The Art of Food

Currently Using: Measuring Charts! So useful. Thank you Martha...

Tue, 29 May 2012 16:25:55 -0700

Currently Using: Measuring Charts!

So useful. Thank you Martha Stewart.

The Raw Food Experience

Thu, 24 May 2012 11:55:00 -0700

Lately, there has been talk of organic, all natural, cage-free, no MSG added, and locally sourced...

Northern Italian Pasta from Germany!

Wed, 23 May 2012 23:00:14 -0700

Northern Italian Pasta from Germany!: Remember my Northern Italian Pasta recipe? Well, Stefan in...

Food Revolution Day was a success! We did Farmer’s Market...

Mon, 21 May 2012 15:51:24 -0700

Food Revolution Day was a success! We did Farmer’s Market Kids’ Kitchen and Cooking Demos in the morning and then headed over to the Santa Monica Festival to do some more Kids’ Kitchen and Demos.

Great turn out! Great conversation with great people looking to eat better. Get the word out!

Read the Santa Monica Journal’s article about us here!

So proud of us, Jamie would be too!

Xoxo,

Marina

I'll be back!

Mon, 21 May 2012 14:47:54 -0700

Sorry for the brief hiatus, there was a lot going on with the Food Revolution Day. But I will be...

Announcement!

Fri, 18 May 2012 13:59:00 -0700

Hey everyone in LA! Tomorrow is Food Revolution Day! That means people are standing up for REAL...

socalfood: When a Truck Isn’t Enough for Mobile Food A...

Wed, 16 May 2012 19:46:54 -0700

socalfood:

When a Truck Isn’t Enough for Mobile Food

A wood-burning oven on a food truck. How do we feel about that?

It seems, at first glance, a fairly terrifying idea. I know visions of spontaneous fireballs danced in my head.

Of course, food trucks don’t actually cook while mobile, and they wouldn’t have passed the required inspections if they were wildly, obviously unsafe.

But there remains the issue of space. An entire wood-burning pizza oven won’t fit on the average food truck, and this week we saw two examples of making such a thing road-worthy.

Up in San Francisco, Del Popolo launched service yesterday, with just two pizzas on the menu. The vehicle, pictured above, is described as a mobile pizzeria “housed in a twenty-foot transatlantic shipping container that’s been re-purposed and modified into a kitchen.”

See more here.

visualstimulation:adulthoodisokay: Haha, the truth right there.

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:39:56 -0700

visualstimulation:adulthoodisokay:

Haha, the truth right there.

Roasted Veggies with Roast Chicken Thighs

Tue, 08 May 2012 12:12:22 -0700

Roasted Veggies with Roast Chicken Thighs

Matzo Ball Soup …for when you’re feeling low.

Tue, 08 May 2012 12:10:08 -0700

Matzo Ball Soup

…for when you’re feeling low.

Ravioli and Gnocchi with Creamy Mushroom...

Fri, 04 May 2012 13:51:37 -0700

Ravioli and Gnocchi with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients:

Favorite ravioli - 1/2 package
Favorite gnocchi - 1 package
Bunch of baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 shallot, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon butter
Olive oil
Small bunch fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Few leaves of fresh sage, chopped
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup half & half
A handful of grated Parmesan cheese

To Make:

In a large pot, bring 4 quarts water to boil for the pasta. Add in the ravioli first, cook for 1 minute, and then add the gnocchi. You want them to finish at the same time. Drain.
In a large skillet, heat up the butter with a splash of olive oil on medium heat.
Add in the shallot and garlic. Saute for a few minutes until softened.
Add in the mushrooms and allow to brown. Do not stir as much so they can brown on both sides. Should take a few minutes.
Add in the sage and stir. Add in the chicken stock and half & half, and allow to simmer for a few minutes. Add in half of the Parmesan cheese. Stir occasionally until thick and creamy.
Season with salt and pepper.
In large serving bowls, divide the pasta and pour the mushroom sauce over and sprinkle with parsley and the rest of the Parmesan cheese.
Enjoy!

