Harvest Melt

After eating (devouring more like it) the Grilled Cheese Truck's Harvest melt earlier this year, I was beyond determined to find a recipe to replicate the melt at home. It took me a while, but I finally found one and tested it out earlier this week!

I will say that my version of the harvest melt was not as amazing as the truck's but I think I can fairly blame that on the cook and not the recipe/ingredients. With a couple more practices, I think I should be able to come decently close to the real thing.

Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash, seeded and sliced crosswise ¼ inch thick
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 stick plus 1½ tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 leeks (whites only), sliced ¼ inch thick
1 tablespoon thyme leaves, finely chopped
8 slices multigrain bread
3 tablespoons agave syrup
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
16 slices Gruyère or Swiss cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Toss the squash slices with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until the squash is soft and its edges begin to brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

2.Meanwhile, melt 1½ tablespoons of butter in a medium skillet over moderately high heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in the thyme, season with salt and pepper and set aside.

3. Assemble the sandwich: Butter one side of a bread slice with 1 tablespoon butter and place it on a platter, buttered side down. Add 2 slices of cheese, 6 slices roasted squash, 2 tablespoons sautéed leeks, and a drizzle of both agave syrup and balsamic vinegar. Top with 2 more slices of cheese and another slice of buttered bread (buttered side up). Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 3 more sandwiches.

4. Heat a large skillet over moderately high heat. Add the sandwiches and cook until golden-brown on the bottom, about 4 minutes (lower the heat if the bread browns too quickly). Flip the sandwich and continue cooking until the cheese has melted.

Recipe Courtesy of Tasting Table

On This Day...

Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat, 1887

On this day in 1853, Dutch post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh was born. Little appreciated during his lifetime, Van Gogh's fame grew largely in the years after his death in 1890 from a self-inflicted gun shot wound. Today, Van Gogh is regarded as a vanguard figure in the history of modern art and his legacy is preserved in the paintings and drawings he left behind.

Whether in his multiple self-portraits, landscape paintings, sunflower series or portraits of others, Van Gogh's use of color and his correspondingly expressive broad brushstrokes conveyed his emotional state of mind. It is also this vibrant use of color, forms and brushstrokes that has influenced nearly every artistic movement that came after him: Symbolism, Fauvism, Expressionism, and beyond.

Personally, I have only gotten the chance to see Van Gogh's Irises, at the Getty Museum.

Louis Vuitton Fall 2010

I'm in love. If money were no object, I would buy the entire Louis Vuitton fall runway 2010 collection and wear each outfit every single day. I've always been a huge fan of the full skirted 50's look as evident by any prom/winter formal dress I ever wore in high school.

Some may say that the ladylike petticoats, waist-cinching tweeds and innocent floral frocks are a tad too conservative, old fashion and even prudish, but I call it retro sexy!

Picture source: Instyle.com

Cookie Jar

Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar? (Insert name) stole the cookie from the cookie jar. Who me? Yes, you! Wasn't me! Then who?

Details:
Provencal Cookie Jar
Anthropologie
$28.00

Spaghetti with Artichokes and Pancetta

Last Monday, I got home from work all ready to make myself a huge serving of spinach and artichoke dip. However, I had in hand the April issue of Food and Wine Magazine and made an uncharacteristically spur of the moment decision to make the cover recipe of Spaghetti with artichokes and pancetta. While my final product did not look as fancy as the cover of the magazine (I apologize for the small picture), I will say that taste wise, I was close?

Ingredients:
1 lemon halved
8 baby artichokes (about 1 lb) - I used canned artichokes instead b/c that was what I had on hand
1/4 cup EVOO
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
one 2 ounce slice of pancetta cut into 1/4 inch dice
1/2 cup dry white wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 lb spaghetti
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving

Directions:
Note: If, like me, you are using canned artichokes, completely skip step 1.

1. Fill a large bowl with water. Squeeze in the juice from the lemon halves, then add the lemon halves to the water. Working with 1 artichoke at a time, peel off the dark green outer leaves. Cut off the top fourth of the artichoke; peel and trim the stem. Slice the artichoke lengthwise 1/8 inch thick and drop into the lemon water. Repeat with the remaining artichokes.

