and

HOPPY EASTER!

what will i be dining on today? breakfast was oatmeal topped with granola and light soy milk. lunch will be tofu lasagna and dinner will be a thai tofu stir fry. really, not all that bad. i promise.

what books like “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” “In the Defense of Food,” “Food Matters,” “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle,” and anything by Marion Nestle, Alice Waters, Michael Pollan and let’s add in a throwback  with Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation fame) etc etc etc – i.e. the key food influencers today will tell you to cut back on your meat intake. and the reasons stem beyond your personal health….

we are a nation of consumers who over consume. take a look at your bulging closet or your DVD collection that can challenge Blockbuster’s selection or the three video game consoles sitting next to your oversized flat screen TV. and if you live in America, you typically tend to follow a meat and potatoes diet. well guess what? the American demand for meat, coupled with the trend of population growth equals…wait for it…the demand for meat in the coming years to exceed all that the United States can physically offer!

simple changes and i’m really stressing here – simple, simple, simple – changes can alleviate this impending problem, put dollars back into your pocket book and help out future generations of meat and non-meat eaters alike. (side note: this is coming from the woman who proudly wore the “worst eater in the world” crown for most of her life. if i can do it, so can you!)

okay, baby steps….

breakfast swap.

• yes, those ham and egg cups with a little bacon grizzle on top fill the room and your stomach with complete satisfaction. but think about it. you’re certainly consuming a ton of fat in one serving and not really giving your body a sunny morning great start that it needs. okay, argue with me. but start your day with eggs and whole wheat toast or a bowl of oatmeal for 14 days (the amount of time it takes your brain to “click” and notice and accept a change in the norm.)

lunch swap.

• okay, i’m going out on a limb here, but who doesn’t absolutely LOVE hummus? i mean, come on. its awesome! instead of going for cold cuts (yes, i have an aversion to CC’s because they remind me of hannibal lector. enough said.) make a sandwich with hummus (here’s my fav hummus in the world [roasted red pepper] and for a hot minute southern california stores stopped carrying it. gulp. never, ever do that again ralph’s & safeway!) sliced cucumbers, black olives (please buy pitted), feta cheese and a bit of romaine if you wish. its a really fulfilling and refreshing lunch!

snack swap.

• dump that beef jerky, turkey jerky, half beef/turkey/random part of a pig dipped in teriyaki coating into the trash can now. and guys, if you really want a female to stay away, then proudly hang onto your jerky and we’ll see ya later. what about a green apple with peanut butter and raisins? or celery…ants on a log? cheese and grapes? even a granola bar dipped into plain yogurt. the sweet and salty combo and the protein and carb balance. think of what snacks you loved in your childhood. i’m partial to the apple combo.

dinner swap.

• okay, this is where it gets tricky. you come home from a day at work and you want a meal. something hot, delicious and filling the kitchen with its smell. tofu can do that for you! really! and i’m not talking about a tofurkey! alright, first off, not even i until recently, knew how to prepare tofu. i mean, it comes in a flimsy plastic container and its in this liquid. (insert my face of disgust here. followed by a slight gag.) what the hell do you do?!?!?! easy. put a couple of paper towels down. cut the tofu into evenly sliced pieces and put down on the paper towels. then put more paper towels on top. then put a cutting board on top and put some cans of food on top. wait about 20-30 minutes and be sure to add more paper towels if you need to.  i’m not really a fan of big hunks of tofu, but i like to chop it up and add it to stir frys or to my dinner tonight, lasagna. i like to make veggie burgers with it too for an added oomph of protein. try it, a couple of times before getting rid of it as a menu item for good. really.

i’ll admit, i cannot turn down a stadium dog from Notre Dame. i cannot turn down Salumi from Armandino Batali’s mecca of perfection in Seattle. i am completely addicted to chicken – i even have a family nickname involving the word chicken. i cannot even begin to take two steps into Father’s Office in Santa Monica without drooling over their infamous burgers. but most of the time, i’m conscious. i do my part and choose salad over X and fish over Y. hoping you might begin to do the same.

have a fantastic weekend!

here’s my recipe. (and yes, its vegetarian.) after the first experience, i’ve since gone on to make two other loaves just this month. (variations on this recipe.) its absolutely fantastically delicious and great to have on hand. its especially an ego boost to serve someone a sandwich and then them  commenting on the bread and you can quip, “i made it myself.”

