tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48395810186208972142024-03-01T03:50:21.089-08:00 Sly's Mise En PlaceEverything In Its Place - Food, Drink and Life's Tricky LessonsSylvia Aveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215885640345550862noreply@blogger.comBlogger98125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839581018620897214.post-5759267136898980322014-04-22T10:41:00.002-07:002014-04-22T10:41:44.889-07:00Myer Lemon Sugar Cookies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Who doesn't love a standard issue sugar cookie? I certainly do. A homemade one even more. What makes a baker special is how they elevate the basic and make it truly their own. I'm working on being more experimental and discovered it's not so hard to make something special too.<br />
<br />
My overflowing Meyer Lemon tree gave me the perfect excuse to update my tried and true cookie recipe with a zesty twist. Let me taunt you with a few images. You'll find the recipe below.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5lvJZGep_KvgOMNn6WdsPLU5T9nQVau6T2dbHcnsqPaK3BJ4p1KMsZvkkLevKfIZbiNfxURdHw1597ipunPir58vU5aTCVOHsnkJcjlV7obNBwhMYkRNZ24IBmsJ7Ud36nfa3nGE4gwg-/s1600/Lemon+Snickerdoodles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5lvJZGep_KvgOMNn6WdsPLU5T9nQVau6T2dbHcnsqPaK3BJ4p1KMsZvkkLevKfIZbiNfxURdHw1597ipunPir58vU5aTCVOHsnkJcjlV7obNBwhMYkRNZ24IBmsJ7Ud36nfa3nGE4gwg-/s1600/Lemon+Snickerdoodles.jpg" height="358" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh Out of the Oven, Myer Lemon Sugar Cookies</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwyYH-4l9YIWvDXL06FAwLVVKjo6GCCx3J1Q-751fzqMSwdElWGb1Fi_4w7M2eqKPBkTJkFBNACQy5O6Brx0zZTn9tjhTQq-pgf_lYmeGVUw76kE6LMIMqJ2IYWiBSOpMUKxhqZsl3bl8p/s1600/Lemon+Zest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwyYH-4l9YIWvDXL06FAwLVVKjo6GCCx3J1Q-751fzqMSwdElWGb1Fi_4w7M2eqKPBkTJkFBNACQy5O6Brx0zZTn9tjhTQq-pgf_lYmeGVUw76kE6LMIMqJ2IYWiBSOpMUKxhqZsl3bl8p/s1600/Lemon+Zest.jpg" height="640" width="359" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myer Lemon Zest</td></tr>
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<h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHkfWZP3sa4RYcZnwoZJPKQ_tsy4dueLneLXo9KALded7QC9aAPHQfNBCZ6btfL_0XVQ3jd7nbB-Sa3DctHEp6Q7LGARCFm1f-omnidDJSFeV7-f5ALPADzlUvwdImQD-5BZCJRKKyOZfB/s1600/Dry+Ingredients.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHkfWZP3sa4RYcZnwoZJPKQ_tsy4dueLneLXo9KALded7QC9aAPHQfNBCZ6btfL_0XVQ3jd7nbB-Sa3DctHEp6Q7LGARCFm1f-omnidDJSFeV7-f5ALPADzlUvwdImQD-5BZCJRKKyOZfB/s1600/Dry+Ingredients.jpg" height="356" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dry Ingredients Whisked Together</td></tr>
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</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNCB3XO6imfivR_loVWKnQ2NCOV9qj-YPOJ6vemjJTl9cKe565GF2xCPkxUsMPXa_aopwUQ2mOetWh24mKN12b3mae0oGipZ_yU3SByp2st-uEwFsFQBjZftpdKipJjsO4f_X_8tjYWeaJ/s1600/Butter+&+Sugar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNCB3XO6imfivR_loVWKnQ2NCOV9qj-YPOJ6vemjJTl9cKe565GF2xCPkxUsMPXa_aopwUQ2mOetWh24mKN12b3mae0oGipZ_yU3SByp2st-uEwFsFQBjZftpdKipJjsO4f_X_8tjYWeaJ/s1600/Butter+&+Sugar.jpg" height="356" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Butter & Sugar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMs-yqH57UKvE6WrgXo-2JxIcHuKs-iParcYTy94IqC0WbzucjKdAkY5lHrE3sJRAATNespMTgt7pV9BdR9qsJCjqJKYqhSo8Vsv4vurUZEUOX-sPQ_HOPCvxL526j2tkaO6uJtl9ca9wR/s1600/Roll+the+Dough.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMs-yqH57UKvE6WrgXo-2JxIcHuKs-iParcYTy94IqC0WbzucjKdAkY5lHrE3sJRAATNespMTgt7pV9BdR9qsJCjqJKYqhSo8Vsv4vurUZEUOX-sPQ_HOPCvxL526j2tkaO6uJtl9ca9wR/s1600/Roll+the+Dough.jpg" height="358" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roll the Dough in the Sugar</td></tr>
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<h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUAWL8OA_D0JM47vmA2kxoIVLnplGrTB7JRuAs1YchuFkADmQAo7CMnbQn66dBYn_20beoXKATUz3I9hYLyKqEUrZKmuUal2Mn5s6X25rdIplZYw-esYHFAN6O5wXzvqMAl3lBznlUc5Io/s1600/Ready+for+Baking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUAWL8OA_D0JM47vmA2kxoIVLnplGrTB7JRuAs1YchuFkADmQAo7CMnbQn66dBYn_20beoXKATUz3I9hYLyKqEUrZKmuUal2Mn5s6X25rdIplZYw-esYHFAN6O5wXzvqMAl3lBznlUc5Io/s1600/Ready+for+Baking.jpg" height="358" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for Baking</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYTFODnQwGCp8UtjKnO4Pc2N-pRIv2nkbvkyXqHYl9-oEpMBQM7-W2VSFDWPTwhT-3FCalTu_TXgK6eJdG5eMvDFo0NPkCofdJOc3gzNbJCFN-x6UWkXxq2WBMz0GHUg_XJNmYafr-R4hE/s1600/Sugar+Cookies+Before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYTFODnQwGCp8UtjKnO4Pc2N-pRIv2nkbvkyXqHYl9-oEpMBQM7-W2VSFDWPTwhT-3FCalTu_TXgK6eJdG5eMvDFo0NPkCofdJOc3gzNbJCFN-x6UWkXxq2WBMz0GHUg_XJNmYafr-R4hE/s1600/Sugar+Cookies+Before.jpg" height="358" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sugar Cookies Before....</td></tr>
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<h3>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP3F0uzQ_9bagInNwjMsPqmUHMbfEMvgdVclCGkTwuJJzsAV9wNkhzUA9VZpTWpbmo1f6GTL0XzAjP78w0f02F4UKO94mBajzuSrnEC99qYyJ6hQodcTkcZk6qY_2IMl3BDJ6rbst9IsI1/s1600/Sugar+Cookies+After.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP3F0uzQ_9bagInNwjMsPqmUHMbfEMvgdVclCGkTwuJJzsAV9wNkhzUA9VZpTWpbmo1f6GTL0XzAjP78w0f02F4UKO94mBajzuSrnEC99qYyJ6hQodcTkcZk6qY_2IMl3BDJ6rbst9IsI1/s1600/Sugar+Cookies+After.jpg" height="358" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sugar Cookies After</td></tr>
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</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieziQ42IfUvE5IicDD3YyRT8xQ4oFEFQP_1YePFoPkPqHfxwR_bemGiviV2zPiSETp1mC8ey32aDTwcospS95NpX3cWUgoYoifV60g93_09GyUHxzmzn15orHHSYYtWul-qo_ls9NhKuP1/s1600/Myer+Lemon+Sugar+Cookies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieziQ42IfUvE5IicDD3YyRT8xQ4oFEFQP_1YePFoPkPqHfxwR_bemGiviV2zPiSETp1mC8ey32aDTwcospS95NpX3cWUgoYoifV60g93_09GyUHxzmzn15orHHSYYtWul-qo_ls9NhKuP1/s1600/Myer+Lemon+Sugar+Cookies.jpg" height="358" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myer Lemon Sugar Cookies. Look carefully and you'll see the zest.</td></tr>
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
Meyer Lemon Sugar Cookies</h2>
<h3>
Ingredients:</h3>
<div class="ingredient">
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
Zest of 1 large Meyer lemon<br />
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar<br />
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature<br />
1 large egg<br />
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
2 tablespoons fresh Meyer lemon juice<br />
1/2 cup granulated sugar for rolling cookies</div>
<h3>
Directions:</h3>
<div class="instructions">
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. <br />
2. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. <br />
3. Using a mixer, beat the butter and sugar until creamy.<br />
4. Add lemon zest, egg, vanilla extract and lemon juice. Mix until combined. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients.<br />
5. Roll rounded tablespoons of dough into balls and roll in sugar. Place on prepared baking sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart.<br />
6. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until cookies are lightly brown around the
edges. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheets for a couple of minutes
before moving to a cooling rack.<br />
<br />
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Sylvia Aveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215885640345550862noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839581018620897214.post-12051919569681686532014-04-03T16:44:00.002-07:002014-04-03T19:06:51.898-07:00With a Little Help From My Blogger Friends, A Do-Over Vegetable Patch<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Every spring the vegetable garden story begins the same way, with great promise. Like a good book, the observer hopes for a Victory Garden ending later in the summer. The Victory Garden ending always seems to be in question though. It wouldn't be a well appreciated tale if it weren't without its conflicts along the way, now would it?<br />
<br />
Let's take my previous spring edition of this same story. Last year, I struggled to grow tomatoes. My educated guess was lousy soil and my primary protagonist, the bee, failed at making an appearance to complete my story. Enter the antagonist, a mystery thief who was never fingered, took my only two tomatoes from the season. Thanks a bunch possum, squirrel or whoever you are. You gave me a bummer ending to my kitchen garden tale. I must rework the story this season.<br />
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Not wanting a fairy tale or wishful thinking garden, I researched as any decent author would do.<br />
<br />
Starting with the soil, it's is all about nutrients. Unhealthy soil will give you very little in return. Wanting an organic approach, having a healthy compost amended in the beds will act as a superhero fertilizer warding off pests and disease. <b>A Way to Garden.com</b> has an <a href="http://awaytogarden.com/12-top-composting-faqs/" target="_blank">excellent tutorial on composting</a> if you are in need of help too.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2u9s0izqEsL1QKHBgRtheMrwbMJs-JN2eGrtguCaRC3ajYuQCe-cM5yFDvNEq2KLSsgqfKNRjn94ZdoVvSIVrWxEoa2AuOkWDQmdhYID3Ov6WEm90v7FlZRbOBRVUuIEYBIPFP7xK8D0/s1600/Foxglove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2u9s0izqEsL1QKHBgRtheMrwbMJs-JN2eGrtguCaRC3ajYuQCe-cM5yFDvNEq2KLSsgqfKNRjn94ZdoVvSIVrWxEoa2AuOkWDQmdhYID3Ov6WEm90v7FlZRbOBRVUuIEYBIPFP7xK8D0/s1600/Foxglove.jpg" height="640" width="358" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foxglove, a welcoming sentry</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
How do I make an alluring environment for my lead character, the sadly ever elusive bee? <b>The Honeybee Conservancy</b> has an excellent <a href="http://thehoneybeeconservancy.org/act-today-2/plant-a-bee-garden/" target="_blank">guide on planting a bee garden</a> that provides food and habitat. Bees like showy flowers just as much as humans. They have spectacular vision and seem to be especially drawn to blue, purple, white and yellow flowers. Aim for blooming flowers each season if your gardening zone allows; it will provide them a constant source of food. Ideally, single petal blossoms are best since they have the most pollen and nectar to snack on.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjR1DP3Dv3WDuwaFVmes6ZSw4OUOf8uub_MKp1qjpZxUQRMuf8y5oOjtqAs_dMOk2OQMtQwQOmSJ3sjG5ThGIE3ZpyDEHc66um8ygd0DSW0LAVo0TsxpHQZL7nRe15oXucG09cQFlUL46/s1600/Purple+Salvia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjR1DP3Dv3WDuwaFVmes6ZSw4OUOf8uub_MKp1qjpZxUQRMuf8y5oOjtqAs_dMOk2OQMtQwQOmSJ3sjG5ThGIE3ZpyDEHc66um8ygd0DSW0LAVo0TsxpHQZL7nRe15oXucG09cQFlUL46/s1600/Purple+Salvia.jpg" height="640" width="358" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purple Salvia beckons the bees</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Psst, hey Mr. Honeybee...over here and pollinate me so I can make a glorious, juicy tomato!</div>
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<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXp9SK0t1glucR-ruvUthYZlzUfGbmDbFcYnvs9FEwZ7o83ga1mtPuxe9v01fCdtFzFVwXERuJaJe8fHaGDk7_zMLPgnIcRu5aN-RMFIpmX3pf5ezavRBH7hGNMQ8PyOp8RI0pWdzyAhv3/s1600/Tomato+Bud.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXp9SK0t1glucR-ruvUthYZlzUfGbmDbFcYnvs9FEwZ7o83ga1mtPuxe9v01fCdtFzFVwXERuJaJe8fHaGDk7_zMLPgnIcRu5aN-RMFIpmX3pf5ezavRBH7hGNMQ8PyOp8RI0pWdzyAhv3/s1600/Tomato+Bud.jpg" height="640" width="358" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tomato flower shows early promise</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Tomatoes can use the help of a wing man. The <b>Back to the Basics</b> blog, <a href="http://back2basichealth.blogspot.com/2014/01/2014-planting-guide-top-10-crops-with.html">clued me in on the merits of companion planting</a>. Marigolds, for example, fend off the nematodes and insects with it's not so heady perfume.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkgr5TmzX5m15zzbexvALp_pNkHgdraV25sdBMKaYYfv19_oBL-qZhqD61POl9FnHeeJZyN5hi8MSuvxlNQ5Pzg68XdORD_1ZFyN27ebSDAi5IAnoD-e0eTv4u1ddm-np-Q072ui8FBqWL/s1600/Marigold.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkgr5TmzX5m15zzbexvALp_pNkHgdraV25sdBMKaYYfv19_oBL-qZhqD61POl9FnHeeJZyN5hi8MSuvxlNQ5Pzg68XdORD_1ZFyN27ebSDAi5IAnoD-e0eTv4u1ddm-np-Q072ui8FBqWL/s1600/Marigold.jpg" height="356" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marigold, the great defender of Tomatoes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div align="left">
The last twist in this version of the tale is time and weather. We will have to wait to see how this version of the summertime garden story ends.<br />
</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6sxheY4qa9leyUhJJqnWV3sSzrOzZt1iqEtAL4rp4YjryksIPwnh4chSrdrOxVo_3joA3WO6xAq2VBDpbagjAXnZqYFKSLOT5wkm6KTqalJ-xKtAgTI80zgK5f8dH-DUe9d3BVya5I12l/s1600/Meyer+Lemon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6sxheY4qa9leyUhJJqnWV3sSzrOzZt1iqEtAL4rp4YjryksIPwnh4chSrdrOxVo_3joA3WO6xAq2VBDpbagjAXnZqYFKSLOT5wkm6KTqalJ-xKtAgTI80zgK5f8dH-DUe9d3BVya5I12l/s1600/Meyer+Lemon.jpg" height="640" width="359" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meyer Lemon in hiding</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As for spring, I'm proud to report, my matchmaking bee efforts paid dividends around my Meyer Lemon tree! With a little help from my friends, I hope I've helped you too! <br />
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Sylvia Aveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215885640345550862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839581018620897214.post-7107434704089051502014-03-23T06:49:00.004-07:002014-03-24T05:31:37.815-07:00 The Female Mind on Meal Planning Delivers A Mexican Casserole<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Gents: for a limited time, this is your rare opportunity to see the inner workings of a woman's brain on how she ultimately plans a home cooked meal. Ladies, I hope you don't mind I left the door open a crack; I promise I'll close the door when I finish this post!<br />
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And so, this how I came up with a fireside dinner one evening.<br />
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First, I need to address all of those typical thoughts floating around in my head:<br />
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<li>What vegetables do I have on hand?</li>
<li>I'd love to make that recipe I saw (now where did I see it?) </li>
<li>Anything in the freezer I could use?</li>
<li>Oh yeah..I'm trying to lower my food bill</li>
<li>But is it going to be tasty?</li>
<li>Can I sell my meal idea to everyone else in the household?</li>
<li>I've got to do better about not wasting food</li>
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Now having tamed all the noise, I'm almost prepared to answer the age old question, "what's for dinner?" How to do it and not drive myself into an overbooked, over spent and overtaxed frenzy?<br />
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Tamara Adler's book, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/An-Everlasting-Meal-Cooking-Economy/dp/1439181888" target="_blank">An Everlasting Meal: Cooking With Economy & Grace</a>,</i> has saved my sanity. Her succinct observations have transformed my meal planning skills. She didn't say anything terribly revolutionary; what she did do for me was eloquently write it down in one cohesive spot. <br />
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While her book is part essay, it has inspired me more word for word than any other cookbook I own. And therein lies it's beauty; it's not really loaded with recipes but with insight on how to summon great tasting meals from what I already have. Cutting to the chase...here's your CliffsNotes:<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">"Great meals rely on the bones and peels and ends of meals before them."</span></i> - Tamara Adler</blockquote>
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What does that mean? Roast a chicken on the weekend and save the carcass to <a href="http://slysmisenplace.blogspot.com/2013/01/taking-stock-cooks-connection.html" target="_blank">make a chicken broth</a>. The chopped off ends of a carrot or celery you didn't use are still nutritionally valuable in making a broth. Cook dried beans (much cheaper than canned) and freeze individual servings. Make mash potatoes and use the leftovers to thicken a future soup. Keep the rind from the Parmesan cheese you shredded; it will give you extra flavor in a vegetable soup. Look how much money I just saved you by not having to buy additional ingredients to make a soup or having to buy pre-made broth.<br />
