I wish hosting parties was my full-time job, as I sit here drafting a fourth version of a trial brief and sipping on raw ginger tea bc my throat is on fire. My seasonal get together went off almost perfectly (except that we listened to the same three Fetty Wap songs on repeat for over an hour). I am so happy to have had many of the people I love and treasure in the same room and to ply them with food and drink.
Beverages: mulled wine, whiskey cider, egg nog and assorted beer and wine.
Special thanks to my mom, aunt, Jaimie, Cassi and Sam for helping me set up and prepare :)
And all my love and gratitude for all my friends who were able to come out on Saturday. I am #blessed #AF to have you all in my life and I am so glad I had Saturday to give you something of myself to show that.
*This blog post is a little long and boring, but I've not had coffee, and no has pissed me off enough today to inject sass, so here's the breakdown for your LA weekend hit list:
Work last week was insane, in between two court days, three depositions, two settlement negotiations, and you know, like Pinterest. It got to the point where I was grateful to find clean underwear and have enough fuel in my car to make it to work and back without having to stop in rush hour traffic to fill up.
That's not to say I didn't have a great week, where I was busy and fulfilled and so happy. But dude, bed feels so good after those types of days.
Anyway, to the weekend, which happened to be one of the best weekends I've had in LA in a minute. One of my best friends from college, and also a fellow lawyer, Katie, hit me up this past week for a girl's weekend. I haven't seen Katie for over a year, basically since she moved to San Diego. We're both in similar job situations and needed a break, so Katie coming up was a welcome distraction from our daily annoyances.
Dinner at Night + Market
So after recovering from a delicious dinner at Jaimie and Jeff's on Friday night, I woke up at the CRACK of dawn for laundry, cleaning, coffee with Mach (complete with book recommendations and the daily political catch-up), a skype call with my twin, and making out with my dog.
Katie arrived around 11 and we hit up Mohawk Bend for breakfast cocktails (an horchata coffee vodka drink for her, the Early Bird), and a ghost pepper bloody Mary for me (jesus, lord christ, my throat is still burning), before doing a quick walking tour of Echo Park, and then hitting up the Hermosillo for a beer flight and banh mi sliders and a catch up sesh with the owner/old friend, Ross.
Cahill at the gallery
We then headed over to the new Broad, courtesy of my friend Jeff, who was so on reserving tickets. Admission is free, but you have to reserve tickets online and they are already booked through January. I don't know how Jeff does it, but he always manages the best parking spots and ticket purchases. Ridiculous. The new museum is gorgeous, with a few old pieces from LACMA, and also some new stuff from Warhol, Lichtenstein, Murakami, etc.
My favorite piece was a woolen tapestry, titled "Death of Marxism, Women of All Lands Unite" by Goshka Macuga. The level of detail, the 3d element with almost archaic medium, blew me away.
Some of Cahill's Art
The museum itself is amazingly constructed, although I want to go during the day to see how the natural light is. The central stairs through the floors, the oculus hallway, and exhibition separators were all stunning and thoughtful.
My only regret is that we didn't get to go in the Infinity Mirror Room, where each person gets 45 seconds alone in the mirrored, starlit cube (for lack of a better word). You have to reserve tickets as soon as you enter, but the exhibit comes with much hype (and insta-potential).
After the Broad, we headed over to Alvarado, to see my friend Cahill's art at the Carlo Queso Gallery. Cahill is a friend from Santa Cruz, whose surreal, intensely detailed pieces critique consumerism, one's place in society and pop culture. It was great to catch up with him and see what he has been up to over the last half decade. (Shit, we're getting so old.) Also check out this great timelapse of Cahill in action:
Katie, Jeff, and I then met up with Jaimie, Jeff and Grant for a Northern Thai street food extravaganza at Night + Market Song. (Get the startled pig, the wild thai baby octopus, the dessert Roti, and basically everything else on the menu.)
Echo Park after the Rain
Katie and I were satiated and exhausted, so we only managed to just collapse into bed before falling asleep. We did the Woodcat + Echo Park Lake walk in the morning (i.e. lattes and rosemary fig scones), before meeting my mom and aunt for a brunch at Ostrich Farm, the farm-to-table, industrial chic restaurant down the street - cheese plates and croque monsieurs commenced before my mom and I went to the LA Philharmonic for Beethoven's 9th.
I cried. It was amazing. Just. Amazing. Go see the LA Phil. Just do it. It's so worth it.
Then in true Raji style, my mom demanded fish and chips and beer the newest local pub, the Lost Knight, where she befriended the oddest individuals and critiqued the owner for failing to have a Sunday roast.