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsps salt

1 1/2 tsp instant yeast

1 tbsp sugar (you can even add in 1/2 tbsp more if you like a sweeter bread)

3 tbsp melted butter

1 1/2 cups of warm, not hot milk (i use non-fat, but anything up to whole works fine.) [*update - i didn't include the V option in the post before...substitute rice milk instead of regular milk.]

add the flour, salt, yeast in a bowl, mix. add the sugar and milk, mix. i prefer an arm workout and like to mix by hand. a food processor is also fine. like a KitchenAid mixer (pictured below). [side note: i am obsessed with KitchenAid mixers and besides actually getting married, one of the things i've most looked forward to in life is registering for one of these. it's my dream kitchen appliance and while i've had many opportunities to purchase one, its the one thing i'm waiting on. screw the engagement ring, i want a mixer! ha. yeah, i'm a bit quirky.]

form the dough into a ball (if its too dry, add more milk. too wet, add more flour) put in a greased large bowl. cover with a damp towel and let it rise for 2 hours. if the dough hasn’t risen by then, put it in an oven set on the warm setting for about 30-35 minutes. that should help.  when the dough is ready, deflate it and knead gently. put it back in the bowl for another 15 minutes. then shape the dough into a loaf and placed in a greased loaf pan. cover again with a damp towel and let it rise another hour. (see, lots o’steps.) meanwhile, preheat oven to 350. brush the top of the loaf (when its ready) with water. then bake in the oven for about 45 minutes. the loaf should be golden and firm when done. when you take the bread out of the oven be sure to let it cool in the pan, then remove and let it cool completely before slicing and/or freezing. it will be hard to resist digging in, but its worth the wait! especially with fresh jam…june, the beginning of strawberry season is coming up! check out the california strawberry fest link…i’ll certainly be attending!

below is the partial list from the James Beard Foundation:

Restaurant and Chef Awards

OUTSTANDING RESTAURATEUR AWARD

A working restaurateur who sets high national standards in restaurant operations and entrepreneurship. Candidates must have been in the restaurant business for at least 10 years. Candidates must not have been nominated for a James Beard Foundation chef award in the past 10 years.

Tom Douglas
Tom Douglas Restaurants
Seattle

Keith McNally
Balthazar, Lucky Strike, Morandi, Pastis, Pravda, and Schiller’s Liquor Bar
NYC

Richard Melman
Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises
Chicago

Drew Nieporent
Myriad Restaurant Group
NYC

Stephen Starr
Starr Restaurants
Philadelphia

OUTSTANDING CHEF AWARD

Presented by All-Clad Metalcrafters
A working chef in America whose career has set national industry standards and who has served as an inspiration to other food professionals. Candidates must have been working as chefs for at least the past 5 years.

José Andrés
Minibar
Washington, D.C.

Dan Barber
Blue Hill
NYC

Tom Colicchio
Craft
NYC

Suzanne Goin
Lucques
Los Angeles

Paul Kahan
Blackbird
Chicago

OUTSTANDING RESTAURANT AWARD

A restaurant in the United States that serves as a national standard-bearer for consistent quality and excellence in food, atmosphere, and service. Candidates must have been in operation for at least 10 or more consecutive years.

Babbo
NYC
Chef/Owner: Mario Batali
Owner: Joe Bastianich

Boulevard
San Francisco
Chef/Owner: Nancy Oakes
Owner: Pat Kuleto

Fore Street
Portland, ME
Chef/Owner: Sam Hayward
Owner: Victor Leon and Dana Street

Highlands Bar & Grill
Birmingham, AL
Chef/Owner: Frank Stitt

Jean Georges
NYC
Chef/Owner: Jean-Georges Vongerichten
Owner: Phil Suarez

RISING STAR CHEF OF THE YEAR AWARD

A chef age 30 or younger who displays an impressive talent and who is likely to have a significant impact on the industry in years to come.

Nate Appleman
A16
San Francisco

Sean Brock
McCrady’s
Charleston, SC

Johnny Monis
Komi
Washington, D.C.

Gabriel Rucker
Le Pigeon
Portland, OR

Michael Solomonov
Zahav
Philadelphia

Sue Zemanick
Gautreau’s
New Orleans

BEST NEW RESTAURANT

Presented by Lexus
A restaurant opened in 2008 that already displays excellence in food, beverage, and service and is likely to have a significant impact on the industry in years to come.

The Bazaar by José Andrés at SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills
Los Angeles
Chef/Owner: José Andrés
Owners: SBE

Corton
NYC
Chef/Owner: Paul Liebrandt
Owner: Drew Nieporent

L2O
Chicago
Chef: Laurent Gras
Owner: Richard Melman

Momofuku Ko
NYC
Chef/Owner: David Chang

Scarpetta
NYC
Chef/Owner: Scott Conant

OUTSTANDING PASTRY CHEF AWARD

Presented by All-Clad Metalcrafters
A chef or baker who prepares desserts, pastries, or breads and who serves as a national standard-bearer for excellence. Candidates must have been pastry chefs or bakers for at least the past 5 years.