2. In a saucepan, heat the oil. Add the onion, garlic and pancetta and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain the artichokes; discard the lemon. Add the artichokes to the saucepan, cover and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until almost tender, about 10 minutes. Add the white wine, cover and simmer over moderately low heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the spaghetti until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water. Add the pasta and the reserved cooking water to the artichokes and toss over moderate heat for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, stir in the 1/4 cup of cheese and season with salt and pepper. Serve the pasta, passing more grated cheese at the table.

Recipe from Mario Batali/ Food and Wine magazine April 2010

Hello Spring

Well hello Spring! You're finally here!

With exception of the dreaded spring allergies (of which I fortunately do not suffer from), I don't see how anyone could hate you, Spring! As memories of winter begin to fade, spring evokes thoughts of sweet dresses with botanical prints; light and airy fashions; tender shoots, young sprouts and fresh greens pushing their way out of the soil; gorgeous weather and picnics in the park; spring break (although I no longer benefit from such); bright colored nail polish... I could go on and on. Ahhh... Hello Spring!

I spent the weekend welcoming Spring with my nephew and niece. We dyed eggs, planted California poppy seeds (well they did, while the planting was going on, I was dying on the couch trying to ward off what is now a full blown sinus infection) and had colorful jelly beans for "dessert". My precious niece even donned (more like was forced to don since being one, she has no say in the matter) a "cupcake" dress to church! All this to welcome the start of spring! Had it not been for the onset of this sinus infection, it would have been the perfect way to usher in the season.

Anyway, in honor of spring, here are some looks that I am obsessed with.

Burberry Spring 2010 Runway

picture courtesy of Who What Wear


picture courtesy of urban outfitters


Christian Louboutin


Chanel Spring 2010 Runway

Happy Spring!

The Counter

My previous roommate was the first person to introduce me to The Counter. She told me the sweet fries were to die for (picture this wide-eyed 5'3 Japanese girl declaring, in her Japanese accent, "Niiic we habe to go to The Counterr"). And so we went, we ate and we conquered. She wasn't lying, the sweet fries were good.

That was at least 2 years ago and even though The Counter's sweet potato fries were delicious, I haven't been back there since then. It's not that I didn't like my food, it was more that there are other (sometimes better) burger options closer to home. Anyway the other Wednesday night, motivated by a buy one burger get one free coupon (I'm a straight out of college recessionista!), my friend and I made plans to dine there.

For those of you who don't know, The Counter is a build-your-own-burger joint and so the possibilities are endless and in my opinion, slightly overwhelming. I'm extremely indecisive, therefore decisions and limitless options are just a nightmare. In fact, I think that's kind of why I like Father's Office since they refuse to let you make any sort of adjustment to your burger order (and of course the minor detail that their burgers are like a party in your mouth).

Anyway after much hmm-ing and umm-ing, I settled on ordering a turkey burger on an english muffin topped with sprouts, cucumbers, organic lettuce and grilled onions with a side of sun-dried tomato vinaigrette. And of course a full order of french fries and sweet potato fries to split.

The order of fries (both sweet and regular) came in generous portions. I guess each order was already sized for sharing. Oopsie. But I am not going to lie, I am not the slightest bit embarrassed to admit that between my friend and I, we polished off both orders. What can I say, fries are my Kryptonite.

Served with a side of horseradish mayo, the sweet potato fries were just as delicious as I remember them! Cut to the perfect size (not too thin and wimpy, and not too thick and wedgy), each fry was deliciously crunchy and comforting. My guess is that they double fry them at different temperatures in order to get the inside and outside crispy. Meanwhile, the french fries were just alright. They were cut to the shoestring variety and my one complaint about shoestring fries is that you literally have to grab 6-10 fries at a go just to get the right amount of fry per mouthful ratio! In other words, shoestring fries make me look like I am stuffing my face, which I most probably already am but at least normal cut fries don't emphasize the fact.

