FOOD / 22

hello foodie friends.  i’m here today to butter you up, and i don’t mean that figuratively. we are gonna jazz up some butter like it has never been jazzed before. we’re going to impress friends, dazzle toast and elevate corn on the cob. you ready?
what you’ll need for the different flavors of butter:
•  8 tablespoons softened, unsalted butter
•  1 teaspoon lime juice, plus a little zest
•  2 teaspoons chili powder
•  2 cloves of garlic
•  2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
•  2 teaspoons curry powder
*  1 teaspoon cumin
*  1/4 cup honey
*  1 teaspoon vanilla
*  1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar
*  2 teaspoons coarse salt (i know you know maldon is the best)
*  1 teaspoon coarse ground pepper

what to do:
•  first, do not be alarmed by the ingredients. they are for several different butters.
•  always start with the base of the 8 tablespoons of softened butter in a small food processor.

and then mix in…
•  lime juice, lime zest and chili powder and spread it on some corn. yes, please!
•  or, garlic and rosemary to smother on grilled bread (and maybe sprinkle some parmesan cheese over the top)
•  curry and cumin to spice up baked fish (i put a square on top of a piece of fish, loosely wrap in foil and then bake)

•  honey and vanilla for waffles
•  cinnamon and sugar. i like to add this to quinoa and strawberries for a breakfast treat

•  salt and pepper for just about anything.  if you’re a meat eater, a dab on top of a steak is pretty supreme.

don’t be afraid to play around with your own ingredients.  the possibilities are endless, and these guys are really hard to mess up. good luck and let us know what fun combos you come up with!

{ column + photos by jen gotch, design by designlovefest – want more recipes? go here! }

FOOD / 21

hello and welcome. please come in, take a seat and allow me to blow your freakin’ mind. i’m gonna make your spring and summer a much nicer place with this little gem of a cocktail. bri and i found ourselves sipping on something really similar this past weekend and i immediately exclaimed, “i gotta make this for my food post.” she agreed, as did my husband…and if he can get on board with it, well then, i know you will!

what you’ll need:
• 1 ruby red grapefruit
• 1/4 cup of sweetened lime juice.  (pssst…if you like your drinks super sweet, bump it up to half a cup)
• 3 oz tequila
• club soda
• handful of key limes (but limes will do, if you can’t find these little cuties)
• margarita salt  – moving forward it will be known as marguerite salt

what to do:
• juice the grapefruit into a cocktail shaker (you should end up with about half a cup)
• add the sweetened lime juice, tequila and a handful of ice and shake it!
• in the meantime, cut the limes into wedges and run one of the wedges over the rim of two glasses
• coat the glasses in marguerite salt

then…
• fill each glass with ice and divide the liquid between the two glasses
• top off both glasses with club soda. stir, then a squeeze and plunk of a lime in each.

*that’s it! you’re done. so easy, so delicious. would love to sit and chat, but i’m off to make one for myself. how early is too early to drink this?

{ column + photos by jen gotch, design by designlovefest – want more recipes? go here! }

LA FOOD GUIDE / DINNER

a few months ago i put together an LA Breakfast Food Guide…a list of a bunch of my favorite places to start the day. people seemed to enjoy it and gave me a lot of great recommendations as well.

again, I am sure you have heard me talk about quite a few of these spots, but hey it’s nice to have them all in one spot to reference. I tried to give a nice variety in case you wanted to go on a food tour one week. I always think it’s fun to spend a week trying all new restaurants, it makes you feel like you are on vacation in your own city.

i’ve had such great memories at all of these restaurants, i hope you try some of them out! and be sure fill me in on your favorite LA eats, ok? (mine are mostly east side / downtown area)

(above) map em out & see the menus here: Gingergrass / Church & State / Sage Vegan Bistro

(above) map em out & see the menus here: Bar Covell / Sushi Komasa / Wurstküche

(above) map em out & see the menus here: Umami Burger / Chan Darae / The Lazy Ox Canteen

and make sure to take a look at my LA breakfast guide here!

photo credit top to bottom: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

FOOD / 20

so last year i had the privilege of traveling to hawaii for work.  man that place has a lot of rainbows.  i mean like every day another rainbow, sometimes two and sometimes DOUBLE RAINBOWS.