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My decision to make a Mexican Casserole is just one example of a scrumptious meal made possible by having a nicely stocked pantry and "ends of meals." Enough meal planning insight. On to making the casserole.</div>
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prep or mise en place all of the ingredients and this will come together in a snap.<br />
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Ingredients I had on hand: frozen corn from a previous shucking, pinto beans from another day's cooking session, corn tortillas, salsa and Hatch enchilada sauce.</div>
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">We also had leftover chicken from the previous night's roast.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Fresh vegetables I had in the fridge included a red bell pepper, half an onion and zucchini.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4k2bNQqqpISksycaxPObHs_JGrMExDfMLB2CnNe7zwV3kEPwTUuqGURScJlRu4ka0KS4dfZeKlaaOCNxqn0m45vMeOvIGfVchuUfLle_P0ikxWlB1ogzuqIZx9tvQJVn_cyPB1awkenUy/s1600/Manchego.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4k2bNQqqpISksycaxPObHs_JGrMExDfMLB2CnNe7zwV3kEPwTUuqGURScJlRu4ka0KS4dfZeKlaaOCNxqn0m45vMeOvIGfVchuUfLle_P0ikxWlB1ogzuqIZx9tvQJVn_cyPB1awkenUy/s1600/Manchego.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">The only purchase I needed to make was this glorious hunk of creamy Manchego cheese. Shred the whole thing. Freeze the rind for a future meal.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Give a gentle warm up starting with sweating the chopped onions till they are translucent. Add the bell pepper and cook for a minute. Add in the zucchini, corn and pinto beans with an occasional stir for another 5 minutes.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Add in the enchilada sauce. You can't go wrong if you are able to find Hatch. Bring to a simmer on low heat.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Smear the salsa on the bottom of the casserole dish. This will help eliminate the tortillas from sticking to the bottom. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Start layering as you would a lasagna. Salsa...tortillas...beans....chicken...cheese. Repeat!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Bake for 30 minutes. Garnish with fresh avocado and cilantro. </span></div>
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Ole'! I used mostly what I had and delivered at least one dinner and leftovers. I'm now going to quietly close the door as I start pondering on our next home cooked meal.</div>
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Sylvia Aveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215885640345550862noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839581018620897214.post-39880367335745512552014-03-13T09:54:00.004-07:002014-03-15T06:26:29.240-07:00Throwback Thursday - A Child's Tea Party<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Looking for a way to do better in living in the moment? Take a step back to your childhood and remember what made you joyful. You just might be reminded of your true passions. Here's mine!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sly's Tea Party</td></tr>
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Sylvia Aveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215885640345550862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839581018620897214.post-41631939795427421142014-03-04T16:48:00.005-08:002014-03-07T05:59:53.301-08:00Does Your Kitchen Inspire Cooking?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Ever have a monologue with yourself? You know the kind where you're talking out loud and are thankful no one caught you in the act of talking to yourself? My latest script goes something like this, "why am I not cooking more?" I answer myself hastily "time of course." When I'm more patient with myself, the answer changes to, "space." That's because I have a small kitchen. Since I can't really change the time equation, what I can do is deal with design issues. Think about it, design expresses how we feel about working in a space. If you're not a big fan of cooking, perhaps it's because you're in not in an inspiring, workable space.<br />
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How to get your kitchen zen-on you ask? First, know thyself. If you can't easily lay your hands on the most basic of items, find a new home for it. I loved this idea as it serves a double purpose with easy to reach solutions and is a window covering to boot.<br />
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If money were no object, this stove is an outstanding design statement just begging to be used.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLfilafNK5h2oUNgn-twDsIKhQZRbTBNoefOmlhM0oLG-0ntEcZm3PolxDjKDHrC6cmn127YfP1jAAHqpDxHm1rZ8e0eCjKY7vZXViy0vHXwqkPNirTdj25VfCGK_EfxpOhMBFNvDtuZS7/s1600/Vintage-like+Stove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLfilafNK5h2oUNgn-twDsIKhQZRbTBNoefOmlhM0oLG-0ntEcZm3PolxDjKDHrC6cmn127YfP1jAAHqpDxHm1rZ8e0eCjKY7vZXViy0vHXwqkPNirTdj25VfCGK_EfxpOhMBFNvDtuZS7/s1600/Vintage-like+Stove.jpg" height="358" width="640" /></a></div>
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If you have a heavy stand mixer buried in your cabinets, its weight for lifting it out of there may be just enough to deter you from you using it. This one stands alone in its beauty as if its in a statue gallery. Yet it's workable in the space where it is housed. What's that above the attachments you ask? Controls for the drop down television of course.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBK-3FA1T-VDpXIQX0lNKqE-v6CJjlxkdoDqyZWq_9PmddzEmL7pTfvNoppXS10n38EEGZ4xpCL2DJIkXhiWC7GVzUNUgu02-s0tg1pNP1tb5hQgOfgrcNJfRjVP6jgvy3DRIazNQ-WsXd/s1600/Kitchen+Aide++Mixer+Nook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBK-3FA1T-VDpXIQX0lNKqE-v6CJjlxkdoDqyZWq_9PmddzEmL7pTfvNoppXS10n38EEGZ4xpCL2DJIkXhiWC7GVzUNUgu02-s0tg1pNP1tb5hQgOfgrcNJfRjVP6jgvy3DRIazNQ-WsXd/s1600/Kitchen+Aide++Mixer+Nook.jpg" height="640" width="359" /></a></div>
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Pizza is a major staple in our house. Takeout is fine, but it tastes so much better if you can make it at home. Cheaper and healthier too. Make the pizza paddles wall art and never have the excuse again for not making your own. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMECI38DQ3dG1StPiPkYOJV0e0vg4KLXItC9Gj8BAKcdQkfdJMUCbiIYbeB3ku_fM4ZqWLUeiMTgrIx2wB9GthThfh2nfIv-QNktHAPCeiLnkL98bVkA_8mjulyylAQiuZkzK5BDXreDTr/s1600/Pizza+Paddles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMECI38DQ3dG1StPiPkYOJV0e0vg4KLXItC9Gj8BAKcdQkfdJMUCbiIYbeB3ku_fM4ZqWLUeiMTgrIx2wB9GthThfh2nfIv-QNktHAPCeiLnkL98bVkA_8mjulyylAQiuZkzK5BDXreDTr/s1600/Pizza+Paddles.jpg" height="356" width="640" /></a></div>
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Just having a happy color splashed in the kitchen makes you want to spend time here.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2GHiAmcKLn_VodfQMnPwdHZD5xMPCFv5GLWqI34xtqTLf8HNA3Tg5yVDgx_C59fRhB8k1Zu3srucUSqgBmjGF4s2dvETRWcl4qUDPk9pVXlfd2fwb_5OoCVuS7P_tX8TAg3eKMmgJp35S/s1600/Purple+Refrigerator.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2GHiAmcKLn_VodfQMnPwdHZD5xMPCFv5GLWqI34xtqTLf8HNA3Tg5yVDgx_C59fRhB8k1Zu3srucUSqgBmjGF4s2dvETRWcl4qUDPk9pVXlfd2fwb_5OoCVuS7P_tX8TAg3eKMmgJp35S/s1600/Purple+Refrigerator.jpg" height="640" width="358" /></a></div>
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The idea of having this cozy little eat-in diner in the kitchen buys space for making scrumptious meals, invites guests to visit and also serves as a good homework station if you need it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmaB-d8Svs5mB45pLvplX1Q4b8Q4blUb7tS2vCY9d6Wl3pNxp7ZJyIReV36fUsmoZliAYQqDWZ5SQCf3widd37kiyVts4q2FnGM5Cvc0K5dnKCrxSf6jASaL1rtTtrtcK1-zXb9IDPM3h/s1600/Dine+in+nook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmaB-d8Svs5mB45pLvplX1Q4b8Q4blUb7tS2vCY9d6Wl3pNxp7ZJyIReV36fUsmoZliAYQqDWZ5SQCf3widd37kiyVts4q2FnGM5Cvc0K5dnKCrxSf6jASaL1rtTtrtcK1-zXb9IDPM3h/s1600/Dine+in+nook.jpg" height="358" width="640" /></a></div>
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Robin-egg blue is my new favorite color. I'd be quite content taking in a meal or two in this home.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-2r6Wj7bpocW-KDgL9jVr9Ydnk7_rAccv_yCNfGn3MfkngtVUkXviNxudSqJZ3VVFDIJodadNExMyo-dm84QBlLs7TaS6PdGh7uSqhy3ixipYTq1flGP4rQbFLybFNUeliRlS6RNxKuVx/s1600/Kitchen+Dining.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-2r6Wj7bpocW-KDgL9jVr9Ydnk7_rAccv_yCNfGn3MfkngtVUkXviNxudSqJZ3VVFDIJodadNExMyo-dm84QBlLs7TaS6PdGh7uSqhy3ixipYTq1flGP4rQbFLybFNUeliRlS6RNxKuVx/s1600/Kitchen+Dining.jpg" height="358" width="640" /></a></div>
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Perhaps it's the company. It's so necessary to have a companion!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilLk-PmUErgIN97hEmoGYJJodrHrfftrSUjOyE5IlUfu4Re5YaKrpTZVuh7ObF_F8IR7VLXgdLSjliQKYj1aBaAs5oHzKLERI9NHx5ffLrXLW7nqeZN13PteuZd-GCq705OYYjEBUeHmp9/s1600/Kitchen+Cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilLk-PmUErgIN97hEmoGYJJodrHrfftrSUjOyE5IlUfu4Re5YaKrpTZVuh7ObF_F8IR7VLXgdLSjliQKYj1aBaAs5oHzKLERI9NHx5ffLrXLW7nqeZN13PteuZd-GCq705OYYjEBUeHmp9/s1600/Kitchen+Cat.jpg" height="640" width="358" /></a></div>
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All of these ideas came courtesy of last year's annual Kitchen Revival Tour hosted by Portland's (Oregon) Architectural Heritage Center. John and I actually planned our 2013 spring break/vacation around this event which happens every spring. You may remember we did all things foodie on that trip when we went on a <a href="http://slysmisenplace.blogspot.com/2013/04/its-not-all-about-vodoo-donuts.html" target="_blank">food walking tour</a>.</div>
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Feeling inspired and wish you had thought of going? It's not too late. Here is your next opportunity straight from their website:</div>
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<h1 class="title">
<a href="http://www.visitahc.org/content/2014-kitchen-revival-tour" target="_blank">2014 Kitchen Revival Tour</a></h1>
<h1 class="title">
Saturday, April 12, 2014 10:00 am - 4:00 pm</h1>
<img align="left" alt="" src="http://www.visitahc.org/files/images/KRT2014/DSC1405.jpg" height="289" hspace="5" vspace="10" width="173" /><br />
<a href="http://www.visitahc.org/" target="_blank"><b>The Architectural Heritage Center is a non-profit resource for historic preservation</b></a>. <br />
Homeowners and their
all-volunteer tour selection committee make it happen. This self-guided tour represents a range of approaches to
renovating your kitchen in a manner that reflects the home's original
design and style.<br />
If you are considering taking on a kitchen renovation project
yourself, homeowners and contractors will be on hand to provide tips and
real-life experiences on everything from retaining original material
to hiding (or disguising) appliances. The tour will convince
even the biggest of skeptics that you can adapt an older home to a
21st century lifestyle while still retaining its historic character
and charm.<br />
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This event is held in some of Portland, Oregon's finest historic neighborhoods. <br />
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<h2>
Saturday, April 12, 2014 10:00 am – 4:00 pm<br />
Members: $20 General Public: $25</h2>
<h3>
<b>Pre-registration is strongly suggested</b></h3>
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Sylvia Aveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215885640345550862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839581018620897214.post-69284773656417037662014-02-19T14:52:00.001-08:002014-03-02T07:14:11.024-08:00A Local Restaurant, A Local Coffee Distributor and a Thank You Note Can Make All the Difference<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In the faceless, virtual world of the Internet and retail, a vendor's only tool for repeat business is to provide decent customer service. At a minimum, that means timely delivery, a quality product and getting the order right. Smart promotion can get the customers through the digital door. Most times it takes more than all of those moves combined to be successful.<br />
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The story I'm about to tell you, reveals a superb example of supporting the local guy (and gal) while thinking globally and how it can benefit so many.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLr_GRFssqJ8_Nt8aKCsZJf8Ut7uAOQZzP4kOFDU6NE6GKDGNSwDklj2Wg62qdE-Azzw104S34_vcyQDQBx1JzjiuK_XqHgXEbrVTd7HrPFJdmTtbXu6d2I1IoNxXbxMRHNrTvcz4oFkTc/s1600/Silverback+Coffee+Logo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLr_GRFssqJ8_Nt8aKCsZJf8Ut7uAOQZzP4kOFDU6NE6GKDGNSwDklj2Wg62qdE-Azzw104S34_vcyQDQBx1JzjiuK_XqHgXEbrVTd7HrPFJdmTtbXu6d2I1IoNxXbxMRHNrTvcz4oFkTc/s1600/Silverback+Coffee+Logo.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silverback Coffee of Rwanda</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
John and I came across this remarkable company, <a href="http://www.silverbackcoffee.com/" target="_blank">Silverback Coffee of Rwanda</a> by patronizing one of those unique little breakfast hotspots in the Valley, <a href="http://charliespantry.com/" target="_blank">Charlie's Pantry</a>. The ever delightful Maria Di Salvio who owns and runs Charlie's believes in making most of what you eat in her restaurant there on site. She knows how to maximize flavor by using seasonal, farm fresh, locally sourced ingredients while crafting simply prepared dishes. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT6Pmou1cB7OH30jVGbq_uWILCBAWSxO7LPB2zgEU-EsxJR44cl52G6WqrLj5XXTnbcNyZeXxoSweDS74zJH2mbyxC1LZwzFFNH3BQeBjqkVT0b9XmHZLUnu_NXverEND7QrUr3xfvmSdR/s1600/Charlies+Pantry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT6Pmou1cB7OH30jVGbq_uWILCBAWSxO7LPB2zgEU-EsxJR44cl52G6WqrLj5XXTnbcNyZeXxoSweDS74zJH2mbyxC1LZwzFFNH3BQeBjqkVT0b9XmHZLUnu_NXverEND7QrUr3xfvmSdR/s1600/Charlies+Pantry.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charlie's Pantry in Studio City, CA</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On our first of many visits, we were immediately enticed by a most intoxicating aroma of coffee when we walked in the door. Sometimes a fragrance fools the desire but in this case the aroma did not lie. In fact, the aroma delivered on its promise with a sultry but richly mellow body leaving a slightly toasty after taste. Funny thing about love at first sight (or taste in this case), you must know the name of the object you desire. <br />
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Silverback Coffee and Charlie's have cleverly seized their ability to satisfy the senses while motivating customers to buy the coffee beans at the restaurant. With subtle signage and a retail aspect to the restaurant we were hooked We now buy a bag of Silverback's beans every time we visit Charlie's to satisfy our caffeine desires at home.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg54aoWujo4EgVG2Q9kbwrH88C-rhRzkV5KvxwiES4jDb1Gw0bd9ZnUPsdsAn8wjzA8rCL3BVEFlbzo3bE1O-FCo8AG-55XSTcQfKIqFQ-apSMATccR9qrzZHERf7LqGdxV4qiqp9KeEVg/s1600/Pantry+Coffee+Stall.JPG" height="640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charlie's Coffee Station</td></tr>
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When we couldn't make it over to Charlie's, we tried to mail order from the distributor directly. Low and behold, their offices are in Los Angeles. Visiting their website, we learned so much more about the company's mission:</div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
SILVERBACK COFFEE OF RWANDA™ supports its values by donating a percentage of its profits to organizations that
build schools in Rwanda's local areas and provides services to widows and orphans as a result of the genocide.</div>
<br />
In addition, together with the Rwandan government, SILVERBACK COFFEE OF RWANDA™ will improve the quality of
care and growth of the native endangered silverback gorilla. Furthermore, our product can be traced to the
farms where it's grown, to ensure fair wages and proper treatment of workers.
