New This Week:

-Gold Burberry sneakers for $50, regularly $595.
-Found a Douglas Fir incense at Whole Foods that smells like a fragrant fireplace.
-Fantastic Mr. Fox is indeed fantastic.
-Reading The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell.
-Working on my new script.
-The new Trader Joe's on Sunset (in the same shopping center as the old Virgin Megastore) is undiscovered and pristine.
-Speaking of Trader Joe's, their edamame hummus is really tasty.
-Bummed that Mad Men is over. The season just zipped by.
-All the wine purchased at Domaine LA has been spectacular.
-Can't decide on holiday cards.
-Thanksgiving is in a week! Holy shit.
-Trying out the Pomodoro Technique - it is surprisingly effective when followed correctly.

Wine!

If you live in L.A. and you like wine, have I got a store for you. It's called Domaine L.A. and it totally rocks. Located at 6801 Melrose Avenue it is one of those strip mall gems that you love in Los Angeles. The owner is a former development exec who initially began with an online store: http://domaine547.com/ and has just now built a brick and mortar version. The layout and design of the store is very simple and charmingly whimsical. The shelves flank the walls with a stripe of chalkboard paint all the way around the room so the employees can write notes about the regions and the wines. There is a fairly wide range of prices, but most of the wines, especially the Spanish and American wines, fall around or until $20. The owner has tasted and selected every bottle, and the staff have an equally informed palate, able to recommend their favorite wines. We went in on a whim and came out with four bottles. One of which we opened last night and it was delicious. I really enjoy Du Vin on San Vicente, but the layout there is very stuffy. Domaine LA has the same friendly service but with a more contemporary space. They're also looking to expand their selection in the next few months, and are planning to host wine tasting events. Definitely a spot to check out if you're a casual wine drinker or a full on oenophile.

Domaine LA
6801 Melrose Avenue
(323) 932-0280
Open 7 days and holidays

http://domaine547.com/store/

End of Hiatus

My apologies for falling off the map. A combination of unemployment, subsequent freelancing, and general malaise were contributing factors. As a thank you for your patience, here is a recipe of my own creation:

Garlicky White Bean and Ricotta Puree

Ingredients:
6 cloves garlic minced
1 can cannellini beans drained
2 cups broth boiling (either chicken or vegetable)
1/3 cup ricotta (I used low fat, but if you prefer whole fat, or part skim, both would work)
2 oz. fontina cheese grated
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. thyme
Salt and Pepper to taste
Prosciutto (optional)

1. Toss minced garlic in with a glug of olive oil on medium-low heat for about a minute or two. Doesn't have to get too soft.
2. Add the drained beans. Toss to coat. Let cook for four minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add one cup of the broth (save the other for later) and turn the heat down to low. Let the beans simmer in this until the broth has been completely absorbed.
4. Get out your food processor and measure out the ricotta and grate the fontina. Put both cheeses, garlic powder, thyme, and a dash of salt and pepper into the food processor. If you don't have one you could use a blender or an immersion mixer.
5. When the beans have absorbed all the broth, add beans to food processor and puree until smooth. Taste. Add any additional seasoning you deem necessary.
6. Pour last cup of broth into pan and turn up heat so it gets close to a boil. Scrape all the garlic and bean remnants from the bottom and sides of pan. Add the puree from the food processor and turn the heat down to medium. Stir constantly until the broth is absorbed and the puree is smooth and fluffy.
7. If you're adding prosciutto, I usually tear it up, put it in my cast iron skillet, and put the skillet in a preheated 400 degree oven for about six to eight minutes or until it's crispy. But ovens vary so keep a close eye on yours.
8. Serve puree with a little diced red onion on top, and if you have any jarred pesto laying around, a little half teaspoon on top would be delicious. If you're going for the prosciutto, either place the crispy pieces on top of puree, or mix it in before serving-it will retain it's crunch.
9. Eat!


I made this as a side last night, to go along side a spaghetti squash gratin I made, but it would work with any protein or vegetable dish.

Thoughts on S.B. and C.K.

There are two occurrences from the past two weeks that are vastly different but similar in one very significant way. This Susan Boyle woman, and the "Craigslist Killer" dude.  Both are getting incredible air time/attention/etc. because somehow we continue to have these preconceptions of what people should look like and are dumbfounded when someone appears who doesn't fit into that stereotype. Not to be smug, but neither Boyle nor C.K. really surprised me. There must be hundreds or thousands of pudgy older women with excellent singing voices. Who makes up church choirs? The ability to sing has nothing to do with looks, clearly. Nor does the ability to paint, or write, or discover vaccines. This Boyle business reminds me of the demise of Christopher Cross, the pudgy unappealing writer/singer of Arthur's Theme and Sailing, two songs which I despise but I can grasp their allure. Once MTV got their hooks into Cross, and people saw how bland he was, especially compared to the majority of 80's acts, he was toast. In fact, if you ever watch those I love the 70's marathons on VH1, you may be amazed by how strange looking and unattractive a lot of those musicians were (TONS of bad perms, robust women in sparkles, and bushy beards.) 