As for my turkey burger, I must say that I've never had a burger on an english muffin (I am more of a traditionalist when it comes to buns) but the english muffin was a great option as it provided a harder alternative to a the normally soft pillowy bun. My burger was tender and juicy; and I loved the sprouts and cucumbers. While everything was great, the star of my burger was definitely the grilled onions. Caramelized to perfection, I found myself picking out the sublimely sweet onions from the burger just to enjoy them separately. Mmmm...

Details:

The Counter

2901 Ocean Park Blvd

Santa Monica, CA 90405

310 399 8383

St. Patrick's Day

I never did anything to mark St. Patrick's Day till I got to college. There I learnt just how incredibly lively and boisterous this holiday can be! I remember St. Patrick's Day falling in the middle of my sophomore year's NCAA championships. That day, my team donned green tie dye c&c shirts (courtesy of the awesome UCLA swimming parent group) instead of our usual Blue and Gold. That was a tame St. Patrick's Day for me but if I recall correctly, our team swam well, so the luck of the Irish was on our side, aye.

This year, in preparation for the wee lil' leprechauns, the merriment and the luck that is St. Patrick's day, here is an adorable three leaf clover cookie cutter. Use it to make three leaf clover chocolate chip cookies. Or better yet, use the cutter to cut shapes out of day old bread before you soak 'em in an egg and milk mixture to make St. Patrick's day french toast! Which ever route you choose to use, may this shamrock cookie cutter help you sprinkle the luck of the Irish over your kitchen countertops!

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you and yours!

Details:

Shamrock Cookie Cutter

The Spoon Sisters

$5.95

Birthday Wishes

It has been a busy week, and the weekend brings me no relief as I have to fly up North for the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Since I've had no time to write a decent blog posting, I thought I would send you over to Sarah's Blog where they are celebrating my precious niece Elsa's, first birthday! Happy Birthday little one! May God continue to bless you and keep you as you grow into the beautiful child that you already are! Your Aunty Nic loves you very much!

Times in Life to Wear a Tiara

I recently read a blog post by Kristin Van Ogtrop about the times in life when one should wear a tiara. While the whole princess/tiara/castle/shining knight on a white horse has never been my thing (my day dreams run more along the lines of wining olympic golds, being the most popular kid in high school *flip of hair*, attending paris fashion week in a kick-ass outfit, having a glamorous job that actually allows me to afford said outfit), the little girl in me did fancy the idea of a tiara.

So here is my list of occasions when I'd wear a tiara.

1. When I'm having a fat day. Nothing draws the eye away from my "fatness" like a sparkly tiara!

2. To the doctor's office. I admit I have a great dislike of dr's offices and in my mind, a tiara would some how make this horrible situation better.

3. If I'm ever forced to sing in front of a crowd at a karaoke bar. Again, same concept as #1, hopefully the tiara will distract from my less than perfect pitch.

4. When I'm slaving over a hot stove, cooking the day away. A tiara would look real fancy with the pretty apron mama T got me for Christmas.

5. When I'm out jogging/hobbling around my neighborhood. I know I've previously mentioned that I don't run unless I'm being chased, but lately I've resigned myself to the fact that I do need some form of cardio exercise. However, that doesn't change the fact that I cannot run and look like I'm about the keel over and die at any moment. The purpose of the tiara is so that passerby's will hence forth know me as the quirky girl with the tiara rather than the wimpy unathletic girl who should not jog because grandmas with walkers move at a faster pace.

6. When I finally get my work visa settled, I will sport a tiara and do a couple of fist pump type dance moves! Boo-ya!

So now it's your turn to share, when would you don a tiara?

Marinated Mozzarella in Crème Fraîche with Lemon

I surprised myself the other day by making this marinated mozzarella for a snack. I must say that this dish was really quite lovely and the marinate transforms a lovely piece of mozzarella cheese into something really special. The lemon juice really brought out the tang of the crème fraîche and leftovers were perfect on top of a piece of baked cod.