Then Sophie and I a walk, I watercolored and watched SVU. #standard.
The whole weekend was relaxed, low pressure, yet incredibly comforting, exciting, and novel. It reminded me of the best things of LA and for that, I am happy.
I'm in a comfort food mood. (The real question is when am I not in a comfort food mood?) Yesterday my mom asked me to prepare something hearty for a late lunch and as the dutiful house-daughter, I was happy to oblige. Afterwards, Lauren and I hit up the Anaheim Packing District for ice cream sandwiches and girltalk. Quite a nice day all in all.
I sort of threw this together and it turned out surprisingly well. *Pats self on the back*.
The recipe:
*for three to four people
- 1 zucchini, chopped up in bite sized pieces
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 eggplant, peeled and chopped up in bite sized pieces
- 1 red onion, sliced
- a couple of tablespoons of butter
- one large hot italian sausage, removed from casing
- one can of diced tomatoes
- 2 anchovies (optional, but yum)
- olive oil
- four or five big basil leaves, julienned
- a small, small handful of parsley, minced for garnish
- penne pasta, 3-4 large handfuls (for three people)
- chili flakes, thyme, oregano, black pepper, salt
Directions:
1. Throw the sliced onion on low-medium heat with salt and pepper and butter in heavy saucepan until caramelized (15-20 mins)
2. Roast garlic cloves, zucchini and eggplant with olive oil, salt, pepper and chili flakes (400 degree until soft, about 20-30 mins) -> you may have to flip over the veg halfway through to cook evenly
3. In a large saucepan, put in about three tablespoons of olive oil with basil on low heat. Let the basil infuse into the oil for about 10 minutes.
4. Toss in Italian sausage and anchovies and sear with basil oil on medium/high heat.
5. Once this is done, add the can of tomatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes (medium heat)
6. Toss in caramelized onions and roasted veg and garlic and a few dashes of chili flakes, oregano, and thyme. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 10-15 minutes on low heat.
7. Toss with penne and garnish with parsley.
*My family eats more sauce than pasta, so you may need to adjust the recipe to fit that. :)
Since my bro and I started living at home again, there have been quite a few changes, i.e. I get less sleep, watch more romantic comedies, eat non-GMO, organic foods and have become mostly vegan - at least when Jas is around.
Since he's been working long hours, my mom has appointed me as substitute cook for a couple of nights a week. It's been an interesting challenge to consistently make vegan meals that are new and tasty and heavy with nutrition. The other night, I made spring rolls, which is something I've been meaning to do for ages. It took a minute to get the wrapping together, but the end product was amazing, especially with my semi-homemade peanut sauce.
The recipe:
- Julienne cucumber and carrots, shred a bit of cabbage, and slice an avocado
- Season with a bit of salt and pepper and rice wine vinegar
- Soften some mung bean noodles
- Fry up some chunks of tofu after seasoning with chili garlic sauce, salt and pepper
- Stir up some soy sauce with zested garlic and ginger
- Wet spring roll wrapper in hot (not boiling/super hot water) for a few seconds until softened, but not uselessly unmanageable.
- On the bottom third of the wrap, place your veg, noodles and tofu.
- Sprinkle some of the soy sauce mix on the top
-Fold over the sides; then from the bottom, roll up the spring roll
- It will naturally stick together
- Serve with thai chili sauce, chili garlic sauce and your peanut sauce
Homemade Peanut sauce:
- 1/3 cup peanut butter
- Add a tbsp of soy sauce
- Add a tbsp (or more) of chili garlic sauce
- Thin with hot water and serve as dipping sauce.
I made a lemon-provence roast chicken, beet and apple salad with goat cheese mousse, caramelized onions and green beans, and freshly baked baguettes. And everything was surprisingly simple!
I've been on this French kick for a bit. Reading all the French fashion blogs, dreaming about an apartment in Paris, and imagining Sophie prancing around cobblestone streets in a designer leather collar. Clearly, I need some help. With my new library card (like omg I haven't had one since 2000), I checked out Rachel Khoo's "My Little Paris Kitchen" and got to work. I had to do a bit of modifying, because of Jason's vegetarian tendencies (so bacon was out, damn him) and my mom was against turning on the oven in 85 degree heat. So how did I do it? The secrets are below:
Lemon/Herbs de Provence Roast Chicken:
- quality, organic, roast chicken -> rinse and pat dry
- make compound butter: 3-4 tablespoons butter (preferably organic), sea salt, pepper, lemon zest, lemon juice, and a hearty helping of herbs de provence. (Save some for the green beans).