As far as C.K., he's just some asshole 20 something who seems to have a gambling problem and a bad case of misogyny, who took to brutalizing women to get money. But he's white! So are most serial killers. But he doesn't look like a murderer! Hey, Charles Manson was friends with some of the Beach Boys. Murderers aren't creepy hand wringers with Snidely Whiplash mustaches. They're the "quiet" "polite" "nice" guy next door. News flash! Chubby ladies with Andy Rooney eyebrows can sing beautifully, and handsome white dudes kill people. It would be more surprising if Boyle had been the craigslist killer. Now that would give me pause. It isn't so much about judging people on their appearance. We all do that. Even Susan Boyle. But trying to find patterns, expecting evil people to LOOK evil, is just ridiculous. As a writer, I love to explore dichotomies and I spend a great deal of time thinking about how people rarely say exactly what they mean, or are thinking, and how easy it is to pretend to be something else. Excessively good or bad people look exactly the same. What's in your brain and what you're capable of do not translate onto your face. 

Barf

It rained this morning, which meant fewer babies and yoga moms at the Farmer's Market, which is always a good thing. Strawberries are just starting to look good, so we bought a tray of them, as well as broccoli, asparagus, brussels sprouts, leeks, zucchini, apples, lemons, onions, and garlic.  I've been really into sauteing brussels sprouts, and then adding some crispy pancetta, maybe a few toasted pine nuts, and some parmesan. I like cooking the pancetta in the oven in the cast iron skillet. Deelish. With the asparagus, I roast it and sometimes make an almond "crumble" which is just almonds and garlic that I throw in my mini-food processor. Although yesterday for lunch I tried my hand at an Alice Waters recipe, where I sliced the asparagus with my mandoline, added oil and S&P and some shaved parmesan. I could put parmesan on anything!

But back to the babies, I really think there is something in my brain, some baby synapse, that's missing. Don't get me wrong, I'm not worried or disappointed. Quite the contrary. But whenever I see children or babies, I'm often struck wondering how anyone could look at them with a sense of longing or whatever you want to call it, the ol' biological clock. When I look at kids it just makes me tired. Running around. Put that down. Pick that up. Don't climb on that. Don't jump off of that. Take that out of your mouth/ear/nose! I'm glad I have enough self awareness to know that I do not have the patience, desire, or selflessness needed to have a child. The cat is enough of a handful! She barfed on the couch today.  

Attack of the Dino Kale

Here's a recipe that everyone seems to love, which I reverse engineered from a dish tried at our favorite restaurant, Animal. We served this at my birthday dinner, and guests lurved it. I've made it for friends a number of times since then.

Kale Salad

A day old crusty roll or hunk of day old baguette

One large or two medium sized bunches of Dino Kale: aka Cavolo Nero (they definitely have this at Whole Foods or your local Farmer's market)

One lemon

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Garlic Powder

Parmesan

1. Pre-heat oven to 350. Cut bread into cubes (medium crouton size) and spread on a cookie sheet (or even a cast iron skillet would work.) Splash a little olive oil on them. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and garlic powder on them. Smush around with your hands until they're coated.  Put in oven for roughly 7 minutes. Check on them and shake them around in the cookie sheet/pan to check their crispy/brownness. I like to bake mine until they're pretty golden and toasted. That usually requires another 8-9 minutes. Keep peeking at them until their the desired toastiness. When they're to your crisp preference, remove from oven and let cool.

2. Wash kale thoroughly. Cut off spines, and cut leaves into strips. I usually put my kale salad ingredients right into a Tupperware, which makes it easier to toss, and subtracts one less dish from the washing queue.

3. Squeeze half lemon over kale. Add two tablespoons of olive oil. Toss. Taste. Add more oil or lemon to your liking. Add a pinch or two of salt and pepper, and a good shake of garlic powder. Toss. Taste.

4. I usually run my croutons through the food processor to make crouton crumbs, but if you want bigger hunks, put the croutons into a bag and smash with the bottom of a glass or the flat end of a meat tenderizer. Add crouton crumbs to kale.

5. Grate a good hunk of parmesan cheese over kale and crumbs. No real measurement. I adore parmesan and eat it at least once a day, so I'm sure I'd add more than most people. Whatever your preference is. If you're putting this all into a Tupperware, put the lid on securely, and give it a good shake so everything gets mixed in. 

6. Enjoy!

back in the saddle again

Yes, it's been a ridiculously long time since I've last updated. Things have been rather hectic. The holidays were wonderful: very relaxing, and not to chilly. T surprised me with a bounty of thoughtful and generous gifts, and I was able to spend ten days with my folks, which was awesome. I really dig Indianapolis; it's a very cool/unique town. A good blend of modern and classic arcitecture, a lot of sculpture, and reverence for nature. Three good traits for a town I'd say.Since being back, I've been focusing on what I call the "Three W's": writing, wealth building, and weight loss. I've been more successful with the latter two, as work has kept me busy, unfortunately, but I'm finding the time to write where I can. I have also taken up oil painting. Below are my two completed works. A portrait of a lion in a suit, and a portrait I did of my father for his birthday. It's based on a photo, also below, that I think might have been taken for a passport or something? 

I also had an astonishingly good bargain hunting run last weekend. Using my AMX gift card, which was my work bonus, I purchased a stunning Marc Jacobs (not Marc by Marc Jacobs. But Marc Jacobs...) jacket/blazer. Normally $1,895.00. I got it for $199.00. A 90% discount. Jaw droppingly beautiful Prada shoes, normally $700.00. I got them for $199.00. And to top it off I got a Cynthia Vincent top for $89, normally $298, and Trovata pants for $14, normally $75. It was quite an excursion, but extremely victorious! I love a farcical bargain. The jacket, below, is an icy blue, not the black in the photo. I couldn't find a photo of the jacket in the color I got. And the photo of the shoes is not one that I took, but I couldn't  find a better pic online.