Ingredients:

4 balls of buffalo mozzarella

6 heaped tablespoons of crème fraîche

sea salt and pepper

1 lemon

fresh marjoram leaves

fresh chilies

4 tablespoons of EVOO

Directions:

1. Slice the buffalo mozzarella into 1/2 inch slices. Place on dish and smear the crème fraîche over the cheese. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.

2. Wash and peel a lemon with a vegetable peeler and finely chop half the rind. Sprinkle this over the mozzarella and crème fraîche. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon and reserve the rest in case the flavor needs tweeking.

4. Sprinkle a handful of fresh marjoram leaves

5. Halve, deseed and finely slice a couple of fresh chilies and sprinkle over the mozzarella. Drizzle 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over the dish and serve.

Makes 4 servings. Leftovers will keep for a couple of days in the fridge and are scrumptious on a piece of baked cod (Pre-heat over to 425 degrees and bake for 15-20 minutes).

Recipe courtesy of Jamie Oliver from Happy Days with the Naked Chef.

Pack This!

I would consider myself a fairly seasoned traveller. If you've seen this year's oscar nominated film, Up in the Air, recall the scene where George Clooney's character is showing Anna Kendrick's character the insider tricks to getting through airport security... yup, that's pretty much me when I travel. I always avoid the lines with parents and their kids (this doesn't need explanation), I don't get behind anyone wearing boots or multiple layers of clothing (Come on people! Slip on, slip off!), and I stay far away from the people who look a little lost or overly excited aka travel newbies, they are the ones that take forever.

Another aspect of traveling that I have down to a science is packing. I can start packing for a 2-month-multiple-destination trip a couple of hours before I am due at the airport. And no, I NEVER forget anything nor is the packing process stressful.

What is the secret to my success? Well besides the obvious practice makes perfect mantra, I make lists. Lists of all the potential occasions and activities I will encounter while I'm on my trip, lists of all the outfits I might want to wear, lists of contingency outfits should the weather change... Lists.

Today I am flying to San Francisco for a business trip (wow I sound like such a "real person" saying that) and while this trip is only an overnight one, the same concept of lists still apply.

If unlike me, you aren't a professional at list-making/packing, use the Pack This! Pad by knock knock to help you out. This exhaustive checklist of everything you could ever need will ease some of that pre-trip chaos, and ensure that you will arrive and depart fully equipped. Categorized into basics, miscellaneous, clothes and hygiene; my favorite aspect of the pad is that it allows you to note the weather conditions of your destination! Now how smart is that?! With this handy organizational tool, the only thing you'll have to worry about is getting to the airport on time!

Details:

Pack This! Pad

Knock Knock

$6.99

Clementine Cake

When I first moved to America and became more aware of the rhythm of seasons in cooking, I was very surprised to learn that citrus were primarily winter fruits. To me, they speak absolutely of summer, of sunshine and warmth; but I guess I was wrong (I blame all those florida natural commercials for this misjudgment).

Regardless, citrus fruits are very versatile ingredients with clear, intense flavors that brighten up any dish. I first tried out this clementine cake recipe last Christmas. With an idiot proof recipe and seasonal clementines, I've declared it a staple in my winter repertoire.

The clementine cake is perfect either as a dessert with some crème fraîche, or as a cake to be eaten for tea.

Ingredients:

4-5 clementines (about 1 lb total weight)

6 eggs

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

2 1/3 cup ground almonds

1 heaping teaspoon baking powder

Directions:

1. Put the clementines in a pot with cold water to cover, bring to boil and cook for 2 hours. When cooled, drain and cut each clementine in half and remove seeds. Chop skins, pith and fruit finely in a food processor.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and butter a 8 inch springform pan.

3. Beat the eggs and add the sugar, almonds and baking powder. Mix well and add the chopped clementines.

4. Pour the mixture into the pan and bake for an hour or when a toothpick comes out clean. You might have to cover the cake with foil after about 40 minutes to stop the top from burning. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a rack, but in the pan. When the cake is cool, remove from the pan.

This cake is better the next day when all the flavors have had a chance to mix and mingle, but can one really wait a day before tucking in?

Recipe courtesy of Nigella Lawson from How to Eat.