Thursday, July 24, 2014

Almost Ready to Leap...ALMOST!

I've been an emotional wreck the last few days.  I leave for Europe in 4 weeks and although I know I'm about to embark on the journey of a lifetime, and I will experience the most incredible things...it's also VERY scary to leave everything that is familiar.  It is especially scary to do it alone.  I've altered so much in my life to do this!  I have not lived in my own condo for over a year.  I have given up my job, my salary, my benefits for a year.  I am leaving my family, my friends, my dog.  I know I'm leaving all of these things for an INCREDIBLE opportunity...but it's still scary to do so. For now, I waver between excitedly planning outings and excursions all over Europe, and minutes later curling up in a ball sobbing into my pillow, not wanting to leave all that is familiar and comfortable.  

Despite my nerves and fear, of course I will board that plane on August 23.  I will go...possibly on wobbly legs with a few tears in my eyes....but I will go.  It's not like I'm going off to war.  It's not like I'm leaving forever for goodness sakes!  Well, at least I don't think so!  Believe me, I know how incredibly lucky I am, so I am not trying to be dramatic about the whole situation.  But..I am leaving and I'm a little nervous.  However, I know life begins when you step outside of your comfort zone.  That's when the good stuff happens!  So my foot is dangling off the cliff and I'm ready to leap.  Well...ALMOST ready!

  

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Gruyere O'Gratin Taters...Hint, it's all about the NUTMEG

Alright, so I was super duper healthy with that Quinoa Tabouleh salad, but I also boarded the decadent train with another dish today.  Luckily, multiple mouths helped consume all the yumminess so calorie intake is in tact (until I hit up the leftovers later...HA!) Anyway, as I mentioned in my last post, I took a wonderful cooking class at Cook L.A. (Visit the website here!) and learned killer new dishes, as well as valuable knife, roasting, blanching, and toasting skills!  One of the dishes I learned was Gruyere O'Gratin Potatoes.  For the love of all that is holy....TRUST me when I say this one is a winner.

Here's What You'll Need:

3 Pounds of Potatoes - peeled and thinly sliced (Russet or Idaho work best)
3 Cloves of Garlic - finely minced
Kosher Salt, Black Pepper & Nutmeg - to taste
3/4 Pound Gruyere Cheese - grated (add a second type of cheese for a little variety)
2 Cups Heavy Cream



1.  Peel the potatoes and cut them into thin and even slices.  Making sure they are sliced evenly ensures an evenly baked dish!  Grate the cheese.


2.  Butter a pyrex dish (Either use one 9x13 or two 8x8 dishes).

3.  Place a layer of potatoes on the bottom of the dish.  Then sprinkle a handful of gruyere and minced garlic, and season with salt, pepper, and a dusting of nutmeg.  You want the nutmeg to be subtle.


4.  Repeat this process until you run out of potatoes and cheese.  Then pour the heavy cream evenly over the potatoes. 



5.  Bake uncovered at 350 degrees until done, approximately 50-60 minutes.  Check potatoes with a fork.  Fork should slide into potato easily.  If cheese is getting too brown, but potatoes are not yet done, cover with foil and continue baking.

6.  Remove from oven and allow potatoes to set (15 minutes or so!)  Serve and call me from heaven cuz after one bite of these bad boys, you'll think you've died and gone there!  ENJOY!


Quinoa Tabouleh Will Make you Drooly!

Boy, did I get busy in the kitchen today!  I was chopping and dicing like it was my job!  I love an afternoon of kitchen fun!  Forever on a quest for high protein, healthy vegetarian dishes, I was SUPER excited to learn this recipe last week.  I took a cooking class at a wonderful little cooking school in Studio City, CA called Cook L.A.  (Click Here to Learn More about Cook LA)  On this particular night, it just so happened that all menu items were vegetarian!  Bonus!  I loved all of the dishes we made that evening, but the Quinoa Tabouleh stood out as a wonderfully fresh summer dish that I would love to share with all of you.  That being said, full credit to Liz at Cook L.A. for the original recipe.  I tweaked it just a bit to my liking, as I'm sure we all do when it comes to loosely following a recipe.  (Except baking, I RARELY tweak a recipe when baking!)  Anyway, on to the goodness...

