Do What Makes You Happy

Years ago (I say years because it makes it sound like a long time ago, but it really wasn't) I would have starved if it weren't for Trader Joe's. They have a delightful selection of easy, pre-made and fresh items that you can throw together to make a fast, healthy and yummy meal. Since I started cooking, I have been trying not to take short cuts and make everything myself because I want to learn and I need the practice.

As you know, making a "proper dinner" which should include protein, vegetables and a starch can be a two hour production. I love that. But my schedule during the week unfortunately does not. I've really been struggling with that. Because I love to cook and I love the two hour production, it's my therapy. But I make myself crazy trying to fit it in during the week which then completely defeats the purpose.

So tonight, it dawned on me - there can be a balance of easy, fresh, healthy and quick if you combine say marinated white fish from TJ's and your own asparagus and sweet potatoes. I embraced the old and new school in me.

Do what makes you happy - even if you have to modify it to get the result you want.

Old school:
Just buy the fish from Trader Joes and follow the directions (it's in the frozen section)

New school:
Pureed sweet potatoes, my modified version of Rachel Ray's mashed sweet potatoes and sauteed, steamed asparagus with shallots

Pureed sweet potato ingredients:
About 1 pound of sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 Tbsp butter
1 banana
1 orange, zested and juiced
1 cup chicken stock
Dash of nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil potatoes until tender, drain and reserve. Return the pot to the stove over medium heat. Add butter and bananas and add the juice of the orange, reserve the zest. Allow the juice to cook out (about a minute). Add potatoes to the pot and add the stock. Cook for about a minute then transfer to a food processor. Mix on low for about a minute. Add nutmeg, orange zest and salt. I threw in a splash of milk. Mix again until it's the consistency and taste that is to your liking.

Asparagus:
Saute a sliced, shallot in a bit of olive oil. Add asparagus and cook together until shallots become soft and fragrant. Cover the pan with a lid to steam the asparagus until they are soft but still have a crunch. (2-4 mins). Use med-high heat but be careful not to burn the shallots.

14 Days, 5 Countries, 9 Cities - Part I

During my previous travels, I’ve always found time to write. Whether it is on a train, people watching at a café or on the flight home, I’ve found an hour or two to contemplate, reminisce and jot down recent revelations and memories. This trip, that really didn’t happen for me. There were a couple of points when I was somewhat worried that my days and memories might blend together, they didn’t. I have to say, I’m glad I got over the worry. For one, I was in incredibly good company. This is the first trip I’ve taken with friends where their presence played a huge factor into why the vacation was as wonderful as it was. Two, it gives me topics to write about now and to re-live; my favorite post trip activity (which also is a good cure for post vacation blues).

When I travel, there are always things I learn about myself; what to do, or not and how to lose (or adjust) my expectations and go with the flow because what I just learned in this country will no longer be applicable or relevant in the next. So this is the first of a multi-part blog post on the lessons learned, tips, highlights and fun stories from my adventure abroad.

To give you an idea of my itinerary, first let me tell you it was a little crazy. I actually enjoy this kind of travel because I’m not very good at relaxing or sitting still. I live by the beach for goodness sake, and do you know how often I actually go down to just sit on the sand, by the water and under the sun to read a book? Not enough. I digress. Anyways, on this trip, I finally learned how to relax. I learned to let go of all the crap that is the noise in my brain. You see, when you are sitting next to a clear, blue-green sea and there are no emails, laundry or other nagging errands to run, there is nothing else to do but sip a cocktail, read a book, engage in random conversations with your friends, take little snoozes in the sun and be incredibly thankful for the moment you are living in. Aside from learning how to sit still and just enjoy life, here are a few other things I’ll remember for next time.