</blockquote>
Not that I needed further encouragement to buy their product, but I'm confident their motivations are in harmony with my desire to put my money in worthwhile causes. Imagine our delight when Silverback Coffee of Rwanda not only gave us good customer service, but the Founder & CEO Jack Karultetwa sent along a thank
you note in his own handwriting no less! What a great touch.<br />
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Jack's family became refugees of Rwanda during the 60's. He ended up in college in Arizona where he discovered he had a talent for basketball. Ultimately, he became a Harlem Globe Trotter with stints as an actor. Now with means he, is able to help the poorest
coffee farmers in his homeland realize their value and empowers them to become a part of a global economy. <br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzgfYi-YPOhmWU0BbbCaqzFXh6fgKStfPZVR7uKQDv3g8Js9G4htgEjN8fS6AktUmzPIujkjJHm_92TOLtkixzFScC8jGU62_3l6Lz4692aZfPSafoACrmd0hdzDE4oGrzEThnbJ-LIoF/s1600/Silverback+Coffee+Collage.jpg" height="640" width="640" /> </div>
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<br />
By merely treating ourselves to breakfast out, not only did we keep our money local but we also helped in our own minor way on something of a much grander scale. Thank you Charlie's Pantry and Silverback Coffee for providing us the opportunity to do so.
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Sylvia Aveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215885640345550862noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839581018620897214.post-77481375735144946932014-02-05T15:01:00.002-08:002014-04-23T15:12:41.588-07:00It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Epicure Imports! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTD69uQ1-US4VjGQZLgyw74DAPZ22rpCll2n3LUnNFyaY79ivhK3hSzXB5sbztHNT9FRDrayR_oWe_dCvORFfTn_2_4mt2jq3U_y1d7L5Ll1rPb2Dk33Acvromwbt5d9Z_6K8IYkJVLumw/s1600/Plane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTD69uQ1-US4VjGQZLgyw74DAPZ22rpCll2n3LUnNFyaY79ivhK3hSzXB5sbztHNT9FRDrayR_oWe_dCvORFfTn_2_4mt2jq3U_y1d7L5Ll1rPb2Dk33Acvromwbt5d9Z_6K8IYkJVLumw/s1600/Plane.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
In a most unassuming industrial location deep in the San Fernando Valley, resides a gourmet treasure hunt. Directly under the glide path into Burbank's Bob Hope airport, Epicure Imports distributes high-end gourmet items to restaurants, hotels, caterers, chefs, resorts and retail. Their daily deliveries can include stops San Diego, Palm Springs, Orange County, LA as well as San Francisco and Las Vegas. <br />
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Fortunately, I caught a random blurb on my neighborhood <a href="http://studiocity.patch.com/" target="_blank">Patch</a> back in December announcing an Open Warehouse sale at this import place I had never heard of. Intrigued, John and I viewed this as a culinary field trip where we may or may not buy anything.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG0nY02KS8l4zk3HcLdrz6ZbTtQw7-PLlTY3Y6PYhvP7eFlWv3YUlQls_7a4h_qilJrlMvekQafnx5goGouCs89-4g3u5bKL-wepixGv2cOGpgrXoave6fQf6VL8MjttgWHcBMoPmHsYUI/s1600/Epicure+Imports+Exterior.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG0nY02KS8l4zk3HcLdrz6ZbTtQw7-PLlTY3Y6PYhvP7eFlWv3YUlQls_7a4h_qilJrlMvekQafnx5goGouCs89-4g3u5bKL-wepixGv2cOGpgrXoave6fQf6VL8MjttgWHcBMoPmHsYUI/s1600/Epicure+Imports+Exterior.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Owner Preparing to Open the Doors</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs8KW1NMUv8wxjB6hUYeyPd4tgo3dLZYT_-ArdOrrr0cYwJeHtn3Wblp2_xuF7RCZTV2PXptfjEn9KHnOIJD5AspzQ44IZcjJy3vfAcuXKmr79aWVxpqW7i5WBH4fDvPR5eDM9rhZ8WGFz/s1600/IMG_1373.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs8KW1NMUv8wxjB6hUYeyPd4tgo3dLZYT_-ArdOrrr0cYwJeHtn3Wblp2_xuF7RCZTV2PXptfjEn9KHnOIJD5AspzQ44IZcjJy3vfAcuXKmr79aWVxpqW7i5WBH4fDvPR5eDM9rhZ8WGFz/s1600/IMG_1373.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Small Portion of the Line Waiting to Get In</td></tr>
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When <a href="http://epicureimports.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Epicure Imports</a> has their Open Warehouse sales for the general public (next one is this coming weekend), it's usually discovered by word of mouth. By the looks of the line to get in before the doors opened, it appears Los Angelenos can't keep this a secret. We went on the second day of their December sale, a Saturday at 9a (the moment they opened their doors) and the line strung through the parking lot out to the street.<br />
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Talk about a kid in a candy shop, any foodie will go bonkers in here. Those impossibly creative restaurant specials more than likely started with sourcing an ingredient from a place just like this. No wonder high-end restaurants appear to be superheroes. Here is just a minor sampling of the goodies we found during our winter excursion:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSWS_6d5hQGEwsk72VspghvDpPjOBlQW6QII-BQyJp4gdsiIT1FNyhOZH96u43of2JGcDbLuP4AXSnyGUP_iVhlaYUSk2Ntafvm_5uHi-X2P5HJPkD_O6IJkdUib3VPiIzTqrQeT4fWSTa/s1600/Epicure+Finds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSWS_6d5hQGEwsk72VspghvDpPjOBlQW6QII-BQyJp4gdsiIT1FNyhOZH96u43of2JGcDbLuP4AXSnyGUP_iVhlaYUSk2Ntafvm_5uHi-X2P5HJPkD_O6IJkdUib3VPiIzTqrQeT4fWSTa/s1600/Epicure+Finds.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a><br />
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Here's what you need to know before going. Bring a jacket; you'll want to spend plenty of time in their refrigerated rooms where mountains of cheeses, butters and meats are stored. Also bring your own bags. They do accept debit, credit cards and cash. <br />
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One more thing to anticipate; the sale is popular and wait time to checkout may take a bit. Be patient...it's worth it. </div>
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Their schedule for the Open Warehouse events is below. If you still are unsure and need further enticement, click <a href="http://epicureimports.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/epicure-imports-product-list-2-03-14.pdf" target="_blank">**here**</a> for their February product list. Happy hunting!</div>
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Sylvia Aveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215885640345550862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839581018620897214.post-50224073801687509682014-01-28T16:11:00.001-08:002014-02-02T06:13:16.798-08:00Turn Your Tagine into a Working Member of the Kitchen ... A Beef Stew Creation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmWM4V8N-xj98cnUV3IxvhjYQke-gQRS_ccwAemIMEuDhfQ8xhIJACd22vf2N8mUPSmFPoYo8m-AK2SRubz2r7uSJvkc9tf27EaMecWlOtArZj6emS23WWu5Qba6Xqkl_LewE35LZEsmjm/s1600/Shelved+Clay+Tagine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmWM4V8N-xj98cnUV3IxvhjYQke-gQRS_ccwAemIMEuDhfQ8xhIJACd22vf2N8mUPSmFPoYo8m-AK2SRubz2r7uSJvkc9tf27EaMecWlOtArZj6emS23WWu5Qba6Xqkl_LewE35LZEsmjm/s1600/Shelved+Clay+Tagine.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
Has your tagine taken up a permanent, cozy residence on a dining room shelf like ours has? Every night, our tagine looked languidly on as we noshed on dinner. If it could talk or think, it probably thought it had the easy life without having to lend a hand.<br />
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Not a whimsical purchase on our part, we had every intention of cooking with it as we were inspired by <a href="http://slysmisenplace.blogspot.com/2013/05/a-marrakesh-inspired-housewarming-gift.html" target="_blank">the gift we had given to our friends last year</a>. We even cooked in the tagine the weekend we purchased it and were quite delighted with the outcome. Yet, it retired itself to the shelf of collectibles for the next few months.<br />
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Giving the seemingly lazy tagine a break, its usefulness is most appreciated on a leisurely weekend afternoon. Finding the leisurely afternoon problem is on us, not the tagine. Finally a free Sunday afternoon presented itself and we asked the tagine to take the stage...front and center. The entertainment of choice (i.e. the recipe) was a variation of Jamie Oliver's Beef Tagine. If you're interested in Jamie's recipe click <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/us/recipes/beef-recipes/beef-tagine" target="_blank">**here**</a>.<br />
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Our adaptation of ingredients and a summary of the recipe we created are outlined below. If you do not have a tagine, it can be prepared in a dutch oven as well. We've done it both ways with great success.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Massage the spice rub over the meat, refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours before cooking</td></tr>
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Prep your tagine with a generous coating of olive oil and warm over medium heat. Managing expectations here, browning the meat in an earthen tagine will take much longer than you are used to in today's conventional pots and pans. The beauty of a tagine is the shape of the lid which traps the condensation, returning it back into the cooking liquid. The meat retains a glorious dry/moist flavor that no other type of cooking can provide.<br />
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This recipe calls for using the whole cilantro stem (a nose to tail approach creating no waste). Check out our mise en place prep.<br />
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After the meat has seared, add the onion and cilantro stems. Reserve the leaves for garnish at the end.<br />
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Cook for an additional 5 minutes before adding the rinsed/drained chickpeas and chopped tomatoes.</div>
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Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. We used our homemade chicken stock but store bought is fine too. If you need a homemade recipe for stock check out<a href="http://slysmisenplace.blogspot.com/2013/01/taking-stock-cooks-connection.html" target="_blank"> John's take on stock making</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8nCJymIB1J6pZRQHuMHCJGtaAyDvW9icFIphRzjVyaTtRELyjmdKHFdCUG51Hs0VhkagvEgCX_yXngnNx7KEAmZaeNxf63AtzzhCzKIrUXaY8pwI4vr_lBq3AdNDc61VoCKcrL7S245YO/s1600/Broth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8nCJymIB1J6pZRQHuMHCJGtaAyDvW9icFIphRzjVyaTtRELyjmdKHFdCUG51Hs0VhkagvEgCX_yXngnNx7KEAmZaeNxf63AtzzhCzKIrUXaY8pwI4vr_lBq3AdNDc61VoCKcrL7S245YO/s1600/Broth.jpg" height="640" width="359" /></a></div>
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Bring to a boil, reduce and cover simmering for 1.5 hours. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDpwycPkKAAJJ45XSwHrl53jPNn5tkB-48lKgrhKmTwbPQjzxFuZPFZ3pi0pbzsO1Y6VJAPN4Vhv1nBniubZ0KZtxrTHCQtOhPtWe3LmLZ-oOgebqZSQi_N1p5mwCRKiYEml4pfvCPtsk1/s1600/Tagine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDpwycPkKAAJJ45XSwHrl53jPNn5tkB-48lKgrhKmTwbPQjzxFuZPFZ3pi0pbzsO1Y6VJAPN4Vhv1nBniubZ0KZtxrTHCQtOhPtWe3LmLZ-oOgebqZSQi_N1p5mwCRKiYEml4pfvCPtsk1/s1600/Tagine.jpg" height="640" width="356" /></a></div>
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This would be a good time to play a game of chess!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEnvTDMW9Fw-bd3QlKSER9glxvYGMbkjiUc2ufMlK-gj080h5wfIETRblT50inlcHI42fNTjgwf-307x-Brt_J8mQ-RktTxPiS7A9BvKb0nNcgIL3ohHKwFH2LhRVRzM2D1_0C4U7N_iSP/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEnvTDMW9Fw-bd3QlKSER9glxvYGMbkjiUc2ufMlK-gj080h5wfIETRblT50inlcHI42fNTjgwf-307x-Brt_J8mQ-RktTxPiS7A9BvKb0nNcgIL3ohHKwFH2LhRVRzM2D1_0C4U7N_iSP/s1600/photo.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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After attempting to beat John (an hour and half later), added the prunes and the cauliflower. If it looks dry, add a bit more stock or water. No, I didn't win the game.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjelYqs1nIQ5Jd3td4RZz4oFYHmWfYZwi9BFeosDGSuc4Ji0dxoWBr2CkRwfg8MRnHIX4aZdkZMTWMcoqH62mo-7W-YlJ93I40FX3TQmvcq8r0YtffCnSRfw7vEAs__2SIifMpsQT8fzIj1/s1600/Cauliflower+in+Tagine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjelYqs1nIQ5Jd3td4RZz4oFYHmWfYZwi9BFeosDGSuc4Ji0dxoWBr2CkRwfg8MRnHIX4aZdkZMTWMcoqH62mo-7W-YlJ93I40FX3TQmvcq8r0YtffCnSRfw7vEAs__2SIifMpsQT8fzIj1/s1600/Cauliflower+in+Tagine.jpg" height="358" width="640" /></a></div>
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Gently stir what was just added and put the lid back on for another 1.5 hour simmer. In the meantime, I found this terrific recipe for homemade pita bread and now would be the perfect time to make it. If you want to make your own, I can highly recommend fellow food blogger, Half Baked Harvest's recipe. Click <a href="http://www.halfbakedharvest.com/traditional-greek-pita-bread/" target="_blank">*here*</a> to make it yourself. So soft and chewy you will NEVER go back to store bought.</div>
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After the final simmer, your beef stew is ready. Garnish with a heavy load of cilantro leaves and sliced almonds. So perfect for a winter afternoon.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Beef Tagine (adapted from Jamie Oliver)</span> </b><br />
<h4 class="ingredient" style="text-align: left;">
<i>Ingredients: </i></h4>
<ul class="ingredientsList" style="text-align: left;">
<li class="ingredient">1.5 lbs of stewing beef </li>
<li class="ingredient">Spice rub:</li>
<ul>
<li class="ingredient">Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper</li>
<li class="ingredient">1 Tbsp <a href="http://moroccanfood.about.com/od/maindishes/r/ras_el_hanout_recipe.htm" target="_blank">Ras El Hanout</a> (Moroccan spice)</li>
</ul>
<li class="ingredient">Olive oil</li>
<li class="ingredient">One onion, peeled and finely chopped</li>
<li class="ingredient">A small bunch of cilantro</li>
<li class="ingredient">(1) 14 oz can of chickpeas</li>
<li class="ingredient">(1) 14 oz can of chopped tomatoes or 1 large freshly chopped tomato</li>
<li class="ingredient">3.5 cups of chicken broth</li>
<li class="ingredient">(1) small cauliflower head .. florets only</li>
<li class="ingredient">3.5 oz of dried prunes roughly chopped</li>
<li class="ingredient">2 Tbsp of sliced almonds</li>
</ul>
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<div style="background-color: white; border: currentColor; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<div class="instruction">
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>To prepare:</b></span><br />
1. Mix all the spice rub ingredients together in a small bowl. Place the beef in a larger bowl and massage the spice rub into the meat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours or preferably overnight. This will allow the spices to really penetrate the meat for flavor.</div>
<div class="instruction">
2. When it's time to start cooking, warm the tagine with medium heat and coat the tagine with a very generous portion of good quality olive oil. Sear the meat over medium heat till it just starts to take on a brown color. </div>
<div class="instruction">
3. Add the onions and cilantro stems and continue to cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.</div>
<div class="instruction">
4. Fold in the chickpeas and tomatoes. Add the broth and bring everything to a boil.<br />
5. Reduce heat to a simmer and place the tagine lid on <span style="background-color: white;">and</span> cook for an hour and a half.</div>
<div class="instruction">
6. At the hour and half mark, add the cauliflower and prunes. Give it a gentle stir. <br />
7. Cook for another hour and a half. Check in on it occasionally to make sure it hasn't gotten too dry. If it has, add more broth or water.<br />
8. It's ready to eat when the meat is tender and falling apart. Garnish with cilantro to add brightness and almonds for a bit of crunch.<br />
