Dining Recommendations - Nonna

Nonna is a wonderful little Italian restaurant tucked away on Sunset Boulevard between Doheny and Sierra Drive. The coziness of the restaurant make for a wonderful ambiance, and I had a really good time dining on their patio. The food is incredibly flavorful and everything is served in Euro portions, not in giant super sized portions you are never going to finish. My criticisms for Nonna? The prices are outlandish and the service was okay. I ordered a dover sole that was absolutely delicious but way over priced at $40, just for the fish. Would I go back? Only if they drop their prices a bit. I can appreciate the European style portions, but even in Europe restaurants like these aren't as expensive. If you are curious please visit them at 9255 Sunset Blvd West Hollywood, CA 90069 Phone: (310) 270-4455

Kindness

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.
~Aesop, Ancient Greek Moralist

The Foodie's Fortune

Express yourself...Don't repress yourself!

Maxine!

Dreams

It is difficult to say what is important, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow.
~Robert H. Goddard

Did You Know??

Did you know that gianduja chocolate is a blended mixture of chocolate and hazelnuts that has a unique flavor and velvety-smooth texture. Usually milk chocolate is used, but gianduja can be made from semisweet or bittersweet chocolate. It does have a shorter shelf life of 6 to 8 months and should be handled and stored the same way as other types of chocolate.

Food Safety

When buying meat, here are some guidelines to follow to ensure that you are getting good meat, and not something that is about to go bad if not already bad. Yes, I have experienced finding in stores discolored meat that should not have been on the shelf. Were people still picking up the packages contemplating to buy it? You bet!

So keep this list as your criteria for acceptable:
Beef Color: bright cherry red
Lamb Color: light red
Pork Color: pink lean meat, white fat
Texture Color: firm and springs back when touched

Do not accept or buy if it is:
Color: brown or greenish in color, brown, has green or purple blotches or
white or green spots
Texture: slimy, sticky or dry
Packaging: broken cartons, dirty wrappers or torn packaging
Odor: sour odor

Recipe For You!

Pomegranate Syrup

Ingredients
1 cup pomegranate juice
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar

Directions:
Combine pomegranate juice, lemon juice and sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high and gently boil for 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Although some people like their syrup warmed, we always recommend allowing it to cool to room temperature to enjoy. This wonderful syrup can be used on pancakes, waffles, French toast, etc.

Produce Lesson: Pomegranates

So much has been said about pomegranates and since so many of you have so many questions about them I thought I would share these interesting facts with you. Pomegranates are high in flavonoids, antioxidants (also found in red wine) and cocoa. Recent studies show that pomegranate juice may also help prevent heart disease, although eating your fruit is always better than drinking it! The trick to enjoying the seeds is with the foolproof 'underwater technique'. Cut the pomegranate into quarters over a paper towel. Fill a medium bowl with cold water and hold the fruit under the water seed side down. Pull the edges back, exposing the seeds and run your fingers over the seeds to remove them. Turn the pomegranate over, still holding it underwater, and pick out the remaining seeds. The seeds will sink to the bottom of the bowl and small membrane pieces will float to the top making them easy to discard. Drain the pomegranate seeds and pat dry with a paper towel. Enjoy!

Foodie Language

ratatouille [ra-tuh-TOO-ee; ra-tuh-TWEE]
A popular dish from the French region of Provence that combines eggplant, tomatoes, onion, bell peppers, zucchini, garlic and herbs-all simmered in olive oil. The vegetables can vary according to the cook and can either be cooked together or separately and then later combined. Ratatouille can be served hot, cold or at room temperature, either as a side dish or as an appetizer with bread or crackers.

Determination

Determination gives you they resolve to keep going in spite of the roadblocks that lay before you.

~Denis Waitley

Did You Know??

Did you know that the almond is actually a member of the peach family??

The Foodie's Fortune

Happiness lies in your own hand.

Have a great weekend!

Maxine!

Life!

Don't take life too seriously. You'll never get out of it alive.
~Elbert Hubbard

What is???

What is a minimum internal cooking temperature? It is the minimum temperature a meat should be cooked. For example, the minimum internal cooking temperature for chicken is 165. It should not be considered done or ready to eat until it reaches a minimum internal cooking temperature of 165.

