Smitten Kitchen's Strawberry & Cream Biscuits

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Strawberry and Cream Biscuits
Strawberry & Cream Biscuits

It's hot in Los Angeles.
Like 91 F hot.
And our poor Dodgers get rained/snowed out in Minneapolis.
I wish I could send Minneapolis some of our heat. And they give us some of their snow pack for our drought!
(Don't get me started on the whole Clippers fiasco. I hope Oprah buys the team.)

Strawberry and Cream Biscuits
These are like scones/biscuits. Cut up strawberries and fold in with the flour/butter mix. Be sure to coat the strawberries in flour before adding the cream.

I cut them into rounds. Next time, I would have thicker biscuits. I think these are a little too thin.

Strawberry Biscuits
Nothing like a light biscuit filled with strawberries!

This happened this morning at the #farmersmarket. Strawberries. Strawberries. 1/2 flat.
It's strawberry season in California now (well, we grow strawberries all year, but now they are crazy sweet good). Like "get 1/2 flat of strawberries (6 green plastic containers) for $9-11 at the Farmer's Market" strawberry season. Deliciousness.

When you get some strawberries (hopefully California grown!), make these Strawberry & Cream Biscuits from Smitten Kitchen.

RECIPE: Click here to go to Smitten Kitchen's blog and recipe
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Fava Beans with Meyer Lemon, The Vegetable Diva

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Fava Beans, the Vegetable Diva
Fava Beans with Meyer Lemons

It's Fava Bean season! It's a bit early (the farmer's market vendor says it has been so hot in Central California that things are burning up and coming up early). The season is pretty short so get them when you see them.

And get them when you are full of peaceful zen and patience.

To me, Fava Beans are vegetable divas. They require TWO peelings. But there is a reason why Mother Nature gave it so much padding - to protect it's yummy center.

Fava Beans, the Vegetable Diva
Russ Parson's of the Los Angeles Times recommends buying a POUND of fava beans PER PERSON. Serious. There is a lot of organic compostable waste in fava beans.

First, you remove the pods from the bean.

Then, blanch the pods in boiling water for a minute or so.

The pods look milky white. But you aren't done. You need to remove that white layer to grab the beautiful green fava bean.

Fava Beans, the Vegetable Diva Fava Beans, the Vegetable Diva
To get the bean out, I split the white layer with my nail. You can't just pop it out. You need to peel/slit the outer cover. Dude, I warned you. DIVA VEGETABLE.

Finally, after getting to the fava, you might be exhausted. So go simple and saute the beans with some olive oil and Meyer lemon zest. Finish with some good sea salt and cracked pepper.

FarmersMarketCollage2014
Here are some other pretty things I found at the Farmer's Market. I'll post something I made with these strawberries this week!

Recipe:
Fava Beans with Meyer Lemon

Fava Beans, the Vegetable Diva
1. Listen to an audiobook and get the fava beans out of the pods.
2. Blanch beans for a minute or so.
3. Remove the outer milky layer to reveal a bright green bean.
4. Saute beans in olive oil.
5. Zest a lemon into the pan, to taste.
6. Top with sea salt and cracked pepper. Serve immediately (well, after you take a photo! :)

Here's some other recipes:
LA Times: 6 Recipes for Fava Beans
The Kitchn: 5 Ways to Cook Fava Beans
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red | seven restaurant - Wolfgang Puck - West Hollywood

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

red | seven restaurant, west hollywood
red | seven by wolfgang puck
west hollywood

The other day, I enjoyed lunch at red | seven restaurant in West Hollywood. Located in the Pacific Design Center (blue building), it's one of Wolfgang Puck's restaurants.

I have so many memories of the Pacific Design Center. Oh no. Not what you think... I was definitely not shopping there with an interior designer (non-profit salary = garage sales & Ikea). But my former workplace, Project Angel Food held an annual fundraiser called Divine Design in the PDC (they still have it every December, but the location has changed). We received donated fashion and furnishings and sold it at discounted prices. My co-workers and I (you know who you are Safe Cozy and Zipper Friend) were in the PDC for days on end - setting up for the special event, training volunteers, selling merchandise and carrying walkie talkies all day (this was 17-18 years ago and no one had cell phones). Before that, I was in the PDC volunteering for The NAMES Project: AIDS Memorial Quilt exhibit. Sorry to go take you on a stroll down memory lane when all you really want to hear about is my lunch...but the PDC holds very different memories than most, and they don't involve $10,000 foot stools. 

Anyway, back to lunch! It was my first time at red seven and I really enjoyed it. It's only open for lunch M-F.

There were several people at lunch and they indulged me in taking photos with my cell phone and the VSCO Camera app for Android. I've trained my friends and family well. :)

Here is what we had:

red | seven restaurant, west hollywood
The balsamic reduction is delicious in this rich olive oil.

red | seven restaurant, west hollywood
Miso Salmon
rice gnocchi, stir fry vegetables, miso aioli (i scratched the aioli) $16
This was my meal and it was very good. The menu had "rice gnocchi" and I didn't know what that was...turns out it is mochi or rice cake slices (you can find them in Chinese and Korean cuisine). What? A combo of salmon, miso and my favorite mochi? Deliciousness. 

red | seven restaurant, west hollywood
red | seven Burger
cheddar cheese, pickles, bacon, remoulade, brioche bun, with fries $16
Two of the guys got this. They said it was tasty but the "medium" they ordered was more on the "medium rare" side. The choice of sides include fries, sweet potato fries, or a mix. I'd like to try the sweet potato fries one day. I'm a sucker for them. The bun is brioche and I told them about making brioche - and discovering it's just a butter delivery device. But don't worry, one of the guys ran a 5K obstacle course over the weekend so he already worked it off. :) (And that was a completely random "review" of the burger)

red | seven restaurant, west hollywood
Turkey Cobb Salad
with avocado, egg, bacon, tomato, blue cheese, balsamic $12
Lovely presentation on the cobb salad and a perfect portion for lunch. 

red | seven restaurant, west hollywood
Quinoa and Beet Salad
goat cheese, orange, arugula, pistachio, citrus dressing $15

red | seven restaurant, west hollywood
Tuna Salad Sandwich
avocado, smoked bacon, rustic roll, with fries $14

The restaurant wasn't crowded on a Monday for lunch, and the decor is subtle and relaxing. The wait staff was super friendly too. 

If you are in West Hollywood, try the red seven restaurant. It's in the PDC, which is across the street from the beautiful new West Hollywood Library - you should definitely go to the second floor and see a great view of the Hollywood Hills. (My plug for libraries of the day - Done.)

Pacific Design Center
West Hollywood, California
Monday-Friday for Lunch
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