<br />
<i>Serving size is approximately 4</i><br />
<i>Time to prepare and cook 3.5-4 hours depending on how leisurely you want to approach this</i><br />
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Sylvia Aveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215885640345550862noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839581018620897214.post-54659039696834709392014-01-18T07:07:00.001-08:002014-03-02T07:12:33.372-08:00Big Sur, Big Thoughts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Contemplating life and all the mysteries it entails is a treat John and I enjoyed on a recent birthday trip to Big Sur's <a href="http://www.nepenthebigsur.com/" target="_blank">Nepenthe</a>. Of course, Big Sur is a breathtakingly beautiful destination for rejuvenating one's soul. I probably would be happy at any establishment if it is in Big Sur...rain or shine.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLtI069OUI0rGfiRYohJhwVQl2OsOWcGWHo_rRr0KMv4WCB9qqumd_xwu8c_x3CgmfdmDU6qzR8P0KT3OIHVfFQ50CG7o1NpLUUHI3bvcq7ITe8LwemEs1bvj2fE36QLJgdbV9LJA-KZ8z/s1600/Nepenthe+Beer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLtI069OUI0rGfiRYohJhwVQl2OsOWcGWHo_rRr0KMv4WCB9qqumd_xwu8c_x3CgmfdmDU6qzR8P0KT3OIHVfFQ50CG7o1NpLUUHI3bvcq7ITe8LwemEs1bvj2fE36QLJgdbV9LJA-KZ8z/s1600/Nepenthe+Beer.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bottom of a Beer Glass, Circa 2014-Big Sur, CA</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
One of our great joys in life is an afternoon break with a nice beverage
in hand taking in the surroundings. Sometimes the break is about
enticing conversation, or investigating the latest place with a fun
vibe. But on this birthday afternoon it was about being quiet and
letting the mind wander. Nepenthe delivered.<br />
<br />
Our establishment choices are not always about the food. The choice may be determined because of the ambiance. With Nepenthe it is about the destination where the food and drink are just an excuse to linger in comfort with a stunning view.<br />
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Big Sur's Highway 1 has many pullouts for taking in the scenery; but with each turn out it is just a spot for cars to park on a cliff. Unless you take picnic and hike, there's only a few restaurants with view of the ocean where you can nourish your tummy and your soul.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5IKn6cSaBVtWiwL8-qb5P-j19QoJa-m1rcWIVVYE8kRhoFBk1QWi2kKSu7n7qbUKgjAqIT6I8_vLbOAUmGUAkts7gEPy8Cjb1_4YFmAtTXXmcSYL2hJGOmlEd6fsnCzueL1V4DvYRO926/s1600/Big+Sur+Coast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5IKn6cSaBVtWiwL8-qb5P-j19QoJa-m1rcWIVVYE8kRhoFBk1QWi2kKSu7n7qbUKgjAqIT6I8_vLbOAUmGUAkts7gEPy8Cjb1_4YFmAtTXXmcSYL2hJGOmlEd6fsnCzueL1V4DvYRO926/s1600/Big+Sur+Coast.jpg" height="358" width="640" /></a></div>
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What were my grand thoughts on this warm January day? In case you haven't been following, California is in the middle of the driest period since 1849 since they started keeping track of such things. On the surface, the sultry air, the sea mist ever looming and the crystal clear views made this day particularly alluring. But the feeling is so deceiving; a trick of the mind if you will. We need rain! Less than a month earlier, Big Sur had a terrible fire because of the dry conditions. Yesterday, our governor declared a <a href="http://gawker.com/as-california-burns-hot-dry-weather-predicted-for-enti-1502840883?utm_campaign=socialflow_gawker_facebook&utm_source=gawker_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow" target="_blank">drought emergency</a>. Helpless in feeling, there is not much I can do about it except to conserve the water we have. These kinds of environmental changes are happening all over the globe; California is not alone.<br />
<br />
Is this part of our evolutionary process? Is there anything we can do about it? Timely questions to consider when one takes stock on their birthday. What do you think?<br />
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Sylvia Aveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215885640345550862noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839581018620897214.post-3911051699515678592013-12-31T06:14:00.003-08:002014-03-02T07:15:24.287-08:00 The Wisdom of Celebrating with Food<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Over the weekend I was on the phone with my grandmother telling her about our cozy anniversary dinner at <a href="http://peaceinthecanyon.com/" target="_blank">Pace in the Canyon</a> in Laurel Canyon. Pace is the Italian word for peace. She was so pleased we used her gift money marking the occasion in this way. She simply observed, "it's good to do something different to celebrate the day." <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd_CYgo-euuw-jjGN7vkIlORm_SRHkVRG5Yc-ATa1Co8Jfjjggg70mCfxgz5vFHpkTnPxmbvzIvVHI0H_AkKhF5YpATdPfVfyrAd-t5H4PLVEOccqCNpOSkpUvu5sZgwQqQRDj8drvKtey/s1600/pace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd_CYgo-euuw-jjGN7vkIlORm_SRHkVRG5Yc-ATa1Co8Jfjjggg70mCfxgz5vFHpkTnPxmbvzIvVHI0H_AkKhF5YpATdPfVfyrAd-t5H4PLVEOccqCNpOSkpUvu5sZgwQqQRDj8drvKtey/s1600/pace.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: <a href="http://www.minxsociety.com/2012/01/pace-laurel-canyons-heavenly-hideaway/" target="_blank">Minx Society</a></td></tr>
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We chose this restaurant not only for it's remarkable food (click <a href="http://peaceinthecanyon.com/dinner/" target="_blank">here</a> if you want to see the menu), but almost more importantly for its atmosphere. One of the very few outpost locations still around from the 20's, this tucked-in-the-Hollywood Hills gathering spot is in a European cave-like setting. I love places like these where you feel like you are part of a secret. The restaurant is technically in the basement of the upstairs country grocer and is just steps from where Jim Morrison used to live. Yes, this is old hippie territory and really only locals know about it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdKomL9Jbw4N8BkTDI1jeaHF3DO8DfYKoHSSjZ_3ClzpPivWNuoslqobTeQY2CuMv7Fqq2ErQ0clOdIj1M8zXMyQ2E7ZjQ9hfZDxr9ijhz28PrPYWLX7kzzwYkeKMG0KmhfQREy7aF1D7e/s1600/911de733b19b16d2694b31283e85b186_446_296_85.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdKomL9Jbw4N8BkTDI1jeaHF3DO8DfYKoHSSjZ_3ClzpPivWNuoslqobTeQY2CuMv7Fqq2ErQ0clOdIj1M8zXMyQ2E7ZjQ9hfZDxr9ijhz28PrPYWLX7kzzwYkeKMG0KmhfQREy7aF1D7e/s1600/911de733b19b16d2694b31283e85b186_446_296_85.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Zagat</td></tr>
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So what is it in our human make up that triggers the innate sense of celebration with food and drink? Maybe even more so as we get older? I keep coming back to this question throughout the holiday season. With the obvious Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's celebrations, this time of year for me also includes an anniversary and a birthday. Unfortunately, in the background but no less important are the recent passings that also happened in my sphere. All of these events have been punctuated with food....special food which brings people together.<br />
<br />
Food does several things. It brings us nourishment. Food is emotional; spiritual to some. And we all require food to continue living. Factor in our need for socialization, a reason or excuse to celebrate or honor an event no matter how big or small, brings all these things together in the most satisfying of ways.<br />
<br />
Whether you are into the art of preparing a celebratory meal, recreating a family tradition or choosing to celebrate the fact you finally got together with a friend when schedules are so hectic, I'd like to think that uniting around our food is a superb way of living in the present and "doing something different to celebrate the day."<br />
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Sylvia Aveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215885640345550862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839581018620897214.post-21215307112416644042013-12-24T05:50:00.000-08:002013-12-24T05:50:16.673-08:00Ho, Ho, Ho<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Tis the season for Christmas cheer. Here's to pacing ourselves!</div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;">Merry Christmas!</span>
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Sylvia Aveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215885640345550862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839581018620897214.post-46632226497272382902013-12-15T16:49:00.003-08:002013-12-15T16:49:09.960-08:00Homemade Peanut Butter in a Nutshell - A How To Video!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
Nut butters are one of the simplest pantry items you can make
yourself and you don't have to be a homesteader to create it. As I've
been writing this blog over (oh my) 3 years, simplicity is a common
refrain I've heard from friends and family. It's fine and dandy to make
all things homemade if you can, but please keep it simple. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRLp6QJK_WWmsFRp4CfAy9gT53OFQtMfYdWlNbP7aJVLd0ERox8u97OMfzAtjcgm6IrFAMCWTAOQ18tmKiVJzDHY_hnmslTT1ihvfe26w8XAXURXqBFgNcJjjnPB5Oi1aWc2-vnk-U6-Vy/s1600/Peanut+Pile.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRLp6QJK_WWmsFRp4CfAy9gT53OFQtMfYdWlNbP7aJVLd0ERox8u97OMfzAtjcgm6IrFAMCWTAOQ18tmKiVJzDHY_hnmslTT1ihvfe26w8XAXURXqBFgNcJjjnPB5Oi1aWc2-vnk-U6-Vy/s1600/Peanut+Pile.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<br />
I've
heard you! So has the hubby. Starting with this post, John and are
introducing a new dimension to Sly's Mise En Place, how-to videos.
Being home cooks, we've learned so much through our own trial and
error. When we happen across something easy and successful we'll share
it with you via our how-to videos. Now, let's make homemade peanut
butter.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
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Sylvia Aveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215885640345550862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839581018620897214.post-71199953775577204182013-12-01T15:13:00.000-08:002013-12-01T15:13:17.132-08:00Stay Tuned<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
John and I are in the "what will we do when we are no longer working" mode. It's a long ways off or course! We both feel strongly we will need to have some sort of purpose so why not use the skill set we've been using professionally (television) and apply it to something we're really passionate about (food!). Why wait till later?<br />
<br />
Stay tuned for our latest addition to this blog later in December. In TV land we call this a tease. <br />
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Sylvia Aveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215885640345550862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839581018620897214.post-38965893977538846662013-11-27T05:56:00.001-08:002013-11-27T05:56:45.665-08:00Dangling Chads and Other Callings on Thanksgiving Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
While so many were counting their blessings with loved ones on November 23, 2000, I chose to stand with John at the Broward County Courthouse watching officials count dangling, pregnant and dimpled chads. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1rHIk8-iyVqj-nRvXrCJV7DCm-bXvveMZ9hR-5CY_fmABqx8wcExCEVqPwE0rShtMy4p_-MbopuFGnWUKUdWvnhn1Wc0MudOfCqU42hkUC1BDbF7GcFDkRQnNQBKPNoo_FytK6jGetwaN/s1600/Chad%231.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1rHIk8-iyVqj-nRvXrCJV7DCm-bXvveMZ9hR-5CY_fmABqx8wcExCEVqPwE0rShtMy4p_-MbopuFGnWUKUdWvnhn1Wc0MudOfCqU42hkUC1BDbF7GcFDkRQnNQBKPNoo_FytK6jGetwaN/s1600/Chad%231.png" height="290" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Judge Robert Rosenberg examining a ballot. Courtesy NBC Nightly News, November 23, 2000</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Like so many in the service industry, military, health care and emergency responders; TV photojournalists work through the business of the day. (An old adage says there are only two living things <i>not</i> running away from a fire; firemen and newsmen.) "Breaking news" never happens at a convenient time. On this day, he was the photographer who took these pictures waiting out the days at the courthouse until the election was called.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNLyGWgPjTUj5ZtrcCErtbcX94SxdmhDSRka5qA1ivSDdhE9VHacFsJQkhpNtlXVGN0EuA-ec9uGPFMwCGN7mUv5yxlyr2nF0AkremDytZdIUhoAL6Ko39hkErDY8HZfDwALsrSoEFKBPD/s1600/chad2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNLyGWgPjTUj5ZtrcCErtbcX94SxdmhDSRka5qA1ivSDdhE9VHacFsJQkhpNtlXVGN0EuA-ec9uGPFMwCGN7mUv5yxlyr2nF0AkremDytZdIUhoAL6Ko39hkErDY8HZfDwALsrSoEFKBPD/s1600/chad2.png" height="330" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy, NBC Nightly News - November 23, 2000 (and my husband...)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The expression in the above picture mirrors the look I gave John through the phone receiver when he told me couldn't come home for the holiday. Standing for hours on end, amidst the shouting and demonstrations in front of the courthouse and with no Thanksgiving references on this day is not what I envisioned for myself or anyone I care about.<br />
<br />
While I couldn't pack up Thanksgiving and all its trimmings, I was fortunate enough to make the trek to him and his work buddies stuck on the same assignment.<br />
<br />
It was an historical time and one I hope this country never has to repeat. But in our sacrifice of a home cooked meal with family and friends on this particular Thanksgiving, we witnessed a turning of the tide with an added treat of an interview with Senator Bob Dole. He and his wife, too, sacrificed their day to participate.<br />
<br />
Every Thanksgiving thereafter, I appreciate all those who are unable to spend the day as they truly desire in their hearts. As for me, I count myself so fortunate to spend it with my family one more time.<br />
<br />
What did our journalistic crowd have as our Thanksgiving feast on November 23, 2000?<br />
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Sylvia Aveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215885640345550862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839581018620897214.post-82396726273989075182013-11-10T08:27:00.002-08:002013-11-14T14:31:45.819-08:00 Taco Shop Drama<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
This is the story of the Studio City "Taco Apocalypse." Had you asked me a year ago, I would have told you my neighborhood was in a major meltdown over the end of our historic neighborhood darling, Henry's Tacos. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gv6EDwVIQPMjip2kq9-NvxaaCH09UXOVuO4UkWTF_JRLk2RYurB7V6-NOYjfCdQ6IW0MMIr_5gXXw6Kam9uAhfWjD6G4NCZ_ifxlmi5yHDB6U8DghDU3AJBD8qmgZygyjouaxKQB5Xyc/s1600/Henry's+Signage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gv6EDwVIQPMjip2kq9-NvxaaCH09UXOVuO4UkWTF_JRLk2RYurB7V6-NOYjfCdQ6IW0MMIr_5gXXw6Kam9uAhfWjD6G4NCZ_ifxlmi5yHDB6U8DghDU3AJBD8qmgZygyjouaxKQB5Xyc/s640/Henry's+Signage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Young and old alike, we were witnessing the long, slow death of a fixture
that held personal meaning to each of us. The smallest restaurant I've ever seen, for John and I, mere
adolescents in Studio City residency years, Henry's was the nourishment that
got us through the move into our house and countless weekend house projects