I searched Medium Raw tags and noticed you're currently reading the book! Let me know how it is after you finish reading. I'm nearly finished with Kitchen Confidential, and I'm going to buy Medium Raw next!

Fri, 04 May 2012 12:07:00 -0700

Hey, yeah, I finished reading it a while ago. It was a good Anthony Bourdain book in that it’s...

Parsnip and Ginger Soup Ingredients: 1 3/4 lbs parsnips,...

Tue, 01 May 2012 14:02:00 -0700

Parsnip and Ginger Soup

Ingredients:

1 3/4 lbs parsnips, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 medium onions, diced
1 3/4 quarts chicken stock
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
Olive oil
Cilantro
Salt and pepper

To Make:

Chop up all your veggies.
Boil broth in a medium pot.
In a large soup pot, add some olive oil to the bottom and heat up.
Once hot, add all the chopped veg and stir.
With a lid on at an angle, cook everything for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are golden and everything has softened.
Add boiling broth to the veggies and bring to boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 10 more minutes with the lid on.
Season with salt and pepper. Using an immersion blender, pulse the soup until it is smooth and creamy.
Garnish with cilantro leaves and a drizzle of good olive oil. Serve with some nice pieces of fresh bread.
Enjoy!

@JNicely, this cookie’s for you!

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:17:55 -0700

@JNicely, this cookie’s for you!

Currently Researching: Key Limes Key limes are a smaller, more...

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:27:00 -0700

Currently Researching: Key Limes

Key limes are a smaller, more acidic and bitter version of the larger lime. As I found out however, the larger version is a hybrid developed after the discovery of the Key lime in southeast Asia.

Facts:

Key limes can be found in Key West, Mexico, and Central America
Also known as Mexican limes
Have a sharper flavor than regular limes
Their trees are distinguishable because of their thorns
They turn yellow when ripe but are most flavorful when green
Higher sugar and citric acid content than lemons

Since these limes were on sale recently, I bought a bunch and made Key Lime Pie!

Key Lime Pie:

Ingredients:

3/4 lb key limes
1 can sweetened condensed milk
5 egg yolks
1 graham cracker crust

To Make:

Separate out 5 egg yolks into a mixing bowl
Zest 4 limes into the bowl
Stir in the juice of all the limes (leave 2 or 3 behind for decoration)
Add the condensed milk and stir everything together until smooth and combined
Pour into the graham cracker crust
Pop it into the oven for 15 minutes at 350 degrees
Allow pie to cool completely and decorate with a bit of lime zest and small wedges from the remaining limes.
Serve with whipped cream or on its own

Enjoy!

Pasta With Northern Italian Tomato Sauce Ingredients: 1.5 pints...

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 21:25:00 -0700

Pasta With Northern Italian Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

1.5 pints cherry tomatoes
4 cloves garlic
1 lb fresh lasagna or 1 lb linguine pasta (I cheated and used whole wheat spaghetti)
Olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
4 oz Parmesan cheese
Fresh basil
Salt and pepper

To Make:

Cut tomatoes into halves.
Peel and slice the garlic.
Pick off the basil leaves and set aside.
If using lasagna sheets, cut them into 3 or 4 long strips.
Grate Parmesan cheese.
Boil large pot of salted water for the pasta.
In a large frying pan, heat up some olive oil and the butter. Add in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and stir. Add in a bit of chopped basil. Add the balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper.
Drop your pasta into the boiling water and cook until al dente. 3 minutes if using lasagna sheets or follow the package instructions for linguine. Drain when done and reserve a bit of cooking water.
Add pasta to frying pan and give it a good toss. Add a splash of pasta water and half the Parmesan cheese. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Serve in bowls with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and the basil leaves.
Enjoy!

Currently Reading: French Women Don’t Get Fat by Mireille...

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 22:00:00 -0700

Currently Reading: French Women Don’t Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano

“Portion control. Learn it slowly. Portion size has been a losing battle for Americans, a gastronomic Waterloo, in fact. Cut back gently, especially if your problem is too much of a good thing.”

Crispy Sticky Chicken Thighs Ingredients: 4 chicken thighs,...