Here's What You Will Need:

1 Cup Quinoa (I used the Simple Truth organic brand from Ralph's)
2 Cups Water (or to punch up the flavor I used Simple Truth organic vegetable broth)
1 Bunch Parsley - chopped
3 Green Onions - sliced into thin scallions
3 Medium Tomatoes - small dice
5 Small Persian Cucumbers - sliced length wise and then chopped into 1/4" half moons (see photo below)
1/2 Medium Red Onion - medium dice
3 Cloves of Garlic - finely minced
Olive Oil (approx. 1/4 cup, but I just toss it on to taste)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Juice of a Medium Lemon (watch those seeds)



**Get creative and add a bit of mint, perhaps some diced watermelon, diced red and yellow bell peppers, or even some feta cheese!  However, the recipe above is bursting with flavor as is!**

1.  Step one is IMPORTANT!!  Dry toast the quinoa in a sauce pan before adding any liquid.  Stirring constantly, the quinoa will brown up a bit and smell almost like nutty popcorn!  Do this for 4 to 5 minutes.

2.  Add your water or vegetable broth to the quinoa and bring to a boil.  After it's boiling, reduce to a simmer.  Leave it uncovered and simmering until all liquid is gone.  Set aside to cool.



3.  In a large bowl toss together your parsley, scallions, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper, and lemon juice. (and anything else you've decided to add)

  
Here are your half moon cucumbers!
Look at that color palette!!


4.  Add your room temperature quinoa and mix together!  SERVE!!!  

This is a beautiful dish, bursting with flavor!  And it's quite lovely, aesthetically speaking!  


Thursday, July 17, 2014

Euro Adventure - Day #1 - #30

Many people have been asking me about my plan/itinerary for my upcoming adventure. I am going to be traveling for about ten months, spending the majority of my time in Spain. However, since I'll be in the neighborhood ;), I decided to check out a few other notable European cities before I make my way into Madrid.  Here I will map out the first 30 days of my pre-Spain journey! In this post I will only briefly show you my stops, my route and some links to a few of the places where I'm staying. Hopefully, as I proceed on my adventures, I can keep you in the loop on what I see and experience! So here we go!  I depart Saturday, August 23rd!  




Stop #1 Edinburgh, Scotland

Adios California, hello Scotland!  Click HERE to see where I'm staying in Scotland!  I'm really excited for my time in Edinburgh.  The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is taking place during my stay.  This is the largest arts festival in the world and takes place every August in Scotland's capital city.  HEAVEN! 



Stop #2 Dublin, Ireland

Next, I fly to Dublin!  Click HERE to see where I'm staying in Dublin.  I'm so excited to see Ireland and I already have a musical pub crawl planned, as well as a bus tour to the countryside where P.S. I Love You and Braveheart were filmed!  



Stop #3 London, England

On to London, Cheerio!  My dear friend Erin will be meeting me in London.  I can't wait to explore with her! Click HERE to see our cute flat in Soho!



Stop #4 Paris, France

Erin and I will make our way to Paris via the Chunnel. This is a tunnel that lies beneath the English Channel, connecting England to France. The Chunnel train travels at 186 mph. Click HERE to see where Erin and I are staying in Paris!



Stop #5 Nice, France

On to the South of France, where we'll explore Nice, Monaco, Provence, etc. Click HERE to see where we are staying in Nice!  After thirteen days of traveling together, I say goodbye to Erin on September 12th.



Stop #6 Cannes, France

I simply couldn't be in Nice (only a 22 minute train ride from Cannes) and not pop over to the infamous city that boasts the film festival.  I'll spend two nights in Cannes exploring, and possibly just laying on the beach. Click HERE to see my little studio in Cannes.



Stop #7 Aix en Provence, France
From Cannes, I will take a train through Marseille to the quaint town of Aix en Provence.  I learned about this sweet town watching a Rick Steve's show and I was simply tickled by the history and charm of this bustling little village.  I cannot wait to see it in person!  Click HERE to see my apartment in Aix en Provence. Also, click HERE for a NY Times article capturing the loveliness of Aix.


Stop #8 Bordeaux, France 
How could I possibly be in France without experiencing some of the greatest wine regions in the world?  I will take a train six hours across France to the wine region of Bordeaux, where I will reside for three nights.  


Stop #9 San Sebastián, Spain 
My final stop before heading to Madrid is in a coastal city called San Sebastian, in the Bay of Biscay, very near the France border.  This city has a picturesque shoreline and plenty of history.  Click HERE to see where I'll be staying in San Sebastian!

Finally, on September 21st, I will make my way to Madrid where my sojourn in Spain awaits!  I will also be making my way into Portugal, and even Africa!  I am excited and a little nervous, but my mind and heart are wide open to new adventures and experiences!  I hope you'll follow along!  xo