thereafter. We signed our offer papers while seated at one of the 5 picnic tables available to patrons.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYMFVq8m2xLL0qkwGAjuCo70wxL92pCZphAwJtVwwARtWwuPjWffxRUAy2EOw1yDTTZZgS8ijPB0cTgYEK37Vw1Ygz8czEij_VHoZFEvkOgloSXURUYVxQsypfUF-8zXRv6TQU1SunR_DB/s1600/%23savehenrys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYMFVq8m2xLL0qkwGAjuCo70wxL92pCZphAwJtVwwARtWwuPjWffxRUAy2EOw1yDTTZZgS8ijPB0cTgYEK37Vw1Ygz8czEij_VHoZFEvkOgloSXURUYVxQsypfUF-8zXRv6TQU1SunR_DB/s640/%23savehenrys.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Many a Hollywood location scouts utilized Henry's as a backdrop for their storytelling.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizyDZ1-DrX_J4MZmGE-Zm5jEyfEGtRnt48P_TR4zCliLr-HaL-F5CMPcDHjl7rVYhnKKR8JUqbY-6Rq7uABesV6iCTXDPxCzNkYqFHeJzus399sFaId1XYE6vFT8KVx-9yObaiv7fs3AzB/s1600/henrys-reed-malloy-thumb-480x320-17587%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizyDZ1-DrX_J4MZmGE-Zm5jEyfEGtRnt48P_TR4zCliLr-HaL-F5CMPcDHjl7rVYhnKKR8JUqbY-6Rq7uABesV6iCTXDPxCzNkYqFHeJzus399sFaId1XYE6vFT8KVx-9yObaiv7fs3AzB/s640/henrys-reed-malloy-thumb-480x320-17587%5B1%5D.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TV Show - Adam 12</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The prolonged drama between the landlord/tenant started the strife. Henry's Tacos owner (i.e. tenant), Janis Hood, with the best of intentions, wanted to place the corner taqueria building on the city's historical register as a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Googie_architecture" target="_blank">Googie-style</a>, mid-century treasure. The landlord of several decades, was concerned the historical landmark designation would limit future sale or development opportunities. When it came time to re-up the lease, the negotiations turned bitter and became very public. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisZu96yNliYmYy-Ch9D5Ji4w7HMKr19ouorHW7eKXWZsPJ4gDREM_pNpyVUrAhslhDnq4j53EDe-_Nk3jIH6ewScOxh7DxBjCnHvK_mtiNFzetd0G0rI3N8yzwvxojoEjx-9DFLtIun81C/s1600/ElijahWood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisZu96yNliYmYy-Ch9D5Ji4w7HMKr19ouorHW7eKXWZsPJ4gDREM_pNpyVUrAhslhDnq4j53EDe-_Nk3jIH6ewScOxh7DxBjCnHvK_mtiNFzetd0G0rI3N8yzwvxojoEjx-9DFLtIun81C/s640/ElijahWood.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elijah Wood</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Celebrity protests, <a href="http://www.thrillist.com/food/los-angeles/ca/91602/mid-valley/occupy-tujunga-save-henrys-tacos_mexican" target="_blank">Occupy style eat-in rally</a>, <a href="http://www.change.org/petitions/help-save-historic-henrys-tacos" target="_blank">on-line petitions</a> and farewell gestures caught the national <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/12/henrys-tacos-closing_n_2284989.html" target="_blank">media's attention</a>. Henry's wasn't going down quietly.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj7vHiGwtb5XqRn6btLGD6eD2JIK6h884kbmon256J5flDlw7yrNkkxRoO-McEWLe5xLlj4-TKDUpdT7DETg-75m941BQkfAWLEgbjLpQRwQAtFxqLmU7MP0COdmuxqjF28ZKI8PcjuXq7/s1600/Occupy+Henry%27s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj7vHiGwtb5XqRn6btLGD6eD2JIK6h884kbmon256J5flDlw7yrNkkxRoO-McEWLe5xLlj4-TKDUpdT7DETg-75m941BQkfAWLEgbjLpQRwQAtFxqLmU7MP0COdmuxqjF28ZKI8PcjuXq7/s640/Occupy+Henry%27s.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Occupy Henry's Rally</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ3RM98T5kQh_Ne4uPTZsjRLFwrWNpZp_pwmnvlqr0uFUzQYfIx0XRtaXJ64HmjhEV6MKdin5RY1T9sIm3UZ2JDBZzKvzXLB4i8fuq1Efc_3LqiqGQDnPUDCT0vx6fQJcVTAgVysaPeXFz/s1600/Last+Meal+at+Henry%27s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ3RM98T5kQh_Ne4uPTZsjRLFwrWNpZp_pwmnvlqr0uFUzQYfIx0XRtaXJ64HmjhEV6MKdin5RY1T9sIm3UZ2JDBZzKvzXLB4i8fuq1Efc_3LqiqGQDnPUDCT0vx6fQJcVTAgVysaPeXFz/s640/Last+Meal+at+Henry%27s.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiauNh1pLx79LSEdZDqkiRj7-38JOatnoSNIBSl_wPMb5SDHdhiqEYXRprFMA0PKS1HIAcwnycyDctYnoTOEGNha8oaXX4FGyhhMO2OGq6KRoslxVWQogSSoJEf9X_0RkLHWXix2eSxDT_F/s1600/Henry's+T-Shirt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiauNh1pLx79LSEdZDqkiRj7-38JOatnoSNIBSl_wPMb5SDHdhiqEYXRprFMA0PKS1HIAcwnycyDctYnoTOEGNha8oaXX4FGyhhMO2OGq6KRoslxVWQogSSoJEf9X_0RkLHWXix2eSxDT_F/s640/Henry's+T-Shirt.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
Henry's Tacos had been in the neighborhood for over 51 years being built by Hood's grandfather Henry Comstock during the early '60's way before anyone thought of a Taco Bell. His specialty, "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gringo" target="_blank">gringo</a> tacos," are also considered a mid-century relic. But in January of 2013 this family run business lost the epic battle with the owner of the building and Henry's was shuttered forever.<br />
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Or so we thought.<br />
<br />
Janis sold the business to her longtime chef, Omar Vega to carry on the taco stand tradition with it's original recipes. He vowed to reopen and did so later in the spring.....about 50 yards away!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH4lAWdROoNuMLQpqAMvff0Rim0dVc5wXH6kUMaQG1xLcXJFYMmf7rHXwPCGlJ7x8hplUeuFKnpop5wPOoiElVoS_xD5B1P469F6nQcL7CrMCk2D-4CI9_ZQGi0bMzKYiGCWbEZzbHByBE/s1600/Henrys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH4lAWdROoNuMLQpqAMvff0Rim0dVc5wXH6kUMaQG1xLcXJFYMmf7rHXwPCGlJ7x8hplUeuFKnpop5wPOoiElVoS_xD5B1P469F6nQcL7CrMCk2D-4CI9_ZQGi0bMzKYiGCWbEZzbHByBE/s640/Henrys.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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All had returned to normal in sleepy Studio City!<br />
<br />
Maybe. The new tenants in the old Henry's location naturally decided to turn it into a...wait for it...a taco shop! Cactus Taqueria #3. Henry's was up and running months before Cactus finished their extensive re-model -- an upgraded the kitchen, dining area and exterior finishes. They did a lovely job, but the Googie features have now been muted and because it's a "#3" it has lost it's architectural uniqueness.<br />
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Both serve great but very different versions of Mexican-like food. Cactus has an more extensive menu than Henry's. Their food takes longer to prepare. They are also more expensive.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_8S38F6V80RG5rptoLJwBR4-eGq48CBVSxOMBypctvyDgQ3G0ODEajH6rCujw9FLnJObxZgQ7YstnmNQ3SPzALMoCX6028xU4pkj-Zivh8C6U38Y1zoB7BeVSRkt4klbH-aDsmS_-byQ9/s1600/Cactus+Menu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_8S38F6V80RG5rptoLJwBR4-eGq48CBVSxOMBypctvyDgQ3G0ODEajH6rCujw9FLnJObxZgQ7YstnmNQ3SPzALMoCX6028xU4pkj-Zivh8C6U38Y1zoB7BeVSRkt4klbH-aDsmS_-byQ9/s640/Cactus+Menu.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh193zAHm2-jBDe3rzVP6W4SJI_gn2T3MJYXoRXfSuUws4_srUnXALbc4t9olUPnKFBMY7GO5Se1oKqyxBuu7QcS3iQ-ASveuh7fDIOgLRkufygirCudia4c3J4mtmvaQgVSs2lQ2Cx3iXl/s1600/Rolled+Taco+with+Guacomole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh193zAHm2-jBDe3rzVP6W4SJI_gn2T3MJYXoRXfSuUws4_srUnXALbc4t9olUPnKFBMY7GO5Se1oKqyxBuu7QcS3iQ-ASveuh7fDIOgLRkufygirCudia4c3J4mtmvaQgVSs2lQ2Cx3iXl/s640/Rolled+Taco+with+Guacomole.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cactus style - Rolled Tacos with Guacamole</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1C6qVd62QpLRHkRY1dkzpg25Mje-iSlC-gIE4zeXdK4i5PnebDFbhA8_e32r7XzbkEhQ0BEUb4O368ZKgzjU2lDiLbTsqtE53W6Azb8JN2zVZwcb6LO_wvkWWqpTnElgZUYLk-y-exti4/s1600/taco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1C6qVd62QpLRHkRY1dkzpg25Mje-iSlC-gIE4zeXdK4i5PnebDFbhA8_e32r7XzbkEhQ0BEUb4O368ZKgzjU2lDiLbTsqtE53W6Azb8JN2zVZwcb6LO_wvkWWqpTnElgZUYLk-y-exti4/s640/taco.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Henry's Classic Gringo Tacos</td></tr>
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Henry's has stuck with their no frills, low cost menu. Both seem to be pacing okay but the competition has diluted the taco business. (The lines at Henry's are shorter than they were in the old spot). This why the story is still important today. <br />
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If the fine folks of Studio City want to have street tacos in the future, then all the Occupiers and lovers of tacos need to come out and consistently support both. Otherwise, Henry's and Cactus might sadly disappear from the landscape and that battle to keep street tacos alive will be lost to the war of consumer's next passion of the day.<br />
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Sylvia Aveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215885640345550862noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839581018620897214.post-56187227323608108412013-10-25T06:02:00.002-07:002013-11-14T14:30:14.335-08:00Why Do We Dress Up for Halloween?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Is Halloween the same as Day of the Dead? And why do I dwell on such questions? Maybe it's because I am trying to avoid figuring out what I'm going to be for my office Halloween party. Every year the benchmark is set higher and higher. No pressure. What else would you expect from
people who work in the entertainment industry? <br />
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Since I don't have any brilliant costume ideas (yet), I'll instead tackle these other pressing questions. Of course, food is common between the two celebrated holidays. What differentiates the two is the goal of attracting good souls and avoiding the not so-good-souls.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5VZY_l4BUbg8GTQsfrIeZvvBKD1szr4LqqKG9dDNsW0RE3Y9I6BNMN5E1ai75Y6iSfJH_qwJM3fmcJtGMRAQGr1XNJ89C_nCkuMOJahyphenhyphenm8T-tMAviUih84yBuKrBmgbSl4osB_MT_osxQ/s1600/IMG_4126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5VZY_l4BUbg8GTQsfrIeZvvBKD1szr4LqqKG9dDNsW0RE3Y9I6BNMN5E1ai75Y6iSfJH_qwJM3fmcJtGMRAQGr1XNJ89C_nCkuMOJahyphenhyphenm8T-tMAviUih84yBuKrBmgbSl4osB_MT_osxQ/s640/IMG_4126.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Day of the Dead or Dia de Muertos occurs over a three day period, October 31-November 2 around All Hallow's Eve, All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day. It's a time where families build private altars honoring the souls of their dead ancestors. The altars are decorated with sugar skulls, brilliant orange marigolds and favorite food/drink as on offering for their dearly departed. On those 3 days, families will clean, decorate and set up the altars at the cemetery with the intent of encouraging visits with the souls of their loved ones. We'll call them the good souls.<br />
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Halloween on the other end of the soul spectrum, also known as "All Hallow's Eve," began as a Christian feast influenced by Celtic harvest festivals. Harvest festivals falling at the end of summer's bounty and going into the darker half of the year was seen as a time when the spirits could more easily pay a visit to the world of the living. If one didn't want to encounter the evil souls, they would costume themselves as a way to disguise their identity. The costumed came to be known as guisers. If guisers wanted to frighten the evil spirits away, then jack-o'lanterns were carried to deny those spirits entry into heaven or hell. Turnips, yes turnips were the original jack-o'lanterns. By the time the North Americans got a hold of the tradition, they used the much softer pumpkin to make their point. So, the trick or treaters coming to your door today are carrying on the very old tradition of guising.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMnlV8iREzM9n-0frKBLvIXfDsmVgn7wDkfvTGUdb_wNbPIDfGIiGa9HdfQVo3GgMsqVZB2Cwe6YtgJcteJ4q_AXp7-tAKh6A2_jpCFEx4Zc6tiMeEzUkYOwY_JXgEcRJrZ-8Zpc_HzvnZ/s1600/TurnipJackolantern%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="367" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMnlV8iREzM9n-0frKBLvIXfDsmVgn7wDkfvTGUdb_wNbPIDfGIiGa9HdfQVo3GgMsqVZB2Cwe6YtgJcteJ4q_AXp7-tAKh6A2_jpCFEx4Zc6tiMeEzUkYOwY_JXgEcRJrZ-8Zpc_HzvnZ/s400/TurnipJackolantern%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turnip Jack-O'Lantern, courtesy <a href="http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:TurnipJackolantern.jpg" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Now that I know guising was supposed to scare the evil spirits away, I'm not so sure of my past costume choices. But the one I've been most proud of was the year I went as Jack I. Box or simply Jack. I'm not sure I'll ever top it and I'm pretty sure I didn't frighten any souls except for maybe myself when I looked in the mirror. This year, I now know what I need to focus on when I create my next great costume....the fear factor!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrj777UI2HDLgBR-wYX-njBjjaQohHx6tZmeH7RMLaPft6wHJ1CzPoskR665SyEzH278UnQLY3iVf0ffz-KlaoorxQ9UtDMkpnDn6VyFO8E3IQ6N_ZGmpivAuqPcuig3dhLvwIzuVIws0x/s1600/PA290593.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrj777UI2HDLgBR-wYX-njBjjaQohHx6tZmeH7RMLaPft6wHJ1CzPoskR665SyEzH278UnQLY3iVf0ffz-KlaoorxQ9UtDMkpnDn6VyFO8E3IQ6N_ZGmpivAuqPcuig3dhLvwIzuVIws0x/s640/PA290593.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boo?</td></tr>
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Sylvia Aveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215885640345550862noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839581018620897214.post-77345962099294662042013-10-12T17:01:00.001-07:002014-01-24T15:15:58.491-08:00A Horse is a Horse of Course ...... But a Horse Trough is Perfect for a Vegetable Garden<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="lyrics size-medium" data-title="A Horse is a Horse (Mr. Ed) TV Show">
No one can talk to a horse of course, but if one could go right to the source and ask the horse he'll give you the answer that you'll endorse. Save your back when you build your next vegetable garden and get a horse trough. Thanks Mr. Ed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTMPGf8JinHbzSBSBpxAAURw2H2FGA1_aDGTv5CAW_rKZnfSC3Hiuch6Mw6unDKNCLFIkcchdPnmGSuTvVJ4wQc1i0GrT-LTeBBpjMBJdAy-2IS0X6XpUy3PuySjRVnFWvTxi4CtvOhUMn/s1600/DSC04377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTMPGf8JinHbzSBSBpxAAURw2H2FGA1_aDGTv5CAW_rKZnfSC3Hiuch6Mw6unDKNCLFIkcchdPnmGSuTvVJ4wQc1i0GrT-LTeBBpjMBJdAy-2IS0X6XpUy3PuySjRVnFWvTxi4CtvOhUMn/s640/DSC04377.JPG" height="358" width="640" /></a></div>
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Looking back in my pictures, it was exactly three years ago this weekend, we had just completed our first raised vegetable garden. I was just coming into appreciation the effort it takes to grow food...<a href="http://slysmisenplace.blogspot.com/2010/10/super-size-me-my-way.html" target="_blank">Super Size Me, My Way</a>. If you check out the original garden below, you'll witness how often I would have to squat or bend over to attend to my patch.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqR0ijuJvb9-J3wnRei7lVjINww_eRG2oc9pLotSS0LLfdKL6H4DiNtdBQbAg6Z4qvSA8YWSNXthgjWXosvebnU1pJeXxVX2otCAT71TegBQy6uF3DNMyhIwdINL3aIDv1id1I2OTeqqpT/s1600/IMG_2716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqR0ijuJvb9-J3wnRei7lVjINww_eRG2oc9pLotSS0LLfdKL6H4DiNtdBQbAg6Z4qvSA8YWSNXthgjWXosvebnU1pJeXxVX2otCAT71TegBQy6uF3DNMyhIwdINL3aIDv1id1I2OTeqqpT/s640/IMG_2716.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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The squats and bending are all fine and dandy today, but what about as I grow older? I don't want aches and pains to be an obstacle in doing something I love. Thanks to a recent visit to a friend's home in Vallejo, she planted ideas in my head for ways to plan ahead. Best start this project now while we're able to do hard labor. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjueSE6v075EZ4-cjyleI5-6yvcd6rc3lwQyoMrRUBiyu3TZqavh9o6oFB_ls8fh6UBDiLJ6acVA7Clf6BNlHifLqj9XNiZrjgW9jhRD-_6YUp86iV2eiiogZ-6fQ9THBAe_w4MYfYMhmh0/s1600/DSC04268.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjueSE6v075EZ4-cjyleI5-6yvcd6rc3lwQyoMrRUBiyu3TZqavh9o6oFB_ls8fh6UBDiLJ6acVA7Clf6BNlHifLqj9XNiZrjgW9jhRD-_6YUp86iV2eiiogZ-6fQ9THBAe_w4MYfYMhmh0/s640/DSC04268.jpg" height="640" width="359" /></a></div>
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All those little red dots in the picture are cherry tomatoes. Millions of them! This trough idea is a producer.<br />