Part I – General Lessons for Every Trip

1. Pack smart. If you decide to check a bag, make sure that you bring a carry on that allows for you to pack for extra days. In my instance, I had a 12 hour layover in Amsterdam (which was intentional) so I knew that I would want to take a shower and therefore have clean clothes. I also had this crazy intuition that my bag would be lost and as luck would have it, it was. Well, it didn’t get lost so much as just left in LA. At any rate, I trusted my gut and had all of my beauty, hair and unmentionables in my carry on so when my bag never arrived, yeah sure I was frustrated but certainly wasn’t pissed off or stressed about how I was going to survive the next few days.
2.  Rent a car. One of the highlights of this trip was being able to come as go as I pleased and spend extra days / nights in places I didn’t want to leave. This also provided pre-paid transportation to Bosnia and Herzegovina not to mention the shear adventure of driving in foreign countries. My friend discovered that Medjugorje (if you are a devout Catholic, you should read about this place) is near Mostar and we were able to spontaneously visit it. Oh – and I got to drive on the Autobahn! I realize that renting a car may not be a feasible option for every trip and I've only driven in Europe, but I would advise you at least consider it.
3. Get to know the locals. We learned that Medjugorje was close because we engaged with anyone that had the time and patience to talk to us. We would have seen the signs on our way to Mostar, but we probably never would have gone if not for talking to them. These people are now our friends whom we plan on keeping in touch with and hope to visit when we return. I always try to pride myself on attempting to speak the local language for the basics: hello, please and thank you because: 
• I don't want to be perceived as the stereotypical American
• I don't want to be treated as one and
• Most people really want to help you. I've been humbled by the generosity of people from all over the world and it's the least I can do to take a few moments to get to know them; their name, where they are from and if they find people like me interesting or annoying. Don be offended if they respond with the latter. :)
4. Travel by yourself. Even if only for a day or two, do it. Navigating through streets, train stations, etc where you don’t speak the language and are out of your comfort zone forces you to go deep inside. To practice the courtesy’s your mother taught you when you were two, to trust your instinct, to lose your arrogance when you’ve screwed up and to adjust your attitude because the place you’re in isn’t going to change, you have to. I have very vivid memories of the moments when someone noticed that I was lost or struggling and offered to help me without my solicitation. In hind sight, I’m sure I had looks of horror on my face so no words were needed. Still, I’ve found myself in predicaments here in America and let’s just say – there were no knights in shining armor. But seriously, if anything, spending a few days traveling by yourself will leave you with an immense amount of gratitude for the simple things in life we often take for granted.

Hvala vam za čitanje moj blog 

For those of you that are actually interested in the details of the craziness, here it is:

• 12 hour layover in Amsterdam
• 1 day in Budapest, overnight train to Prague
• 2 days in Prague
• Fly to Split, Croatia, pick up rental car and drive to Dubrovnik
• Stay inside of the city walls for 2 nights and 2 days, pick up friends at the airport on the 2^nd day and head to hotel outside of Dubrovnik
• Chill out, swim in the Adriatic, eat, talk, laugh for 2 days
• Drive to Medjugorie and Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovenia for the day
• Drive to Split from Dubrovnik and enjoy dinner and night scene
• Take a ferry to Hvar for the day
• Drive from Split to Budapest with a stop in Zagreb
• 2 days in Budapest
• Fly home via Amsterdam

 Ah yes, now I am remembering why I didn’t have that much time to write.

Rosemary cod with plum-tomato sauce and roasted red potatoes

I can't believe it. I'm leaving in four day for Europe. As such I must have at least one or two home cooked meals before I leave. I found this delightful and easy recipe in Better Homes and Gardens. I threw the potatoes together with the same ingredients plus fresh garlic and shallots because I had them and needed to use them.

Ingredients for fish:
6 plums, halved pitted and chopped
1 lb tomatoes, chopped.
1/2 cup malt vinegar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 to 2 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary plus 1 sprig
1 Tbsp butter
4 5 to 6 oz cod fillets
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1. in a large bowl combine plums, tomatoes, vinegar, lemon juice, fish sauce, 1 Tbsp of oil and 2 tsp rosemary. Let stand at room temperature for at least 30 mins
2. In a large skillet heat butter, remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil and rosemary sprig over medium-high heat. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Add fish to the skillet. Cook about 6 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork (turn once halfway through cooking)
3. Transfer fish to a platter and spoon plum-tomato sauce over.

Ingredients for potatoes:
6 red potatoes quartered
Fresh rosemary
3 cloves chopped garlic
2 shallots rough chopped
Toss with olive oil
Kosher salt
In a 9 x 13 dish, bake at 350 for 45 mins



Notes:
I used heirlooms because they add a little burst of color, but you can use any kind you like or have on hand.
I added potatoes to the dish for a little starch
The tomatoes and plums need to sit for 30 minutes so I did the potatoes while they were getting their flavor blend on

September’s Cronut Flavor Is Fig and Mascarpone

September’s Cronut Flavor Is Fig and Mascarpone

Portables

I've been listening to a lot of classical music lately. I used to play the piano so I grew up listening and playing it. I forgot how much I missed it. These days, I don't play anymore (mental note: time to find a friend whose piano I can play on) but I need music to drown out the chatter at work that still allows me to concentrate. KUSC has been a godsend. Anyways, I say all of that to say that I found out on KUSC that the city of Huntington Beach offers free jazz, classical, etc...concerts in the park every Sunday through summer.

I told myself I have to go at least once this summer, so tonight is the night. And - because you can picnic, it seemed only appropriate to bring food and snacks that are portable.

This evening is Israeli couscous with grilled summer veggies, grilled chicken and blueberry mascarpone turnovers. Snacks are left over burrata, heirloom tomatoes, flat bread and almond butter from the farmers market.

Recipe details to come tomorrow because a.) I need something to blog about and b.) my friends are here!!