and even better than rainbows was coconut rice we were served at a little restaurant in haleiwa.  many a night i have spent dreaming about that rice and i finally decided to take it upon myself and give it a go. because i am so sophisticated and also a fan of making easy stuff super hard, i traded rice for risotto. sophisticated, right? the good news: not complicated. not at all!

what you’ll need:
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 2 cups water
• 2 teaspoons coconut oil – it kind of looks like lard and tastes like suntan lotion, but strangely i find it super useful so get yo-self some!
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons honey

what to do:
• in a saucepan over medium heat add risotto and coconut oil
• stir the risotto, coating it well with the oil for about a minute
* add the water, stir and bring to a boil.  cook uncovered for about ten minutes or until most of the water is absorbed.  no need to stir.

once that h2o is almost gone:
•  add in the coconut milk, vanilla and honey.  stir again.
• reduce heat to low and cover.  cook about 5 to 10 more minutes so that all of the liquid is absorbed. now, eat up!

* i served mine with wilted baby bok choy and roasted pork loin, but there are about 150 thousand ways to eat these. a few of my favorites are . . .

breakfast: with toasted almonds, a dollop of yogurt and a drizzle of honey

lunch: use the stickiness to your advantage and turn’em into risotto burgers.  fry’em up i a pan and serve on a leaf of butter lettuce with a slice of red onion and avocado

dinner: as a perfect side dish to pork, tofu, chicken or roasted veggies

dessert: top with stewed vanilla peaches, toasted coconut and whipped cream!

{ column + photos by jen gotch, design by designlovefest – more of these delicious recipes here! }

FOOD / 19

i say potato, and you say “i’m comin’ right over!” ahhh yes, the power of the potato. bri and i know it well, and that’s probably how we found ourselves with bellies full of bottega louie’s amazing potato pancakes last weekend. i left that place with only one thing on my mind. NEED MORE POTATO PANCAKES. so i tooled around a bit in the kitchen and came up with this recipe. it’s super easy and satisfying. maybe not as good as theirs, but it definitely does the trick!

what you’ll need:
• 3 russet potatoes peeled and cubed
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 green onions, chopped (so you get lots of little green circles)
• 1/3 cup sour cream (plus some extra for serving with the finished product)
• 1 egg, gently beaten
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

what to do:
• peel garlic cloves and give’em a good smash.
• place the cut potatoes and smashed garlic into a large pot and cover with water so that they are all submerged, cover and bring to a boil.
* cook for about ten minutes or until the potatoes are tender when poked with a fork.

once those spuds are cooked:
•  drain the potatoes, and remove the garlic cloves.  then add potatoes to a large mixing bowl
• mash those babies with a potato masher being sure to leave some chunks of potatoes in there.
• add the green onions and sour cream and mix well
• now add the egg and salt and pepper and give it a good stir

use your hands:
• and form the potato mixture into patties (as big or small as you want – within reason)

fry’em up:
• coat a frying pan with vegetable oil and heat to medium high
• place the patties onto the heated pan and gently press down a bit with the back of a spatula
• wait about 3 minutes for them to crisp then flip and repeat!

voila’:
• and, if you’re into the idea of making friends or keeping the ones you have.  invite some folks over and serve these up topped with shredded cheddar cheese, bacon crumbles and a fried egg.  i promise they will ask for seconds.

{ column + photos by jen gotch, design by designlovefest – get way more of these delicious recipes here! you won’t be sorry. }

FOOD / 18

one of the many highlights of our trip to london, aka. lundy town was the yogurt parfaits that were brought to our door every morning at the hoxton hotel. each day we would jump out of bed (well, maybe it was more of a saunter) and make our way to the door, grab our goodie bag (discard the orange juice — too, pulpy) and happily dig in to the layers of fruit, yogurt and granola.

when we got back home to los angeles, i found myself craving the flavors, so i did what any rational person would do.  spent several hours researching granola recipes, experimented a bit and came up with a recipe i liked. oh, and yes, i know a rational person would just go to the store and buy a parfait…turns out, i’m not rational.