Gina DePalma
Babbo
NYC

Kamel Guechida
Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
Las Vegas

Pichet Ong
P*ong
NYC

Nicole Plue
Redd
Yountville, CA

Mindy Segal
Mindy’s HotChocolate
Chicago

OUTSTANDING WINE SERVICE AWARD

A restaurant that displays and encourages excellence in wine service through a well-presented wine list, a knowledgeable staff, and efforts to educate customers about wine. Candidates must have been in operation for at least 5 years.

Bin 36
Chicago
Wine Director: Brian Duncan

Blackberry Farm
Walland, TN
Wine Director: Andy Chabot

Le Bernardin
NYC
Wine Director: Aldo Sohm

Patina
Los Angeles
Wine Director: Eric Espuny

Picasso at Bellagio
Las Vegas
Wine Director: Robert Smith

OUTSTANDING WINE AND SPIRITS PROFESSIONAL AWARD

Presented by Southern Wine & Spirits
A winemaker, brewer, or spirits professional who has had a significant impact on the wine and spirits industry nationwide. Candidates must have been in the profession for at least 5 years.

Dale DeGroff
Dale DeGroff Co., Inc.
NYC

Merry Edwards
Merry Edwards Wines
Sebastopol, CA

Garrett Oliver
The Brooklyn Brewery
Brooklyn, NY

John Shafer and Doug Shafer
Shafer Vineyards
Napa, CA

Julian P. Van Winkle, III
Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery
Louisville, KY

OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD

Presented by Stella Artois
A restaurant that demonstrates high standards of hospitality and service. Candidates must have been in operation for at least the past 5 years.

Daniel
NYC
Owners: Daniel Boulud and Joel Smilow

Emeril’s New Orleans
New Orleans
Owner: Emeril Lagasse

La Grenouille
NYC
Owners: Charles Masson and Giséle Masson

Spiaggia
Chicago
Owner: Levy Restaurants

Vetri
Philadelphia
Owners: Marc Vetri and Jeff Benjamin

BEST CHEFS IN AMERICA

Presented by American Express®
Chefs who have set new or consistent standards of excellence in their respective regions. Candidates must have been working as chefs in any type of dining establishment for at least the past 5 years. The 3 most recent years must have been spent in the region where the chef is presently working.

Best Chef: Pacific (CA, HI)

Jeremy Fox
Ubuntu
Napa, CA

Douglas Keane
Cyrus
Healdsburg, CA

Loretta Keller
Coco500
San Francisco

David Kinch
Manresa
Los Gatos, CA

Daniel Patterson
Coi
San Francisco

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (D.C., DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)

Cathal Armstrong
Restaurant Eve
Alexandria, VA

Jose Garces
Amada
Philadelphia

Peter Pastan
Obelisk
Washington, D.C.

Maricel Presilla
Cucharamama
Hoboken, NJ

Vikram Sunderam
Rasika
Washington, D.C.

Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)

Isaac Becker
112 Eatery
Minneapolis

Gerard Craft
Niche
St. Louis, MO

Colby Garrelts
Bluestem
Kansas City, MO

Tim McKee
La Belle Vie
Minneapolis

Alexander Roberts
Restaurant Alma
Minneapolis

Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)

Koren Grieveson
Avec
Chicago

Arun Sampanthavivat
Arun’s
Chicago

Bruce Sherman
North Pond
Chicago

Michael Symon
Lola
Cleveland

Alex Young
Zingerman’s Roadhouse
Ann Arbor, MI

Best Chef: New York City (Five Boroughs)

Michael Anthony
Gramercy Tavern

Terrance Brennan
Picholine

Wylie Dufresne
WD-50

Gabrielle Hamilton
Prune

Gabriel Kreuther
The Modern

Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, NY STATE, RI, VT)

Rob Evans
Hugo’s
Portland, ME

Clark Frasier and Mark Gaier
Arrows
Ogunquit, ME

Michael Leviton
Lumiére
West Newton, MA

Tony Maws
Craigie on Main
Cambridge, MA

Marc Orfaly
Pigalle
Boston

Best Chef: Northwest (AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY)

Maria Hines
Tilth
Seattle

Joseba Jiménez de Jiménez
The Harvest Vine
Seattle

Ethan Stowell
Union
Seattle

Cathy Whims
Nostrana
Portland, OR

Jason Wilson
Crush
Seattle

Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)

Hugh Acheson
Five and Ten
Athens, GA

Linton Hopkins
Restaurant Eugene
Atlanta

Mike Lata
Fig
Charleston, SC

Bill Smith
Crook’s Corner
Chapel Hill, NC

Bob Waggoner
Charleston Grill
Charleston, SC

Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, CO, NM, NV, OK, TX, UT)