Food Safety

To reduce the risk of cross-contamination, never store cooked or ready-to-eat food below raw food. In other words, don't place your birthday cake below a package of raw fish. Juices from the raw meats may leak out and contaminate your ready-to-eat, cooked food, or in this case your birthday cake. From top to bottom order this is how your raw meats should be stored in your refrigerator:

top shelf - all cooked and ready-to-eat food then...

1. fish - 145

2. whole cuts of beef - 145

3. pork/ham/bacon/sausage - 145

4. ground beef and ground pork - 155

5. poultry - 165 (always on the bottom shelf)

Why in this order? Because the minimal internal cooking temperature for each meat is different, they should be stored in such a way that the meat on the bottom shelf is the one with the highest internal cooking temperature. In other words because the minimal cooking temperature for poultry is 165, it should never be stored above fish which has a lower internal cooking temperature (145). If some of the juices from the poultry were to contaminate the fish, during the cooking process the fish would never reach a high enough temperature to cook out all the bacteria it was cross contaminated with, therefore increasing the risk of someone getting sick. So please be safe and always store your meats in this order if possible!

Did You Know??

Did you know that trattoria is the Italian term for 'casual cafe'???

Foodie Language

Cantina [kan-TEE-nuh] noun
Italian for cellar or winery.

Everyone knows that Alan keeps all the really good wines tucked away in his cantina downstairs.

Effort

Effort only fully releases it's reward after a person refuses to quit.
~Napoleon Hill

Did You Know??

Did you know that although chateau is the French word for "castle", when referencing wine, a chateau refers to "wine estate" or "vineyard". The name is most commonly used in France's Bordeaux region. The French only allow the word chateau to appear on a label name when an authentic vineyard with the traditional use of the name has produced the wine. The only exception is when the word chateau is an essential part of the name, such as Chateau-Challon, or when it's an American winery, such as Chateau St. Jean.

Did You Know??

Did you know that the term character is applied to a wine with distinctive, obvious features, either pertaining to its style or variety. Although a wine without character is considered dull, it has nothing to do with a wine's quality.

Stressed Out Maxine!

Click here to shop for teas!

Playtime

You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.
~Plato

Foodie Language

ragout [ra-GOO]

A derivative or the French verb ragouter, meaning "to stimulate the appetite, ragout is a thick, rich, well-seasoned stew of meat, fish, poultry or sometimes vegetables.

Recipe For You - Ginger Quince Butter

Ginger Quince Butter

Ingredients:
3 quince, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup pineapple juice
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 Tablespoon minced lemon zest
1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:
1. Place quince, water, and juices in medium saucepan and boil on high heat. Reduce to low heat and then simmer for about 30 minutes or until quince is very tender.

2. Stir in remaining ingredients and increase heat to medium high and bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and puree in blender or food processor.

*Can be refrigerated up to 1 week, or frozen in small containers up to 3 months.
** This wonderful spread can be slathered over pancakes, biscuits, waffles, or toast.

The Foodie's Fortune

The word "listen" contains all the letters

of the word "silent".

Maxine!

Have a great weekend!

Dining Recommendations - Rainbow Bar & Grill

So here it is: I recently went to a restaurant called the Rainbow Bar and Grill on Sunset Boulevard two blocks east of Doheny. I had heard so much about their pizza and ambiance that I finally decided it was time to check it out. Of course I ordered one of their pizzas but I also couldn't resist to order their grilled salmon. I love salmon! The service was okay but the food took forever to come out. First came the pizza and salads, and I will say, it was good! Actually it was really good, the pizza that is. The salads were mediocre...I've had better. And then came the salmon. The salmon was way overcooked, basically inedible and the mashed potatoes were the worst I had ever had! They were totally disgusting and for the first time in a long time, I sent the plate back. It was horrible! Would I go back? Probably not for a long time. And if I were to go back, it would be for the pizza and just the pizza. It's really too bad because there were other things on their menu I would like to have tried, but after that fiasco, I'm just sticking to the pizza.

Discipline

Discipline is remembering what you want.
~David Campbell

Produce Lesson: Quince

Quince basically look like squatty pears with an uneven skin surface and subtle bumps. Some have fuzzy skin; others are smooth with colors ranging from yellow to chartreuse. Inside the flesh is whitish-yellow with a texture similar to hard, under ripe pears. Uncooked they taste dry and stringent. Cooked, they become soft and flavorful, most varieties turning an appealing pink or red color with an alluring fragrance of pear and pineapple.

