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Ingredient of the Week: Domenico’s Marcona Almond Pesto

Heather — Thu, 31 Oct 2013 00:01:29 +0000

INGREDIENT: Domenico’s Marcona Almond Pesto

HOW I USE IT: fresh pumpkin pasta, tossed with pesto and topped with lemon juice and sea salt; polenta, covered with pesto and a fried egg; roasted salmon alongside a big spoonful of pesto on a bed of quinoa/rice/couscous.

NOTES: This is some of the best pesto I have ever tasted. The LA-based company uses really high quality ingredients, which explains both the $10 price tag and the deliciousness. I buy this stuff from my local farmer’s market but you can order online. And for several weeks each fall, Domenico’s also puts out the fresh pumpkin pasta. Combined with the pesto, it’s near perfection.

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The Garden at Esalen, Big Sur

Heather — Mon, 28 Oct 2013 22:57:32 +0000

On my last road-trip to Big Sur, I made a point to visit Esalen, the legendary cliffside retreat/healing center/spa and general dream zone. After soaking in sulfur baths and being massaged by a healer (also named Heather), Alex and I blissfully wandered around the property. And I stopped dead in my tracks as we approached the gorgeous, sun-soaked garden. Row after row of flowers (sunflowers, dahlias, cosmos) alongside thriving herbs and vegetables (used year-round in the Esalen kitchen), all set against the most breathtaking of backdrops: that ocean, those rocks, the towering redwoods. More on Big Sur soon, but these pictures will inspire me as we move into another work week.

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Shop Visit: Beatrice Valenzuela

Heather — Sun, 13 Oct 2013 16:07:06 +0000

My sweet friend Beatrice Valenzuela just opened her LA flagship store in Echo Park and she has infused the cozy space with the same beauty and creativity that she brings to each aspect of her work and life. To compliment her collection of shoes (handmade in Mexico City), Bea has stocked the store with locally made goods, including ceramics by Materia Lumina, leather bags by Anges Baddoo and delicate gold jewels by Kathleen Whitaker. The shop is also filled with treasures uncovered by Valenzuela on her travels throughout Mexico – tables are stacked with ceramics, shelves are covered with piles of textiles and baskets are filled with balls of yarn, dyed in technicolor shades. And if you’re lucky, you might even run into the lady herself!

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Test post Test post Test post Test post

lightray — Thu, 10 Oct 2013 02:30:37 +0000

I recently received the most delightful invitation. My friend Crystal Meers (gorgeous and ingenious) asked if I would like to come to Olive & June, a nail salon in Beverly Hills, for a preview manicure (the salon officially opens tomorrow). The idea is a good one – affordable priced mani/pedis in a beautiful space. To strike this balance between comfort and beauty, founder Sarah Gibson Tuttle collaborated with Brady Cunningham and Kristen Lee of beloved LA-boutique Ten Over Six, who oversaw the interiors, which include tufted pink sofas, tan leather pedicure chairs, and a hanging installation of silk flowers. Upon walking into the light-filled space, visitors are greeted by a great wall of polish on the left, organized by both color and brand (Nars, Butter, Essie and Kure, to name a few), and the great wall of mags on the right (British Vogue, Vanity Fair). Once pursuing the menu of services, I settled on The June ($20), a standard manicure that was one of the best I have received (no gnawing filing – only soft glass files used here). All of this transpired whilst I sipped a refreshing watermelon juice which patrons can order from the juice bar next door. I will absolutely be visiting this gorgeous place on a regular basis. Well done!

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Ingredient of the Week – Rose Water

lightray — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Ingredient: Rose Water
What I use it for: Nigella Lawson‘s Rosebud Madelines (recipe below); many different kinds of cocktails; the best chai tea latte

Rosebud Madeleines

via Nigella Lawson How To Be A Domestic Goddess

Ingredients:

¼ cup unsalted butter, plus 1 tablespoon for greasing

1 large egg

2 tablespoons sugar

pinch of salt

⅓ cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon rosewater

confectioners’ sugar for dusting

24 mini-madeleine tin

Instructions:

Melt all the butter over a low heat, then leave to cool. Beat the egg, sugar and salt in a bowl for about 5 minutes, preferably with an electric mixer of some sort, until it’s as thick as mayonnaise. Then sprinkle in the flour; I hold a sieve above the egg and sugar mixture, put the flour in and shake it through. Fold in the flour with a wooden spoon and then set aside a scant tablespoon of the cold, melted butter for greasing the tins and fold in the rest along with the rosewater. Mix well, but not too vigorously. Leave to rest in the fridge for 1 hour, then take out and leave at room temperature for half an hour.

Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Generously brush the insides of the Madeleine tins with the tablespoon of butter (melting more if you feel you need it) before filling them with half the cake mixture. About 1 teaspoonful in each should do: don’t worry about covering the molded indentations; in the heat of the oven the mixture will spread before it rises.

Bake for 5 minutes, though check after 3. Turn out and let cool on a rack, then arrange on a plate and dust with icing sugar. Repeat with the remaining half of the mixture. Makes 48 mini or about 10 full sized.

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Ingredients of the Week

lightray — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 19:45:00 +0000

I am a major hoarder of specialized cooking ingredients – they provide me with endless inspiration when dreaming up recipes and also give me that comforting feeling of having a stocked kitchen. I thought I would introduce a new feature on LA in Bloom, where I bust open the kitchen cabinet to show you what I’m loving these days. Hope you enjoy.

Ingredient: Ancient Organics Ghee
What I use it for: Frying smashed potatoes; frying eggs; cooking chickpeas with garam masala.

Ingredient: Penzeys Spices Mexican Vanilla Extract
What I use it for: Baking cookies and cakes; the best chai tea latte

Ingredient: Honey Pacifica’s Avocado Honey
What I use it for: On flatbread, with olive oil and sea salt; on toast with almond butter and bananas; drizzled on vanilla ice cream, topped with granola; in hibiscus tea

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