Paul Bartolotta
Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare at Wynn Las Vegas

Sharon Hage
York Street
Dallas

Ryan Hardy
Montagna at the Little Nell
Aspen, CO

Claude Le Tohic
Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
Las Vegas

Andrew Weissman
Le Rêve
San Antonio

Best Chef: South (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS)

Zach Bell
Café Boulud at the Brazilian Court
Palm Beach, FL

John Currence
City Grocery
Oxford, MS

John Harris
Lilette
New Orleans

Douglas Rodriguez
Ola
Miami Beach, FL

Michael Schwartz
Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink
Miami

HAPPY SAINT PATRICK’S DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (one of the BEST holiday’s EVER!) this picture marked the start of an era. when katie and I discovered the goodness of black & tan’s. (note: that is not my hand to the right. but i was there, lol.) they have since become a tradition and i look forward to toasting back a couple tonight. and maybe some Irish Car Bombs too. Slainte!

the recipe in the magazine calls for pecans, however, i only had walnuts, so they worked out just fine. also, the recipe asks you to layer the streusel topping, but i didn’t do that. i’m not too stoked about nuts in any dessert. one more key point to note, although the recipe calls for the nuts to be included in the streusel initially, i wouldn’t do it. the cake is super moist (you’ll see, based on the ingredient list) and takes a bit extra time to bake then called for. so my topping and nuts were a little charred. but, tastes fantastic.

Walnut-Streusel Coffee Cake

Greek-style yogurt gives the cake a rich, moist texture.

Ingredients

streusel

• 2/3 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
• 2/3 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly
• 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped

Cake

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/3 cups (packed) golden brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup whole-milk or reduced-fat (2%) plain Greek-style yogurt* (to keep the fat down, i used fat-free, plain Greek-style yogurt)

• *A thick yogurt; sold at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Greek markets. If unavailable, spoon regular yogurt into cheesecloth-lined strainer set over large bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight to drain.

Preparation

streusel

• Combine brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in medium bowl. Add melted butter; toss with fork to blend. Using fingertips, rub mixture together until small clumps form. Mix in pecans. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

cake

• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter 9x9x2-inch metal baking pan. Combine flour, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt in medium bowl; whisk to blend. Using electric mixer, beat brown sugar, butter, and vanilla in large bowl until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Add half of flour mixture; beat just until blended. Add yogurt; beat just until blended. Beat in remaining flour mixture just until blended.
• Spoon half of batter into prepared baking pan; spread evenly. Sprinkle half of streusel evenly over batter. Spoon remaining batter in dollops over streusel, then spread evenly over with offset spatula. Sprinkle remaining streusel evenly over top.
• Bake cake until streusel topping is brown and tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack 30 minutes. Cut into squares and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

p.s. if you do go to a Lou Malnati’s in person. ask for this: just cheese, extra sauce, butter crust and cut. no need for red pepper flakes or parmesan. let me know how much you love it.

ingredients:

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp coarse sea salt

1 cup warm water

1 tbsp italian seasoning (or if you have chopped, fresh oregano, basil, rosemary and thyme)

heat oven to 375. heavily grease a loaf pan with olive oil. add flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. mix. add in italian seasoning. mix. pour in olive oil, then water (a bit at a time, don’t want to make it too runny.) mix together. (i actually used my hands.) and pour the dough into the pan. press the dough down. wait 10 seconds. flip the dough over, so that the entire thing is covered in the olive oil that coated the pan. sprinkle the top with some extra coarse sea salt. cover the pan with foil and make for 20 minutes. then remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes. the bread will be done when its lightly golden brown on top. serve or freeze within three days. i actually made eggs benedict with this bread, prosciutto and a poached egg and drizzled olive oil on top. the bread is flavorful enough that you don’t need a heavy sauce, like hollandaise, as a topper. yum! enjoy!

while in college, every year i made a big deal about this particular holiday with my four roommates. for weeks we would make a list of all of the places, food items and meals that we would “dream” to eat. everything from a gordita from taco bell to chips and salsa with ranch dressing from hacienda. we would all go together and have a smorgasbord dinner and revel in it.

now living on the west coast and after trying several bakeries and grocery stores i’ve had to give up my hopes of having a paczki and settle for a heaping cup of frozen yogurt. not really a fair comparison. but i have a big sweet tooth, so i can’t really complain about eating sweets.

HAPPY PACZKI DAY!

*image taken off of  Hamtramck’s (a city in Michigan who holds a legendary celebration every year on this date) web site.