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 17:47:25 -0700

Crispy Sticky Chicken Thighs

Ingredients:

4 chicken thighs, skins on, bones in
12 oz fresh cherry tomatoes or 1 12 oz can of stewed tomatoes
1/2 lb new potatoes
1 parsnip
1 carrot
Fresh oregano
Olive oil
1 lemon
Red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon butter

To Make:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Boil the new potatoes (unpeeled) in salted water until cooked.
Prick the cherry tomatoes with a sharp knife and put in a bowl. Boil enough water in a teapot to cover the tomatoes. Let them sit in the hot water for a few minutes.
Drain the tomatoes and remove the skins. They should come right off after sitting in the hot water.
On a cutting board, salt and pepper the skin side of the chicken a decent amount and rub in with your fingers. Salt and pepper the other side a bit lighter.
In a large pan, preferably a cast iron pan, heat up some olive oil and the tablespoon of butter on high heat. Once hot, place the chicken in the pan, skin side down. Cook on high heat for around 10 minutes and do not touch or move. The skins should get brown and crispy.
Once potatoes are done, drain them and gently “smash” them with the palm of your hand.
Peel and dice your parsnip and carrot.
Arrange in a baking dish, the potatoes, tomatoes, parsnip, carrot, and put the chicken on top, skin side up. You can add all the juices from the chicken pan right over it!
In a mortar and pestal (or a magic bullet), grind together a bunch of fresh oregano, some salt, some pepper, a tablespoon or so of olive oil and a splash of red wine vinegar.
Pour the mixture over the chicken and veg. You can also add in a few fresh leaves of oregano throughout the dish.
Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes.
When it’s done, the chicken should be crispy on top and sticky from all the tomato juices.
Enjoy!

This is a great chicken dish that incorporates a lot of veggies and comes out moist and delicious. No more dry chicken!

Sauteed Rainbow Chard with Turmeric Rice and Steamed...

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:12:00 -0700

Sauteed Rainbow Chard with Turmeric Rice and Steamed Artichoke

Ingredients:

1 cup rice
2 artichokes
1 head rainbow chard
Pinch of turmeric
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock
6 cloves garlic
1 small red onion
1 lemon
2 tablespoons butter
A good handful of grated Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

To Make:

Combine in a small pot, 1 cup chicken stock with 1 cup rice. Season with a pinch of salt and a pinch of turmeric. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer with lid on for 15 minutes.
In a large pot with a steamer insert (Or you can use a colander over a pot. Just remember to cover the colander with tin foil), heat up enough water on the bottom so it doesn’t reach the steamer’s bottom. You don’t want the artichokes to touch the water, the water is just to create steam.
Cut off the steams of the artichoke bottoms and discard any tougher outer leaves. Using a pair of kitchen scissors, cut the leaves of the artichokes an inch from the tip, just to remove the spiky ends. Repeat on all leaves.
Use your fingertips to gently pry open the artichoke a bit.
Cut 1 tablespoon of butter into little chunks and stick them into the artichoke leaves throughout. Slice 4 cloves of garlic and disperse the slices into the artichoke leaves as well. Season the chokes with salt and pepper.
Place the artichokes into the steamer, bottoms facing down and cover. Steam for 10 minutes or until softened.
Mince the remaining 2 cloves of garlic. Cut stems away from chard leaves and chop up the steams and roughly chop the leaves. Chop up the red onion. Cut the lemon in half.
In a large skillet, heat up 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter.
On medium heat, add the garlic, red onion, and chard stems. Saute for a few minutes until everything is softened.
Add in the leaves and white wine. Saute another few minutes, until the liquid has evaporated.
The rice should be done now, so add it all to the pan. Stir.
Take it off the heat and add in the Parmesan cheese and the juice of half the lemon.
Season with salt and pepper if needed.
Serve with artichoke and the rest of your white wine!
Enjoy!

Current Craving: Bahn Mi sandwich from the Nom Nom truck I have...

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 20:01:06 -0700

Current Craving: Bahn Mi sandwich from the Nom Nom truck

I have a get one free voucher. Hmm… maybe I should hunt it down?