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You noticed I said "we" in the hard labor comment? No way could this weekend warrior do a project of this scope by herself. My knight in shining armor came to my aide. He too was inspired. While he loves the homegrown produce, he doesn't love the digging and bending required. I had a willing participant.<br />
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First order of business, where to find a trough. All the Googling in the world didn't land the obvious retailer except for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Heavy-Duty-Galvanized-Stock-44GAL-WATER/sim/B002FXSYL2/2" target="_blank">Amazon</a>. I asked my girlfriend where she purchased hers; she drove to Petaluma. Not a practical solution for this So Cal girl. Giving it more thought, we remembered there's an equestrian center in Burbank. Surely, there will be a feed store nearby that could give us direction. Not only were they able to give us direction, they carried various sizes of troughs. They probably thought there goes another set of yuppies using serious equestrian material for some grand gardening scheme. So what if they did?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwyHKg-53KtrMCpA3Q_MZ7nGX7isyj9SosET2WtzmUOdsNi6BBpe98h2M43iigQsZNGoSEh19oo5eM7ppjN7_0jl8XAQMqWoDjInoAMAfrZhyQ2IZl5tnIw45Ac3f77j9TsZJTyeOszz6W/s1600/DSC04325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwyHKg-53KtrMCpA3Q_MZ7nGX7isyj9SosET2WtzmUOdsNi6BBpe98h2M43iigQsZNGoSEh19oo5eM7ppjN7_0jl8XAQMqWoDjInoAMAfrZhyQ2IZl5tnIw45Ac3f77j9TsZJTyeOszz6W/s640/DSC04325.JPG" height="356" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="attribution">Having gotten over that hurdle, our next challenge was irrigation. This last summer proved to me our lack of gardening success had everything do with our lack of available time to attend to the garden. We needed to automate. This is where my knight was truly amazing. He tapped into our existing sprinkler system and created a separate line to our revamped vegetable garden. But first we had to tear apart the old garden.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj64w1QTouehk0ispxi8eomdcIJaIaEAw03advIsESk-sSKZRo_M8AgeOUtmwsbCgOLFwG-ngeonqqNNDOx6Y3gmhqfmX05lHjnbTCm6kqgkXTAFwxZdviMSTynNquOTA_vl9iuiXkWAx95/s1600/DSC04324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj64w1QTouehk0ispxi8eomdcIJaIaEAw03advIsESk-sSKZRo_M8AgeOUtmwsbCgOLFwG-ngeonqqNNDOx6Y3gmhqfmX05lHjnbTCm6kqgkXTAFwxZdviMSTynNquOTA_vl9iuiXkWAx95/s640/DSC04324.JPG" height="358" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqLAKvSU6l4CDFCfRZ-nVCaf_ewp0H9fZeLAFwAysVLRTkxTZLVqUliNJny0DZH6S-dG0QV508ZPFpRKOFw2UiURAUP0IH_WJ986TaH_HRR3rGcqabsCC3dg7SHbzIlR2YKskRgWo_25-S/s1600/DSC04323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqLAKvSU6l4CDFCfRZ-nVCaf_ewp0H9fZeLAFwAysVLRTkxTZLVqUliNJny0DZH6S-dG0QV508ZPFpRKOFw2UiURAUP0IH_WJ986TaH_HRR3rGcqabsCC3dg7SHbzIlR2YKskRgWo_25-S/s640/DSC04323.JPG" height="358" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another good reason to go to a trough system, pressure treated wood only lasts so long</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span class="attribution">Trenching for the new irrigation line.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9XB0w9TGtNzda0SXwWKjxI4cbllsO6taJD3wHv3iugV_NxTwdDp68XfWITlRKd66_N0OjA60y8r6I11HdWa0kTjttxfhwhyWpztvCWc_UeWCt4py-vNn5RFyBi-Hs7oZW26Jd00-DfqYX/s1600/DSC04329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9XB0w9TGtNzda0SXwWKjxI4cbllsO6taJD3wHv3iugV_NxTwdDp68XfWITlRKd66_N0OjA60y8r6I11HdWa0kTjttxfhwhyWpztvCWc_UeWCt4py-vNn5RFyBi-Hs7oZW26Jd00-DfqYX/s640/DSC04329.JPG" height="356" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="attribution">A great find, a solar powered timer installed. Everything tests out.</span><br />
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<span class="attribution"><br /></span>
<span class="attribution">Determined to make the area look tidy with as little maintenance as possible, we laid out weed barrier fabric and topped with mulch.</span><br />
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<span class="attribution"><br /></span>
<span class="attribution">With the area prepared, we were ready to install the troughs. Because the troughs are enclosed, drainage needs to be created. Here's where having the right tools makes the job all the easier. John used a steel drill bit. Holes created with ease.</span><br />
<span class="attribution"><br /></span>
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<span class="attribution">Not wanting the feet of plants and soil to get water logged, we added drainage gravel.</span><br />
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<span class="attribution">So that the premium potting soil doesn't slip out through our drainage we just prepared, we added a layer of landscape fabric. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkhoDgFhmpmWm0bzhQURCtOvg9hxaKWECe3Z-DPCJNZaPZQVm7Dp5BXrkYDsDiU4sv1CKHit0dL6UrWuJbDHpXspLu6cc46Qqjc94i4cwG4qPWSn86_TSQpSkVXoACZRnglg6qTyVCXDCz/s1600/DSC04361.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkhoDgFhmpmWm0bzhQURCtOvg9hxaKWECe3Z-DPCJNZaPZQVm7Dp5BXrkYDsDiU4sv1CKHit0dL6UrWuJbDHpXspLu6cc46Qqjc94i4cwG4qPWSn86_TSQpSkVXoACZRnglg6qTyVCXDCz/s640/DSC04361.JPG" height="358" width="640" /></a></div>
<span class="attribution"><br /></span>
<span class="attribution">Bags and bags of premium potting soil added. Learning from my past successes and failures the quality of soil is everything.</span><br />
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<span class="attribution"><br /></span>
<span class="attribution">Installing the drip lines up next.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHkM-lz1cKTl_aQ2sV0NtWbcUl-FY-HgjyTLIPMgEA4IvSB9qDY2tRKNx3iCSy4-AQOIONbzNNlp1rHwY1izTbXufTlSLOXiIHw9t-unqXk9I4pvAjATf-CPJCpd7iY7Vx0mykaMIUzypn/s1600/DSC04388.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHkM-lz1cKTl_aQ2sV0NtWbcUl-FY-HgjyTLIPMgEA4IvSB9qDY2tRKNx3iCSy4-AQOIONbzNNlp1rHwY1izTbXufTlSLOXiIHw9t-unqXk9I4pvAjATf-CPJCpd7iY7Vx0mykaMIUzypn/s640/DSC04388.jpg" height="640" width="358" /> </a></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My knight</td></tr>
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<span class="attribution"><br /></span>
<span class="attribution">Ready for planting now and all those future years ahead.</span><br />
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Sylvia Aveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215885640345550862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839581018620897214.post-5252727218390016082013-09-29T07:31:00.001-07:002013-09-29T07:31:36.461-07:00What's Your Best Age?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Not long after John and I moved to Los Angeles, we encountered Jack LaLanne at our favorite Greek restaurant, <a href="http://www.lepetitgreek.com/" target="_blank">Le Petit Greek Estiatorio</a>. No, he did not look like this when we saw him ... but here's what he looked like at the height of his career.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Jack_LaLanne_1961.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Jack_LaLanne_1961.JPG" width="420" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy Wikipedia</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Star sightings are not unusual where we live, but what was unusual is he came over to our table to visit with us. I promise, we did not prompt him to come over.<br />
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John, being his ever so shy self, put his journalism cap on and asked Jack, "what was the best age of your life?" The evening of our visit with him, we estimated he was in his early 90's. He did not blink. The answer was easy. He replied, "Right now!"<br />
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Long before it was fashionable to be "healthy," Mr. LaLanne became
famous through his fitness and nutritional TV shows thanks to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Age_of_Television" target="_blank">golden age of television</a>. Many thought, back in the day, he was a charlatan and a nut. Doctors claimed what he was doing could give people heart attacks and make them lose their sex drives.<br />
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Motivated by his father's premature death at the age of 58 most likely due to poor nutrition, young Jack recognized the sugary junk food he had been living on up to that point contributed to his own terrible headaches, an awful complexion and a horrid temper. It all became clear when he witnessed a lecture from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Bragg" target="_blank">Paul Bragg</a>, a pioneer in the wellness movement. Paul delivered a speech on the evil aspects of overdoing on meat and sugar. Following that light bulb moment, Jack has always credited Paul for saving his own life.<br />
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If you watched TV anytime between 1953 and 1985, you probably remember Jack LaLanne's persona well.<br />
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When he first started appeared on television, he actually had to buy a 15 minute block because no one could imagine viewers would want to watch exercise. A few years later the show was picked up on the ABC network evolving to a 30 minute daily program. I can honestly relay, that guy you saw on TV was exactly the same guy in person.<br />
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Here's the lessons I took away. Those who believe the best years are behind them, may be blinded to the joys of today. I also learned those who are ahead of their time are often ridiculed. Keep an open mind to new ideas and we can perhaps evolve. Of all the star sightings we've had, he was one of our favorites. A few years later, he passed away to his great chagrin.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<h3>
"I'd hate to die, it would ruin my image. "</h3>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Jack LaLanne September 26, 1914 - January 23, 2011</blockquote>
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Sylvia Aveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215885640345550862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839581018620897214.post-27712243230995830982013-09-12T09:51:00.005-07:002014-03-02T07:16:31.275-08:00Need an Appetizer Idea? FIGgedaboutit!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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For many years I shunned the fig. Wrongly, I classified it right up there with prunes and dates; something you "should" eat but hardly have an affinity for. Boy have I been wrong.<br />
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A couple years back I started challenging myself to try new things. By default, John got roped into trying new things too. He's been a trooper with the small exception of kale which I now "slip" into his food (don't tell). For me, you may remember I was <a href="http://slysmisenplace.blogspot.com/search/label/Persimmon%20Cookies" target="_blank">persnickety about persimmons</a> but found a way to enjoy them. Enter the fig.<br />
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Always looking so regal at the Farmer's market, I started experimenting with Figs in salads and juicing. Guess what? I like them .... a lot! So similar to eating a sugar cookie, except healthier. Within the last month, in two separate cities, I had friends mention how tasty figs wrapped in prosciutto were. Coincidence or an indicator I should try it? Seizing the suggestion, I implored my second friend to show me his tried and true approach to this simple appetizer.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our friend, Nick</td></tr>
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First slice figs in half just up to the stem so that the stem acts as a hinge to keep it together. Scoop out the center. Reserve the scooped out meat of the fig in a bowl for the filling.<br />
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Mix the fig meat with a small log of goat cheese.<br />
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Throw in some fresh mint into the mixture; this will give the appetizer a brightness to the sweet and savory flavor.<br />
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Fill the scooped out fig shells with the goat cheese/mint mixture. Similar idea to a twice baked potato.<br />
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Wrap the sweet, tangy package in a good quality prosciutto sheet.<br />
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Bake for 20 minutes at 350.<br />
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Let cool slightly. Enjoy with a lovely glass of wine.<br />
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Sylvia Aveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215885640345550862noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839581018620897214.post-18382298435487237752013-08-23T09:25:00.003-07:002014-04-23T15:13:50.205-07:00A Story of One City Farm <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Even Cabrini-Green isn't immune to the idea of transformation. The most notorious public housing of my generation began demolition over 13 years ago. A small portion of it has now evolved into an urban farm.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUxjXDV7aMcVGKL2qzn_jx39lsB5U_63RFiUp4tqCuQESIqEFryAPanWCSIrfLDnw3MOjWCodY5zs_1Cijc6EH3X9zVx7ohe4M4_MJUkj7TtEsRCq1XLVoktWQKX8SWyYM_VuhsZcA5BqU/s1600/IMG_1372.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUxjXDV7aMcVGKL2qzn_jx39lsB5U_63RFiUp4tqCuQESIqEFryAPanWCSIrfLDnw3MOjWCodY5zs_1Cijc6EH3X9zVx7ohe4M4_MJUkj7TtEsRCq1XLVoktWQKX8SWyYM_VuhsZcA5BqU/s640/IMG_1372.jpg" height="640" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1204 N. Clybourn as of August 2013</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Vz4Mfcf9tXZhktUFgfrQevNOcsOG7wIWXGCBZZMXaRoW2cG_3ZAeOBXxqzhipZrVXHLbg89f1POtCTHuO2Zy5lEp1y2TTgJRjnJJbp2k8HPLpoeq4bo8stEF9BloyfSEurbM00vfznmY/s640/dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls.jpg" height="449" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy Chicago Sun-Times, prior to demolition in the late 90's</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEOv5P5WN34rdUDGHXit7Ftl3yumXYlm9REi2__a_E-XHPoecDjmsgSWgRQdirMCzEZY0IHjTAywavDv-VXBqwZKgurgqr0jjJG2j1JoDsiRKEHkfTVXcXFHTxuTFFTJ3oTKP118iEJh7C/s1600/reds3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEOv5P5WN34rdUDGHXit7Ftl3yumXYlm9REi2__a_E-XHPoecDjmsgSWgRQdirMCzEZY0IHjTAywavDv-VXBqwZKgurgqr0jjJG2j1JoDsiRKEHkfTVXcXFHTxuTFFTJ3oTKP118iEJh7C/s640/reds3.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy The Rap Dictionary <a href="http://www.rapdict.org/Cabrini-Green" target="_blank">http://www.rapdict.org/Cabrini-Green</a></td></tr>
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At one point over 15,000 people called this area home. High rises, low rises and row houses meant to corral like low-income citizens, turned into a place where Thelma Ruffin, a Cabrini-Green resident who ran a Local Advisory Council said, "You see kids
running around the buildings all the time, but they don`t have anywhere
to go because they don`t have any programs for them." The confluence of little to no government funding for police or programs and its proximity to very affluent neighbors a couple blocks over made the area a lucrative area for drug sales. Intense competition ensued turning the housing project into a war zone of drugs and violence. <br />
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Imagine, the only place you know is more comfortable
than the one that you don't know. Cabrini-green residents were
relocated to mixed-income neighborhoods throughout the city; scattered to the wind like seeds intended by housing officials to
find their way to a grow a new generation in "better" circumstances. Depending on who you ask, that has been debatable.<br />
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On a lot near where people once threw trash into part of a complex adjacent to the
Chicago Board of Education`s Ferguson Child-Parent Center on 1215 N.