Practicing the Holstee Manifesto

I’ve always wanted to be in business, and I’m pretty good in some ways. But I’ve had to work really hard at being the kind of business woman I aspire to be and in reality will probably never be as brilliant as some of the people I’ve had the pleasure of working with and for. Truth is, while I enjoy certain aspects of business, a lot of it does not come that natural to me. I’ve always wondered how people could work 10-12 hours a day, every day and have it not faze them (or at least appear to faze them). The only explanation that makes sense to me is that they are passionate about what they do, they’re good at it so they can lose track of time and work for endless hours. This didn’t click for me until I started cooking. I’ve been contemplating “deep stuff” this year. I changed jobs and moved and I’ve decided to take up writing. Amongst this, I’ve been struggling to balance what I need to do (work and be really good at it) versus what I’ve come to love (and should be doing in my spare time).

Today I read an article on Fast Company that was a really good reminder, a summary of an interview from the creators of the Holstee Manifesto. Probably something I need to read every morning. So in attempt to practice this, it seemed only appropriate to post, even if just briefly.

There were two points that really resonated with me. They’ve been very much on top of my mind:

1. Being present – don’t check your phone every 5 seconds. I’ve forced myself to leave my phone at my desk during meetings (I used to be very guilty of being glued to my phone during meetings). It’s really helped me a lot. I’m engaged and learning so much more than if I was tempted to check my email or Facebook.
2. Being intentional (and considerate) – not asking what the world needs but what about it inspires you. I know all of the things that I need to do, I just procrastinate and make silly excuses. I just wrote a blog post for my company and recommended that companies stop procrastinating – I need to practice what I preach and do what I intend to do.

I haven’t figured out how to perfect these yet, but when I do I’ll be sure to let you know. In the meantime – I’m envisioning a cooking sesh this Sat.

Here’s the article: Take a peek – you’ll be glad you did.

http://www.fastcompany.com/3015671/how-to-be-a-success-at-everything/6-simple-mindfulness-practices-to-reframe-your-perspective

Corporate by day, wanna be chef by weeknight and weekend…

...And by chef I mean cooker, entertainer and food lover, I am by no means a chef.  To pay the bills I work for the man. I develop software and then I market it. I actually enjoy what I do and I’m still learning a lot, but I’ve also found some other interests along the way that don’t pay the bills. Maybe someday they will, maybe they won’t’ but what’s there to lose in sharing what I love most; especially in this day and age of information sharing.

Four years ago I started cooking and three years ago; traveling abroad. Both have changed my life forever. I would have never imagined having such a passion or rather addiction to both and now I can’t imagine life without either.  I’ve been thinking about creating this blog for quite some time. I haven’t until now mostly because I was scared. But a few things have set a little fire under me:

1. I’m seriously addicted to cooking. I can’t stop. Even after a 12 hour day, when I tell myself I’m going to go home and relax and just eat left overs or do something simple I end up finding something that I need to try. It’s a little out of hand, yet somehow I find it relaxing, minus the cleanup.
2. Sharing is caring. I read a ton – for both business and personal. I wouldn’t know half of what I know if it weren’t for the various sources of really good and free information.  So it’s my turn to share.
3. I’m taking a trip soon to the place that I have somewhat of an inappropriate relationship with, Europe. I would categorize it as a love affair. I’ve gone every year for the past three years and while my goal is to venture outside of it next year – I can almost guarantee that I might get “stuck” there on a 17 hour layover or something. I’ll suffer through it. At any rate – I better have my blog up by then so I can share my travel (and food) adventures.
4. My mentors and friends who continually reinforce and encourage me (thank you). We are our worst enemy, so I’m attempting to let go of the perfectionist in me and just have fun with this. 

So, everyone, please enjoy and EAT!

Cooking from your cupboard

I’m leaving for Europe in 22 days. Yes, I’m counting. The good thing about traveling, pre-trip, is that I save money because I’m motivated to have extra cash on the trip. It’s pretty easy for me to find an excuse to meet up with friends for happy hour or dinner, but given my extra incentive to save right now I’ve decided to tackle my pantry and leverage as much supply as I have on hand for weeknight dinners (and therefore lunches the next day).

What I have: ground turkey and rosemary

The idea: meatloaf

Believe it or not, I actually found a recipe for rosemary meatloaf. But since I’m cooking from my pantry I had to modify it and this is what I did:

1 pound ground turkey

1.5 cups bread crumbs (I used real bread because I was out of the boxed bread crumbs. Pull it out of the bag and let it dry out if you can)

1 onion, chopped

1 egg, beaten

1 cup of buttermilk (you would typically use regular milk)

½ cup balsamic vinegar (optional)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 ½ tablespoons fresh, chopped rosemary

1 cup ketchup (you could use tomato sauce for less vinegar)

¾ cup brown sugar

1 tsp Dijon mustard (you can use more but I find Dijon to be a little overpowering at times. Start small and you can always add more)

Assembly:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F (175 degree C). lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the ground turkey, bread crumbs, onion, egg and buttermilk. Season with balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and rosemary. Press into the pan.
3. Blend ketchup, brown sugar and mustard; pour evenly over the top of the loaf.
4. Bake for 1 hour in preheated oven or until juices run clear (when pricked with a knife).

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