what you’ll need:
• 16 oz plain greek yogurt (and there’s nothin’ plain about it!)
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt (plus some additional coarse salt for sprinkling – sounds weird, i know, but trust me)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter – softened
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1/3 cup coarsely chopped almonds (i used roasted, but you are popping them in the oven, so raw might be just fine).
* 1/3 cup golden raisins
* 2 cups fresh blueberries
* 1 1/2 cups fresh chopped strawberries (i kept my strawberry chunks pretty chunky)
* 1/3 cup of water
* zest of half an orange
* 1/4 cup sugar

what to do:
• heat your oven to 325 degrees
• in a large bowl mix the oats, cinnamon and salt.  also known as mixture “a.”
* in a medium bowl whisk the honey, butter, brown sugar and vanilla. also known as mixture “b.”  this, i warn you is not too much fun.
* using those pretty hands of yours, convincingly combine mixtures a & b.  oh, and be sure to leave some of it clumpy.  this is one time where clumps are good!
* spread the mixture evenly onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and pop it in the oven for ten minutes.

while you’re waiting:
•  throw the berries, water, sugar and zest into a saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil.
• once at a boil, lower to medium-low heat, stir occasionally and watch how it turns into a beautiful berry filled purple syrup.
• you’ll be done in about 8 minutes, then transfer the goodness to a bowl and set aside to cool.

then back to the granola:
• get in there with a spatula and flip the granola so that it is cooking evenly.
*  sprinkle the almonds over the top and pop it back in the oven for another ten to fifteen minutes.
*  in the last minute, pull the granola out, top with raisins and a light sprinkling of coarse salt
*  remove from oven and let cool.

ps. at times during the process it might seem like your granola is not getting crispy . . . but it will, i assure you, it will.

on to the parfaits:
• so at this point, hopefully you have invited over 5 friends, cause you got parfait fixins for six.
• add a few spoonfuls of fruit to each glass and be sure to get some of that purple syrup along with it.
• then add a couple dollops of yogurt
* top off each with a heap of granola

finally:
* arm yourself with a spoon and start stirrin’ and smashin’!  it won’t be pretty, but it will be delicious!

{ column + photos by jen gotch, design by designlovefest – more delicious recipes here! }

FOOD / 17

hello from paris!

my friend emma (and a bunch of twitter recs) have been telling us to go to Le Refuge des Fondues while we are visiting paris. you eat tons of cheese and drink wine from baby bottles (crazy, right?). the place is really small so they have you climb over the tables (like step ON the tables) to get to your seat. but they hold your hand and act like it’s no big thang. we had an absolute blast.

here are some little memories from the night…

our two day paris trip is shaping up to be beyond special. there is sunshine, carbs and laughter. back to london in the morning! -bri

{ photos by jen gotch, who was sent over the sea with me by mailchimp! }

FOOD / 16

I’ve always been a fan of a good milkshake, but it turns out lactose makes my body mad (furious, even).

I say what milk is to cows, almond milk is to unicorns and we should drink to our heart’s content. This little gem is one of those versatile drinks that is a perfect treat in the morning and an equally perfect boozy after dinner delight. I urge you to try it, immediately!

what you’ll need:
• 16 oz sweetened vanilla almond milk
• 8 dates, pitted and chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 vanilla bean
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• coarse salt
• 2 cups of ice
• 4 oz kahlua (if you feel like drinkin’)

what to do:
• pour the almond milk, dates, cinnamon and nutmeg into a blender
• then split the vanilla bean by running a sharp knife lengthwise down the bean, and use the tip of the knife to scoop out the vanilla seeds inside.
• add the seeds and the vanilla extract and blend until the mixture is smooth-ish, cause you’ll still have some date bits floating around. don’t worry about them, cause they’re delicious. (ps if you don’t have a vanilla bean, just substitute in another teaspoon of vanilla extract)
• oh, and now is the time to add the kahlua, if you’re ready to party.
• and then a pinch of salt and the ice . . . and blend some more.

then:
• sprinkle some coarse salt on a paper plate or saucer
• dip the edges of each glass into the almond milk mixture, just a little bit and then roll the glasses over the salt.
• once all of the rims are salted, pour in the shake
• top off with a dash of salt and a sprinkling of cinnamon and nutmeg
• give it one last stir, serve, slurp, enjoy!