- cut slits into chicken chicken and throw in pats of butters
- put salt and pepper in the cavity with leftover lemon remains
- then rub salt and pepper and herbs into skin
- let sit for an hour
- THE SECRET: the NuWave oven. Put chicken breast side down, and cook for 15 mins on high. Turn over and cook for 20 mins on high. Make sure juices run clear, then let rest for ten mins before serving.
Beet and Apple Salad with Goat Cheese Mousse:
- Goat Cheese mousse: 3.5 oz herbed goat cheese softened and blent with 2-3 tbsp milk until smooth; should be like pancake batter. Whip up 3-4 tbsp heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks. Fold milk mixture into whipping cream. Put in sandwich bag and chill in fridge until ready to use.
- roast a big beet (peeled and chopped) with salt, pepper and olive oil; let cool
- chop dessert apple
- throw those two ingredients with a herb salad
- make a vinaigrette [blend one clove garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and one heavy tbsp of whole grain Dijon)
- drizzle that over salad - Take out sandwich bag, clip off corner, and make little goat cheese poufs on salad.
Green Beans and Caramelized Onions:
- blanch a couple of cups of green beans (boiling water 2-3 minutes, ice water bath)
- caramelize an onion in olive oil
- throw in green beans
- THE SECRET: throw in compound butter from the chicken
- cook for about 15 minutes until flavors have melted into each other
French bread:
I did this recipe, but made smaller baguettes. THE SECRET: Then I threw it into our mini toaster over, for about 18 minutes. Everyone got a baby baguette (even Sophie)!
Overall, the meal was AMAZING, despite the fact I burned myself on a baguette. The flavors were so light. I realized that I tend to rely heavily on garlic as my flavor base. It was refreshing to have these light and delicate fragrances, which were new to my cooking, with our traditional Sunday roast. Most definitely making all these things again.
I haven't seen my brother since he hightailed it off to Santa Cruz in the spring. Although we talk on the phone almost every day, I can't wait to see him in person, have him make me his delicious food, bombard him with hugs and make him go with me to all the movies I've been meaning to see.
I know we will probably get into at least 3-4 squabbles over the state of feminism, what beer we should buy, and my poor taste in men, but those will probably be my favorite moments of the weekend.
Also Bobes, I'm apologizing now, but I borrowed your Bukowski reader and may or may not have earmarked the hell out of it.
I have a final tomorrow, so clearly I'm blogging. #duh.
Last week, I traipsed over to Venice to say goodbye to some of the attorneys I worked for over the summer. But turned out they were in trial and I missed them, so I met up with Christina at Gjelina for lunch.
I've heard rave reviews about this place, but hadn't had a chance to check it out because dinner reservations are a pain to get with my schedule and during lunch I was always working. So this was the perfect day.
We ordered cappuccinos to start, then spent time parsing through the delicious menu. We settled on the king mushrooms (delicious and smoky and weirdly meaty), the smoked trout salad with avo and grapefruit (reminded me of something I'd get in the UK), the pear burrata (literally killed me it was so amazing), and the gruyere and caramelized onion flatbread.
It was sort of a "ladies who brunch" kind of thing, which was a nice break from eating a salad at my desk while drafting motions in limine. It sort of makes me want to be a yoga instructor/blogger who spends most of the day at the beach, only retreating indoors for a cucumber-mint virgin cocktail.
Then this weekend, I finally hung out with Lauren and Becky and Freddy (who has now entered the fold of the girls' club - welcome my friend.) We met up for beers and pool and I have to say I have improved tremendously. This isn't saying much because there was a time I couldn't move a ball on a pool table. But we had such a good time, although I have to say I am not quite as tolerant of IPAs as I used to be.
Between seeing my bffls and cuddling with my mom and various pups, it was a lovely weekend to start the holiday season off.
Sophs (aka Beebs), Paige (aka Paigey-Poo), Evan (aka EVANNNNN), my mom (aka Raji/Madge), my Aunt Tracy (aka Tray), and my dad (aka Fahv) went to Mammoth two weekends ago to see the Aspens, do some light hiking, lots of cuddling and comfort eating. (Also, do NOT see the remake of Nightmare on Elm Street, its painfully awful.)
A few weeks ago, Grant's dad took Grant, Max, Jas and me sailing. It was a gorgeous day complete with a pod of dolphins and Hot's Kitchen. Their tacos are phenomenal as is their beer selection. I'm so grateful to have had such a great time with my boys.