Clybourn Ave., I now marvel at it's beauty and its' productiveness thanks to <a href="http://www.chicagolights.org/cgi-bin/WebObjects/cl.woa/1/wa/a?p=197" target="_blank">Chicago Lights Urban </a><a href="http://www.chicagolights.org/cgi-bin/WebObjects/cl.woa/1/wa/a?p=197" target="_blank">Farm</a>.<br />
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Never forgetting so many were displaced from their homes, regardless of
the conditions, the farm was created to give way to new economic opportunities. Through nutritional education and work-force training, it now provides a safe haven for children to learn about urban farming. Where competition for turf once resulted in gang wars, now the competition is about getting a slot to participate in the work-force training program.<br />
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Not to be minimized, the farm provides access to healthy food in a place that has been known to be a food desert. The farm participates in CSA's, farmer's markets and sources local restaurants. According to a recent article in the <a href="http://www.suntimes.com/news/cityhall/21952654-418/citys-food-deserts-drying-up-as-healthy-choices-move-in.html" target="_blank">Chicago Sun-Times</a>, 253,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables have been grown this year on 15 acres of urban farms in the city of Chicago alone.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKy765qaS7S8SwcJTGt11-rfT_ajhAUgOk52ajQzL2EKiXfOtPfICOhX5CcnOIZqfTHsvRA0Th1ddE9AuKOfmjkg86Aull4CFUphPJu6W-YfzZJWcNQCn_9vbYj2rZ77SRkPUYykwpJ8l/s1600/IMG_1377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKy765qaS7S8SwcJTGt11-rfT_ajhAUgOk52ajQzL2EKiXfOtPfICOhX5CcnOIZqfTHsvRA0Th1ddE9AuKOfmjkg86Aull4CFUphPJu6W-YfzZJWcNQCn_9vbYj2rZ77SRkPUYykwpJ8l/s640/IMG_1377.jpg" height="640" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Packing up for Farmer's Market</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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While I am a visitor today, I know this Urban Farm too shall transform yet again. You see, I once lived not to far from here. Chicago does not standstill. <br />
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In February, 2013, the Fourth Presbyterian Church behind the Chicago Light project sought help to fund the property. With no such suitor to be found, the board accepted an offer from the Chicago Housing Authority to buy the property with a lease-back option for free. What we do know, is they will continue operating until May 2015 until which time they may need to find an alternate site to continue their mission. It is unknown, at the time of this writing, the future plans the Chicago Housing Authority has for the property.<br />
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My thanks to the volunteers at the farm who allowed me to take pictures in their fields on this fine August day.<br />
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Sylvia Aveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215885640345550862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839581018620897214.post-45051601419477218812013-08-07T05:51:00.003-07:002013-08-07T05:51:51.240-07:00The Art of Dining Alone <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm a bit out of practice in the business travel arena. I've had past jobs where travel was so frenetic I just wanted to luxuriate on some old fashioned room service. Room service can lull one into rest for the weary or depending on how you look at it, avoid being alone in a crowd.<br />
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I had recently read an article in Southern Living's July magazine on the <a href="http://www.southernliving.com/travel/mid-atlantic/the-souths-best-fried-chicken-00400000005934/" target="_blank">best fried chicken restaurants in the south </a>when I was assigned to travel to Montgomery, AL. Flying in and out of Atlanta to ultimately get to my final destination, I heard that fried chicken calling my name and I was determined not to be a wallflower on this trip! Taking my Southern Living adviser's recommendation, I chose <a href="http://watershedrestaurant.com/" target="_blank">Watershed on Peachtree</a> in Atlanta. Reserved my hotel on Peachtree and thought my plans were taking fine shape.<br />
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Who knew there were MANY Peachtree street variations in Atlanta? 71 to be exact! Clearly I had not done my research. Since I was on foot, there was no way I could make it to Watershed 9 miles away. My plans were dashed. Not to be dissuaded, the concierge gave me a terrific option. Less than a mile away, he not only recommended <a href="http://www.southcitykitchen.com/midtown/index.htm" target="_blank">South City Kitchen</a> but told me the best things on the menu to order.<br />
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If you are dining alone, but want to take in the scene, sitting at the bar is the way to go. Getting a last minute reservation at the South City Kitchen is actually tough if you have more than one in your party. Lucky for me, one seat was left at the bar. Lined up with my fellow road warriors, it's wasn't difficult to make conversation. I had a lovely, brief conversation with a medical equipment trainer who eluded to posting her travel/restaurant finds to Facebook. Through the magic of social media, friends found her visiting in their towns and would quickly connect.<br />
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Ah...the power of suggestion. I decide to take a picture of my first course, fried green tomatoes. Yes, I gave into what I said I wasn't going to do in a previous post, <a href="http://slysmisenplace.blogspot.com/2013/04/food-porntography-gone-too-far.html" target="_blank">taking foodie pictures at a restaurant</a>.<br />
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A southern raised friend had always encouraged me to try them. Now that I was, I messaged her via Facebook. BTW, the tomatoes had goat cheese nestled between the layers. Oh my was that tangy, crunchy and soft at the same time. I'll have to try making this at home.</div>
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The star entree of my deeply desired fried chicken made it's appearance. But wait...my phone is lighting up with Facebook likes and comments. Even though it may be irritating take a picture in the restaurant, my friends clearly liked what they were seeing. Setting the phone aside, I gobbled every last bite of the peppery seasoned goodness. </div>
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My bartender said no southern meal for a Southern California girl would be complete if I didn't top it off with banana pudding and homemade vanilla wafers. "If I must" I said.</div>
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At the end of a very gratifying meal where I completely gave myself to the experience, I saw I had a message. A good friend of John and mine from our Dallas days was also in Atlanta on business!</div>
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For those who say Facebook is passe', I say nay! Had I holed up in my room after my long work day, I would have gone home to So Cal not experiencing a bit of Atlanta and nor would I have seen our friend, Shawn. The art of dining alone turned into the art of experiencing.
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Sylvia Aveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215885640345550862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839581018620897214.post-1742229635007597282013-07-29T16:59:00.003-07:002013-07-29T17:03:05.981-07:00Life<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Just like everyone else who is running from here to there, my schedule has been so packed this month<br />
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I have lacked the time for writing. I will not bore you with the ins and outs as all of you are experiencing the ebb and flow of life too.<br />
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I hope you are enjoying your summer and making the most of your dining opportunities as they present themselves. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John's B-Day treat from DZ Akins Delicatessen in San Diego</td></tr>
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I'll just keep reminding myself as one of my husband's former colleagues used to say, "Doing the best I can here."
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Sylvia Aveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215885640345550862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839581018620897214.post-18792882211850027252013-07-06T08:05:00.001-07:002013-07-06T08:05:24.512-07:00The Definition of Insanity<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Summertime means peaches -- and there are no better ones (in my humble opinion) than the ones we get at the Studio City Farmer's Market. In my home, the food narrative begins to skew "peaches" starting in about May. Even after they start to show up, we wait another week or so until their flavor begins to mature. Then, as in Texas Hold 'Em, it's all in!!<br />
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Carefully placing as many as I can in a cloth bag, I am always disappointed that by the time we get home, there have been peach casualties. <br />
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<span class="st"><i>"Insanity</i>: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.</span>" - I was going to attribute this well know phrase to <a href="http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Who_first_said_that_the_definition_of_insanity_is_to_do_the_same_thing_over_and_over_and_expect_different_results" target="_blank">Albert Einstein</a>, but there seems to be some question as to whether or not he is the one who coined the phrase.</div>
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Crushed, bruised at battered. I unfortunately repeat my mistake week in and week out never quite learning how to bring them home properly. I have a choice, lament over my misfortunes (with a few choice words) or as Dale Carnegie encouraged in one of his writings,</div>
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"If you have lemons, make lemonade." - Dale Carnegie, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living</div>
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Reacquainting myself with this idea came from none other than a dressing room attendant at Forever 21. A a young woman with such confidence when it came to interacting with people shared her secret,</div>
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"Diversion! Show off those assets girl. Know where you have a hot mess and camouflage." </div>
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She is absolutely right. Turn that feel-sorry-for-me peach into a gorgeous cobbler. Turning that hot mess into a cobbler is something I can do rather well. Cut up those peaches, adding a contrasting color such as sweet, plump blueberries.</div>
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Yes, get that lemon Dale was referring to and put a squeeze on it. It will help prevent the fruit from turning brown. </div>
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Make the crunchy topping with an egg, sugar and flour. A fork mixing will help you get the proper consistency.<br />
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Sprinkle over the top of the squished lovely fruit. Drizzle a bit of melted butter over the top to help it brown and add a tad more flavor. Bake and you will have yourself a spectacular cobbler.</div>
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Now, if only I could learn how to get those peaches home unharmed. I'm open to suggestions! Seriously, write me with your solutions.</div>
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Peach Cobbler Recipe</h3>
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Ingredients:</h4>
<ul class="textItems" style="text-align: left;">
<li>4 cups fresh peaches/blueberries </li>
<li>1 tablespoon lemon juice </li>
<li>1 large egg </li>
<li>1/2 cup sugar </li>
<li>1/2 cup all-purpose flour </li>
<li>6 tablespoons butter, melted </li>
<li> Whipped cream (optional) </li>
</ul>
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<h4 class="preparation" style="text-align: left;">
Preparation</h4>
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Preheat oven to 375°. Place peaches and blueberries in a lightly
greased baking dish; sprinkle with lemon juice. Stir
together egg, sugar, and flour in a medium bowl until mixture resembles
coarse meal. Sprinkle over fruit. Drizzle melted butter over topping.
Bake at 375° for 35 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly. Let
stand 10 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream, if desired.<br />
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Sylvia Aveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215885640345550862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839581018620897214.post-54174530843746692932013-06-19T09:48:00.001-07:002014-03-02T07:17:05.034-08:00The Gift of a Recipe<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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When my friend Dino shared a recipe he thought I'd like, I'm fairly sure he had no idea what his gift was really giving me.<br />
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Getting together with my Gram doesn't happen nearly often enough. No, Dino hasn't delivered her on my doorstep, but he has given us a relatively new set of fun antics in the kitchen. When she and I do get together, we love making his breakfast strata recipe. You'll know why as we progress through the recipe.<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>**Recipe Below** </i></span></h4>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwpHwR5ZW30FF-E0VoKy1_HmR9_okKTpU8Th8i-L2xRrCNvc-i_JLZvqAPJx8SUhpOUjES_q9n65tzoMeHfdhmDbjDEEr5SDmBXbMKMCnLY58_wXodbkUrBmUFvdWhLSRHgVKalbM1_a4Y/s1600/DSC04033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwpHwR5ZW30FF-E0VoKy1_HmR9_okKTpU8Th8i-L2xRrCNvc-i_JLZvqAPJx8SUhpOUjES_q9n65tzoMeHfdhmDbjDEEr5SDmBXbMKMCnLY58_wXodbkUrBmUFvdWhLSRHgVKalbM1_a4Y/s640/DSC04033.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Free grandmother hugs!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNLKhxVu1-BJ1ykOdngiuwtojqSUeearOl7n2nagI7ohjNmTICFX1_Fw9T676TfQGk4Ow49MI-ndw5jpxDoSEfuzPMBlS06mYytnngvurFvwMm45fork9M-fbsbeNvUC1nO-jQd1nEMTD/s1600/DSC04016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNLKhxVu1-BJ1ykOdngiuwtojqSUeearOl7n2nagI7ohjNmTICFX1_Fw9T676TfQGk4Ow49MI-ndw5jpxDoSEfuzPMBlS06mYytnngvurFvwMm45fork9M-fbsbeNvUC1nO-jQd1nEMTD/s320/DSC04016.JPG" width="320" /></a> <br />
The day before our breakfast, she and I take advantage of the quiet afternoon in the house to prep this savory dish. <br />
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The beauty of any strata is doing all the prep the day before and popping it in the oven the next morning for a great breakfast that all will rave about.<br />
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The prep is really quite simple, especially if you mise en place.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgTbbsftxOjQega2XjXtcPThSA2A7mXZ8leMb0GwAI1bUUsaJ0R2uCm5bUHPucnTMOHHjvr_s1ad0Wz8c6sYR39Mdf8d0fwbpdUuXNF6xAEJC7I-v-qMu94q4fjz6XhrveJuoYgro7144U/s1600/DSC04007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgTbbsftxOjQega2XjXtcPThSA2A7mXZ8leMb0GwAI1bUUsaJ0R2uCm5bUHPucnTMOHHjvr_s1ad0Wz8c6sYR39Mdf8d0fwbpdUuXNF6xAEJC7I-v-qMu94q4fjz6XhrveJuoYgro7144U/s640/DSC04007.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look who is charge of the cheese</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinAGtgX_kom8mSms6v9fFshKz7yiHju9FvKY0Ea4Qt8XcspAB4qInvRwKV_CywI7cbH3ERmjCQbdTK-_dMayK9rsu1FfqcmZMAs8Ikxwk4qDFQe9h5gb0pLs5MAPQW_2a9hZFJ7DKv_sba/s1600/DSC04013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinAGtgX_kom8mSms6v9fFshKz7yiHju9FvKY0Ea4Qt8XcspAB4qInvRwKV_CywI7cbH3ERmjCQbdTK-_dMayK9rsu1FfqcmZMAs8Ikxwk4qDFQe9h5gb0pLs5MAPQW_2a9hZFJ7DKv_sba/s640/DSC04013.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's important to grate "extra" cheese</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOIuDw5dIFD300SBIiRRNIFCystNG0WH4L-uHRUXr72QtoPMhzQQQmOtX7Qa_GIzoa3uORrjPoarm8F2sJIWwJ8HSD55gzKhGrcjAzZoBDmgwhe9vW_OFAFU13sVK-_DLzl0ZPgObDVk8y/s1600/DSC04015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOIuDw5dIFD300SBIiRRNIFCystNG0WH4L-uHRUXr72QtoPMhzQQQmOtX7Qa_GIzoa3uORrjPoarm8F2sJIWwJ8HSD55gzKhGrcjAzZoBDmgwhe9vW_OFAFU13sVK-_DLzl0ZPgObDVk8y/s640/DSC04015.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYoTZ2bHMxHUokdZpJKH137CBe7sFMRCvCeb5WR4KzaqpsvzMENHxwOfxYOfEv7WJeRiB-w7wb7XbfNBow1ARoBaLgebXii7q621_2P6TM61pVWfxwK1yIj-RATMxHUsl_6m9DZmriUIhi/s1600/DSC04031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYoTZ2bHMxHUokdZpJKH137CBe7sFMRCvCeb5WR4KzaqpsvzMENHxwOfxYOfEv7WJeRiB-w7wb7XbfNBow1ARoBaLgebXii7q621_2P6TM61pVWfxwK1yIj-RATMxHUsl_6m9DZmriUIhi/s640/DSC04031.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This will give the egg dish extra pizazz. Maybe the cooks too.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Toast up slices of day old bread and give it a smear of butter. Lay first layer in a casserole.<br />
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Cook down the spinach with shallots.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizAt-Wpyij9sNptVcn9rTQJw5VHBJBVSl9O0695hvNjbfsvMukDqStugDdA4JRTfBWvlQOKY8HcKDrKdU-uA-IruV0pvguaMdryImLDsb6-l4SdDnUWsZFjJMBvYGyI7XSrT0e-ViLA5gy/s1600/DSC04028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizAt-Wpyij9sNptVcn9rTQJw5VHBJBVSl9O0695hvNjbfsvMukDqStugDdA4JRTfBWvlQOKY8HcKDrKdU-uA-IruV0pvguaMdryImLDsb6-l4SdDnUWsZFjJMBvYGyI7XSrT0e-ViLA5gy/s640/DSC04028.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Setting the cooked spinach/shallots aside, use the same skillet to cook down the 1/2 cup of wine. At this juncture, the first time we made this, my grandmother discovered with a sip of wine from the open bottle enhanced the pinch of cheese she was snacking on. She couldn't hide her reaction....mmmmm how wonderful they are together. A new tradition began...<br />
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Getting back to work, whip up the eggs with half and half. Add the simmered wine to the egg mixture.<br />
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Spread the cooked spinach and shallots over the first layer of toast and sprinkle with Gruyere. Repeat if you have more toast. Similar to making a lasagna.<br />
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Pour the egg mixture over the assembled strata. Cover with plastic wrap and put something heavy on top to encourage the toast to soak up all that goodness. Another casserole dish or a package of sugar will do the trick. Refrigerate overnight.<br />
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If you planned ahead like we do, you'd have some cheese left and of course the wine you just poured yourself.<br />
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Enjoy the evening. Sleep in the next morning. The moment you arise, remove the casserole from the refrigerator while the oven comes to temperature. Once it is at temperature, bake. An hour later you will have:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijheJOvAQerjEzsE6XPr30xDyKPI61xd9ur7EsfIHvnCus22YBT776V5F_qUlpagYYSFI6sBEG-LoDmjmCNsF4Yhww0LTR1TuJ50nngc7c0S2laMENjPIEJ4csI-LRnAJsY5lYGlJtoL_k/s1600/DSC04092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijheJOvAQerjEzsE6XPr30xDyKPI61xd9ur7EsfIHvnCus22YBT776V5F_qUlpagYYSFI6sBEG-LoDmjmCNsF4Yhww0LTR1TuJ50nngc7c0S2laMENjPIEJ4csI-LRnAJsY5lYGlJtoL_k/s640/DSC04092.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Dino gave me a great recipe, but even better he gave me quality time with my grandmother. Needless to say, if you want to do the same with a loved one, you best shred extra cheese and have tad more wine on hand than what the recipe calls for. We hope you enjoy!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-mxoFfWqqjqw8UT1VjBDOvd82OJBSu34e530fxK2m7fdauPLQFPILNb1lNeOKZyC0H_Ow2Nh_Y91YRkkGbI1fdpyo7PaKDrPxBJ-RLOl97w2HCbLjNoGTe2ycY7Zc22i9lzjHOfwaUlPy/s1600/DSC04120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-mxoFfWqqjqw8UT1VjBDOvd82OJBSu34e530fxK2m7fdauPLQFPILNb1lNeOKZyC0H_Ow2Nh_Y91YRkkGbI1fdpyo7PaKDrPxBJ-RLOl97w2HCbLjNoGTe2ycY7Zc22i9lzjHOfwaUlPy/s320/DSC04120.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div>
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<b><span style="font-size: medium;">Breakfast Strata with Spinach and Gruyere </span></b><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>(courtesy Dino Kostas)</i></span><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div>
Makes one 8x8 inch Strata, Serving of 6</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<br />
<i>Ingredients</i></div>
<div>
8-10 (1/2" thick) slices of french or Italian bread</div>
<div>
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened</div>
<div>
4 medium shallots, minced</div>
<div>
1 10oz package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry</div>
<div>
1/2 cup medium dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc</div>
<div>
6 oz Gruyere cheese, grated (about 1 1/12 cups)</div>
<div>
6 large eggs</div>
<div>
1 3/4 cups half and half</div>
<div>
Salt and pepper to taste</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<br />
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 225 degrees. Arrange bread in single layer on large baking sheet and bake until dry and crisp, about 40 minutes, turning slices over halfway through drying time. When cooled, butter slices on one side with 2 tablespoons butter. Set aside.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
2. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Saute shallots until fragrant and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add spinach. Salt and pepper to taste.. Cook, stirring occasionally until spinach and shallots are combined, about 2 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl; set aside.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
3. Add wine to skillet, increase heat to medium-high heat, and simmer until reduced to 1/4 cup, 2-3 minutes. Set aside.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
4. Butter 8" square baking dish with remaining 1 tablespoon butter; arrange half the buttered bread slices, buttered side up, in single layer in dish. Sprinkle half of the spinach mixture then 1/2 cup grated cheese evenly over bread slices. Arrange remaining bread slices in single layer over cheese; sprinkle remaining spinach mixture and another 1/2 cup cheese evenly over bread. Whisk eggs in medium bowl until combined; whisk in reduced wine, half and half, salt and pepper to taste. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread layers; cover surface flush with plastic wrap. Weigh down (two 1 lb boxes of brown or powdered sugar laid side by side works well). Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to overnight.</div>
5. Remove dish from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature 20 minutes. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Uncover strata and sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese evenly over surfaces; bake until both edges and center are puffed and edges have pulled away slightly from sides of dish, 50-55 minutes. Cool on wire rack 5 minutes. Serve.