{ column + photos by jen gotch, see all the recipes here }

FOOD / 15

bri and i are friends for lots of reasons: a shared love for all things creative, a penchant for lazy sundays and an insatiable appetite for baked eggs!  yup, you heard me, baked eggs.  we love’em and you know what else?  we love to share them.  i eat the whites and she eats the yolks and we share whatever is in between (with a side of potatoes, of course).  so today, in honor of this special friendship, i give you baked eggs.

what you’ll need:
• 4 eggs
• 3 slices of thinly sliced prosciutto (or 1/4 cup of cubed pancetta)
• 4 oz of fresh spinach
• 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter, divided
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• salt (nice flaky salt like maldon is best) and fresh ground pepper

what to do:
• preheat your oven to 350 degrees
• in a small saucepan, saute the prosciutto or pancetta on med/low heat for about 3 minutes, then add the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. once you see those little bubbles all around the edges, remove from heat and let sit for ten minutes

then:
• saute the spinach in a little bit of butter or olive oil just until it’s bright green (which is probably about 3 minutes on med heat). let cool and then coarsely chop.
• also, now is a good time to separate the heavy cream from whatever your chosen salted meat was. easiest thing to do is run it through a strainer.

and now:
•  place 4 ramekins on a baking sheet, add a cube of butter to the bottom of each.  after that, you can divide the spinach and prosciutto four ways and disperse among the ramekins.
• add a tablespoon of heavy cream to each dish and top each with a cracked egg.
• top each of these with an additional teaspoon of cream (yes, we are being decadent) and a sprinkling of salt and pepper.
• pop those babies in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, rotating the pan half way through.  keep in mind that the yolks will still be a bit runny, so if you don’t like’em that way just bake them for a bit longer.

viola, there you have it. baked eggs.

feel free to play around with the ingredients. maybe try peppers and bacon instead or add some goat cheese. let us know how it goes. enjoy!

{ column + photos by jen gotch, design by designlovefest }

FOOD / 14

so the insanely spring-like weather we have been experiencing here in l.a. inspired me to revisit one of my favorite outdoor brunch drinks, the bloody mary. tomato juice is one of those foods that i absolutely hated until i was 27 years old (same goes for olives). i’m pretty convinced that on the eve of my 27th birthday all of my taste buds fell out and were replaced with new, much more sophisticated ones. these taste buds had pizzaz, spunk and they needed to be satisfied. they had a penchant for complex flavors, salty with sweet, smoky cheese, and whiskey.  lots and lots of whiskey. now, once again, we can all benefit from my little buds.

what you’ll need:
• 16 oz of tomato juice
• 4 oz of basil infused vodka – (or if you’re not up to infusing, 4 oz of regular old vodka and 8 basil leaves)
• 1 lime, quartered
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
• 1 tablespoon of olive juice
• 12 cocktail olives
•4 celery stalks with leaves on if you can, cause it’s prettier that way and that’s what we’re after, right?
• salt (nice flaky salt like maldon is best) and pepper (fresh ground, duh!)

what to do:
• time travel back four days to when you started your basil infused vodka.  ok, that’s not realistic.  so infuse some vodka today and you can drink it next weekend.

there are plenty of recipes for basil infused vodka on the world wide web, but i’ll tell ya, it’s real easy so don’t be intimidated. basically all you do is take about 10 large, rinsed basil leaves and stuff’em in a large airtight bottle, add some inexpensive vodka til it’s just about full and just make sure that all of the basil is submerged.  store in a cool, dark place for 4 days (at least).  strain out the leaves, return greenish hued, delicious smelling vodka back to the bottle and you’re good to go.

now onto the main event:
• divide the vodka into four glasses.  if you weren’t up for the infusing, pop two basil leaves in the bottom of each glass and muddle your heart out.  once you’ve done that you can remove the leaves – the essence is there, but again be warned, the infused vodka is SO MUCH BETTER!
• squeeze a lime wedge into each glass
• fill each glass with ice

then:
•  in a pitcher combine tomato juice, hot sauce, worcestershire sauce, horseradish and olive juice.  stir it up and then fill those glasses.
• garnish each glass with a celery stalk (and take the opportunity to give the cocktail a little stir) and a cocktail pick with olives on it.
• top off with salt and pepper and serve.
ps.  it’s nice to leave out some hot sauce for those folks who like it spicy!

{ column + photos by jen gotch, design by designlovefest }