DV-R (which I can't believe we ever lived without) and I've been able to nerd out and record all of my favorite cooking shows during the day so I've been exposed to even more recipes than before. So with this new year, comes the revitalization of Vanilla Pleasures, the Oakland Edition.

So... on with the show. Since I now live in an area that has normal seasons and it is Winter, I have been craving comfort foods lately. Tony surprised me this Christmas with a beautiful Lemon Yellow Kitchen Aid Mixer so I've been baking up a storm. After work last week I watched a recorded episode of Giada at Home where she made Peanut Butter Cookies with Blackberry Jam. This recipe combines all of my favorite ingredients (peanut butter, chocolate and berry jam) and tastes like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in cookie form. I made this recipe this past very cold Oscar Sunday and took them to a party and they were an instant hit. I highly recommend making these bad boys when you need to warm up your soul or you just need some comfort food.

Scenes from Saturday

Just a few snapshots of Saturday afternoon and the procrastination of packing. Reading design books with your cat helps people prepare for an upcoming international trip right?

Farm Livin'

Wagon Wheel - Old Crow Medicine Show
Okay time for my once a month blog post.. sorry all 5 readers! I swear it's not because I don't love you, but when you work for an Internet company and are online all day, sometimes the last thing you want to do is blog. Alas, let me tell you about the Underwood Family Farm in Moorpark, CA! Just a hop, skip and a jump away from LA (45 minutes to be exact) is the Underwood Family Farm that has a "You Pick It" Farm where you can pick out your own seasonal fruits and vegetables. Tony and I pulled our little wagon through fields (and were the only people there with out kids mind you) and came home with fresh lettuce, green beans, yukon gold and purple peruvian potatoes, carrots, blackberries, strawberries, cucumbers, brussels sprouts, onions, herbs and the largest squash I have ever seen in my life (see below for Tony's "Squash Phone"). And, all of this amazing produce only cost $25!!! After our hard day of labor in the field, I came home and made Tony and I the freshest Nicoise Salad I've never tasted!

Tony taking a business call on the Squash Phone


Field of Greens


Viola! Salad Nicoise


Salad:
-Any kind of Lettuce (I like butter lettuce)
-Can of Albacore Tuna in Water
-Cucumber sliced
-Carrots sliced
-Thinly sliced red onion
-Olives
-Capers

Dressing:
-Mix 1 tbls of fresh lemon juice with 2 tbls olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste and whisk.

-Lay out all ingredients on a plate, generously drizzle dressing over salad.

Tony's 30th

Hands Off...Shes Mine - The Beat / The English Beat (USA)

A few weeks ago we trekked to Palm Spring to the Desert Star Hotel for Tony's big 30th Birthday. The Desert Star Hotel is this amazing little boutique hotel that has 6 mid century modern bungalows that open up to a spacious court yard with a salt water pool and an unobstructed view of the mountains. Since the hotel was so small, we rented out the entire hotel with a group of friends and spent the weekend BBQing, drinking and relaxing. The owners Walter and Davey gave us plenty of space and made us feel like it was our house for the weekend. It was the perfect birthday getaway!

Nick and Tony outside the Desert Star Hotel's blank sign


Poolside Bungalows


Salt Water Pool in the middle of the courtyard


My Grey Gardens Poolside look