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Sylvia Aveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215885640345550862noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4839581018620897214.post-21374335235655340172013-05-31T15:53:00.001-07:002013-05-31T15:53:45.100-07:00A Marrakesh Inspired Housewarming Gift <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
How easy it would be to give a kitchen inspired gift I would like to receive. But I would rather give the intended recipient(s) something they would really want. My latest opportunity to find just the "right" gift was a lot of fun to acquire and proved to be an inspiration in its own right.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>**Recipe Below**</i></div>
<br />
Low and behold the gift of this Tagine:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-LsWfFM307CSm_-HmTcGTJ721MQO1sHM0khBIfXLO24DzL-U84VZ74Umc0aveeRG-Ys7dTmE1uUR1gPkmqfIlI3y3dMAM0boqy8I6_RCmOF6YxfCFrTwEySnHi5R_-tzW7KdfMw0E4vhb/s1600/DSC03972.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-LsWfFM307CSm_-HmTcGTJ721MQO1sHM0khBIfXLO24DzL-U84VZ74Umc0aveeRG-Ys7dTmE1uUR1gPkmqfIlI3y3dMAM0boqy8I6_RCmOF6YxfCFrTwEySnHi5R_-tzW7KdfMw0E4vhb/s640/DSC03972.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hand painted Tagine</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our good friends, Doug & Susan, recently moved into their home at the Marrakesh Country Club in Palm Desert. The best way to describe the styling of the housing structures would be Hollywood Regency. You know .... mansard roofs and pullman doors.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE91080R82eUsUc0LBFiWa8l2DdDdTKGVXuiUMYoaKmNYd7_hmnpKY34ONWgJAFn9fOamAW4SVK448m75JLPMS-5x6sWSJbxhkglTnaF8SgAqzmX1MxMnIHVw8ppECPk2lUKPEfH0JqHrh/s1600/Marrakesh-door.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE91080R82eUsUc0LBFiWa8l2DdDdTKGVXuiUMYoaKmNYd7_hmnpKY34ONWgJAFn9fOamAW4SVK448m75JLPMS-5x6sWSJbxhkglTnaF8SgAqzmX1MxMnIHVw8ppECPk2lUKPEfH0JqHrh/s640/Marrakesh-door.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy Palm Springs Modernism Week</td></tr>
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The tricky part of a Hollywood Regency home paired with the name Marrakesh is how to decorate. Fortunately the week before our visit to see them and their new home, they came through our town. I mentioned to my hubby John, "let's pay attention to what they're talking about for their new place. Maybe we'll figure out just the right housewarming gift."<br />
<br />
Like a gift delivered from the gods, our friends brought a design book to show us the ideas they were thinking about. Susan said she was going for a bit of the glamour age that Hollywood Regency dictates, but wanted to give a nod to the Moroccan influenced name.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIhbbJjklU6wRyx0-RNgyxQtzm-M58omCYqfoGY7FZ-RejhdSvM7FT96HGlQm0pCPIEXGi1dchviQZyjf3geloLrQAWWiHxwxFfVGLvVu-25wALFGd_EyuFuhpQR30YxAIoiwnVLrXxgbe/s1600/DSC03966.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="359" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIhbbJjklU6wRyx0-RNgyxQtzm-M58omCYqfoGY7FZ-RejhdSvM7FT96HGlQm0pCPIEXGi1dchviQZyjf3geloLrQAWWiHxwxFfVGLvVu-25wALFGd_EyuFuhpQR30YxAIoiwnVLrXxgbe/s640/DSC03966.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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While they both slipped away to the restroom, John and I quickly thumbed through the book for ideas. See what we saw?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ93NdRHZ_VDB4r4gfitUiEkKjj1Li7ynQPJOuBkdmiSq-1CNxry4zReVg6dMuVFHGfrN8LnGTRihyvNR_jRBosPdkabQCACUzhaxGV1XERbTSSeL3wT-bR138dRWsrKBGCg1AcN8ogYDQ/s1600/DSC03967.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ93NdRHZ_VDB4r4gfitUiEkKjj1Li7ynQPJOuBkdmiSq-1CNxry4zReVg6dMuVFHGfrN8LnGTRihyvNR_jRBosPdkabQCACUzhaxGV1XERbTSSeL3wT-bR138dRWsrKBGCg1AcN8ogYDQ/s640/DSC03967.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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After work one evening, we went to the nearest Williams Sonoma and selected our gift. Very pleased with ourselves, we took ourselves out to dinner discovering a fantastic Pho restaurant in the mall, <a href="http://9021pho.com/" target="_blank">9021PHO</a>. But I digress....<br />
<br />
The gift was well received and the enthusiasm of what to cook in it the next night took on a life of its own. After much research we decided on a variation from Epicurious's Chicken Tagine with Couscous. Being we were not in the land of Morocco, we shopped at the next best ethnic store in the Coachella Valley, <a href="http://cardenasmarkets.com/home/home_en.html" target="_blank">Cardenas Market.</a><br />
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A market full of wonderful meats, spices and produce but alas no couscous. Adapt! Purchased orzo instead. We got a little enthusiastic with our chicken buying and bought too much for our Tagine vessel. Punt!<br />
<br />
We decided it was enough that the Tagine inspired us to make this dish and instead chose the casserole in-the-oven route to bake our feast. The couscous portion of the meal now turned into a toasted orzo with figs to accompany our braised meat.<br />
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We were in a bit of a hurry to get the dish in the oven for a slow cook and didn't get photos documenting the assembly. It is not terribly difficult as you'll see in the recipe below.<br />
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The reason we were in a hurry, is we were aiming to have another type of Moroccan experience. Market shopping...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyP27ueMO3R9FuYQcmUnKzr1vaOry2g7BSXk9IFw4ARejtxjFwRtmjZuI8Y5dr_SMWrhYvoc6hBXF3dRvXpdfnVb9i3Dq6KQaOHfuX_k947Zn3LrVXF3p01Riaze0rA2WQu5ofMgoCMYp9/s1600/IMG_2197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyP27ueMO3R9FuYQcmUnKzr1vaOry2g7BSXk9IFw4ARejtxjFwRtmjZuI8Y5dr_SMWrhYvoc6hBXF3dRvXpdfnVb9i3Dq6KQaOHfuX_k947Zn3LrVXF3p01Riaze0rA2WQu5ofMgoCMYp9/s640/IMG_2197.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If one can't go to the Moroccan Quarter in Granada...then the next best thing is....</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO3TxYfzPmbYoHiFkyW6yC-sJYqZDG02GIaKUvFC0LW4H9l_QAX3X1NCcEf1fIwRSX6TEaAdSIHBfcKTYG4sfpV39f4z1MSTzIhpuhfkEBVHKQMqhv5NeH_EPR8cdRytgKrWYWPV84JOeL/s1600/DSC03898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO3TxYfzPmbYoHiFkyW6yC-sJYqZDG02GIaKUvFC0LW4H9l_QAX3X1NCcEf1fIwRSX6TEaAdSIHBfcKTYG4sfpV39f4z1MSTzIhpuhfkEBVHKQMqhv5NeH_EPR8cdRytgKrWYWPV84JOeL/s640/DSC03898.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://maclinmarkets.com/indio.html" target="_blank">The Indio Evening/Night Market</a>, picture courtesy Susan Myrland</td></tr>
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We perused every one of the stalls at this bi-weekly swap meet while our dinner concoction was brewing. By the time we got back home, the most aromatic fragrance drifted to our very hungry tummies. Imagine how pretty this picture would have been if we could have fit it in the Tagine.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibcAZ0G1ujvjvkjszdJSGHhTl3Qq6-sPEsfC9HydUJKhsKmDh7Jev-mhOhkjK2oClsv5xscILSZyHCj2hXCsHwdu1elg3QO3g6w5MUnEynpmBfa9ZkCtytmQ6bic5dQ9b2J4sYs22apyMT/s1600/DSC03950.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibcAZ0G1ujvjvkjszdJSGHhTl3Qq6-sPEsfC9HydUJKhsKmDh7Jev-mhOhkjK2oClsv5xscILSZyHCj2hXCsHwdu1elg3QO3g6w5MUnEynpmBfa9ZkCtytmQ6bic5dQ9b2J4sYs22apyMT/s640/DSC03950.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_mXeaT9Z6X0a0YyJe8gcYqTlB87FWKv6gFF7BSFbbT3oyIEvbf0mbblNIUMt9jO60G1CvUjdM5uf8FZeaK_OuKNHmuTLM84E2EH8NlagE0YndytJZHuPVhA5SbcTAszDPhC-zbF0VudpH/s1600/DSC03954.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_mXeaT9Z6X0a0YyJe8gcYqTlB87FWKv6gFF7BSFbbT3oyIEvbf0mbblNIUMt9jO60G1CvUjdM5uf8FZeaK_OuKNHmuTLM84E2EH8NlagE0YndytJZHuPVhA5SbcTAszDPhC-zbF0VudpH/s640/DSC03954.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Again, no more time for picture taking...we were over the top ready to eat. But check out the big cinnamon stick floating in our dish. It permeated every bit of the meat. Did the same kind of treatment in the broth where the orzo cooked.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPfjGBQo4Tb-xZgPN7-u2M-BUy5xiLNpRv7kmhA51ikVbeKt4kR_QORShEXz8Ufh6pnUYb3XAlMRkXr50ojF1_pexpHpK152c3AKm0hXV0tF6E6UfLEq1kqrL9o7ej5ruUIY8pWavILEQM/s1600/DSC03960.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPfjGBQo4Tb-xZgPN7-u2M-BUy5xiLNpRv7kmhA51ikVbeKt4kR_QORShEXz8Ufh6pnUYb3XAlMRkXr50ojF1_pexpHpK152c3AKm0hXV0tF6E6UfLEq1kqrL9o7ej5ruUIY8pWavILEQM/s640/DSC03960.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If the Tagine didn't cook it, it made a lovely centerpiece</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Chicken Tagine (adapted from Epicurious)</span> </b>
<br />
<ul class="ingredientsList">
<li class="ingredient">1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil</li>
<li class="ingredient">1 large chicken (about 3 pounds), cut into 8 pieces</li>
<li class="ingredient">Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and <a href="http://moroccanfood.about.com/od/maindishes/r/ras_el_hanout_recipe.htm" target="_blank">Ras El Hanout</a> (Moroccan spice)</li>
<li class="ingredient">15 cipollini onions, blanched and peeled</li>
<li class="ingredient">2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced</li>
<li class="ingredient">1/2-inch piece ginger, finely chopped</li>
<li class="ingredient">1 cup chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth</li>
<li class="ingredient">1 teaspoon ground cumin</li>
<li class="ingredient">1/4 teaspoon saffron</li>
<li class="ingredient">1/2 cup olives, pitted</li>
<li class="ingredient">1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped</li>
<li class="ingredient">1/2 lemon, chopped</li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Toasted Orzo with Dried Figs (My own invention): </b></span>
<br />
<ul class="ingredientsList">
<li class="ingredient">1 lb of orzo</li>
<li class="ingredient">1 tablespoons unsalted butter </li>
<li class="ingredient">1 1/2 cups chicken stock </li>
<li class="ingredient">1-inch cinnamon stick</li>
<li class="ingredient">1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric </li>
<li class="ingredient">1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes</li>
<li class="ingredient">1/4 teaspoon of Ras El Hanout </li>
<li class="ingredient">1 cup roughly chopped dried figs </li>
</ul>
<div style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<div class="instruction">
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>To prepare the tagine or casserole:</b></span><br />
1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.
</div>
<div class="instruction">
2. In a large skillet, drizzle with the olive oil over medium high heat. Season the chicken liberally with
salt, pepper and Ras El Hanout. Working in batches, sear the chicken until
deep golden brown on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes total. Reserve seared
chicken on a plate.
</div>
<div class="instruction">
3. Add the onions to the skillet and cook, stirring
occasionally, until light golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic
and ginger to the skillet and continue cooking, until aromatic, about 2
minutes. Add the stock, cumin, and saffron to the pot, and bring the
liquid to a boil. Transfer the chicken to the tagine or casserole dish along with any juices
that accumulated while it rested. Pour in the onion/spices mixture to the same tagine or casserole.</div>
<div class="instruction">
4. Cover the tagine or casserole with a tight-fitting lid and
bake until the chicken has cooked through, about 2 hours. </div>
<div class="instruction">
5. When the chicken has cooked through, add the olives,
parsley, and lemons to the pot. Reserve warm over low heat until ready
to serve.<br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="instruction">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>To prepare the toasted orzo with dried figs:</b></span><br />
1. Heat butter in a 12" non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add orzo stirring frequently, toasting until lightly brown and golden. Set aside.
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<div class="instruction">
2. In a medium pot over high heat, bring the chicken
stock, cinnamon, turmeric,red pepper and Ras El Hanout to a boil. Add the orzo,
stir to combine, and cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer for 10 minutes or until the orzo has absorbed the liquid.</div>
<div class="instruction">
3. Fluff the orzo with a fork. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick. Stir in chopped figs. Serve warm with the prepared tagine or casserole.
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Sylvia Aveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215885640345550862noreply@blogger.com2