Quince can be baked, sauted, braised or poached. My favorite is to make jams and jellies with them! Quince paste is a popular dish in both Mediterranean and Mexican cuisines and often paired with salty cheeses. The are a good source of vitamin C.

Food Safety

There really are only three safe ways to thaw food that I would recommend.

1. In a refrigerator, at temperatures of 41F or lower.
2. Submerged under running potable water, at a temperature of 70F or lower.
3. In a microwave oven, if the food will be cooked immediately after thawing.

Be safe and follow these guidelines!

Effort

Success is a ladder you cannot climb with your hands in your pockets.

~American Proverb

Meyer Lemons

Botanists believe that this relatively new lemon-family member is really a cross between a lemon and an orange. Meyer lemons have a a rounder shape and smoother skin than common commercial lemons. Their color ranges from deep yellow to yellow-orange. The aromatic juice is sweeter and less acidic than that of regular lemons, making it possible to actually eat the lemon as is. Meyer lemons are named after F.N. Meyer who imported them from China where it's been grown for centuries.

Maxine's Thought For the Day

Did You Know??

Did you know that the word "mocha" originally referred only to a very fine coffee grown in Arabia and shipped from Yemen's port of Mocha. Today this strong, slightly bitter coffee is still available but not as popular as it was in the 16th and 17th centuries. It now commonly refers to a hot coffee and chocolate beverage.

Foodie Language

mise en place [MEEZ ahn plahs] A French term referring to having all the ingredients necessary for a dish prepared and ready to combine up to the point of cooking.

Before you head over to the stove, make sure your mise en place is ready to go so your dish will come together smoothly. Otherwise you might burn something while you are retrieving a forgotten ingredient at the last minute.

The Foodie's Fortune

Catch on fire with enthusiasm and people
will come for miles to watch you burn!

Dining Recommendations - Lasher's

One of my favorite local restaurants is Lasher's! I love this place! I can't get enough of them! They also remind me of another restaurant in L.A. that I enjoy (more on this later!). But please check them out. Lasher's offers a warm, cozy, intimate dining atmosphere with an impeccable menu! Some of my favorite items include Fried Green Tomatoes (totally to die for!), Caramelized Salmon, and their Homemade Meatloaf. They also offer a delicious Sunday Brunch with a unique menu. I don't think I have ever gone for brunch with the same menu twice! It's always so hard to decide what to eat because it's all so good! Lasher's is located on the corner of Broadway and Newport Ave. in Long Beach. It's a wonderful little cottage converted into a restaurant. I recommend you call for reservations. (562)433-0153

Where Do I Find???

I thought I should enclose a link and give you some ideas about where to go to find some of the ingredients I use in these recipes I post for you. Sur La Table is a great store located throughout California and other states that caters to the gourmet home cook. (If there isn't one close by to you, don't worry, they ship!) Not only do they have great tools to use but some really cool ingredients too! And...they have the sprinkles to go with the recipe just posted! Check it out!

Recipe For You - Foodie's Disco Balls

This is a recipe that I had fun making with my kids...and with all that peanut butter in there...it kept them quiet!

The Foodie's Disco Balls (Macrobiotic version)

Ingredients:
1 small jar Sugar-Free, Natural, Organic, Crunchy Peanut Butter
2 Ripe Organic Bananas
2 Tablespoons Organic Flax Seed
2 Scoop Organic Chocolate Whey Protein Powder (you can add more if you want a more chocolatey taste!)
1 Jar Silver Sparkly Decorator's Sugar (this can be found in gourmet grocers and specialty stores in the baking aisle) for decoration

Directions:
Mash all the ingredients and blend well together. Make sure you mash the bananas to bits! (Kids really have fun with this!) Once this is done, roll the balls to the size of a walnut and then roll the balls in the silver sparkly sugar. Be careful to completely cover the balls in the sprinkles. Place the balls on a parchment lined cookie sheet tray and place in the freezer for two hours. Once the balls are frozen and set you can place them in a Ziploc bag for easier storage. Enjoy!

Integrity

Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody's going to know whether you did it or not.

~Oprah Winfrey