Archive for the ‘food’ Category
They Draw and Cook is a blog featuring inspired illustrated recipes and food art. Cooked up by professional illustrators Nate Padavick and Salli Swindell, the idea blossomed while the two were on a family vacation and Nate threw together a pasta dish based on a meal he once had in Berlin. Said dish included figs. Salli bought the figs. She began painting them. Food fused with art. From there the pair set out to create an illustrated recipe book, which also became a blog featuring yummy artwork by talented artists all around the world. A new delicious post is added daily and there’s now a separate Kids Draw and Cook blog for aspiring food lovin’ artists 16 and under. Bon Appétit!
[ via theydrawandcook.com ]
Sarah Kaufmann is also known as “The Cheese Lady”. With 16 years of experience working in the dairy industry, Sarah has made the medium her own, carving up notables like a 300-pound gorilla and a six-foot-long cheddar gator for the University of Florida! Although Sarah usually creates her cheese sculptures in her San Diego and Cincinnati studios, she can also be found sculpting cheese in person at festivals, fairs, and other special occasions. I don’t think I could bring myself to bite into one of Sarah’s lovely creations.
Seven Definitive Tearooms Making Steam in Los Angeles
If you are as particular about your tea as I am, you already know that L.A. is a mecca for tea lovers. From rose petal elixirs served in tearooms on Melrose Avenue, to sleek tea-based cocktails you’ll discover out on the town, L.A. is stronghold for both unique and classic tea spots. The following are a sampling of the city’s steamiest hot spots:
1. Jin Patisserie
Jin Patisserie takes afternoon tea to the beach—Venice Beach, that is. Nestled behind an orange door on eclectic Abbot Kinney Boulevard, Jin Patisserie’s tranquil garden welcomes tea goers with soothing sounds of fountains and urban forests of bamboo. The owner, Kristy Choo, hails from Singapore and is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. Her teahouse is a fresh blend of Asian aesthetics and fusion pastry concoctions.
Imagine classic ingredients like caramel, truffles, chocolate mousse, mascarpone cream, pistachio, and marzipan, paired with traditional Asian flavors like lychee, ginger, jasmine, green tea, and chrysanthemum. The outcome is an artful synthesis of spices.
Choo’s über-fancy creations shine like gems inside the pastry counter. Try the Lavender Gateau, a lavender-infused cake filled with buttercream and chocolate ganache. Or sample Tropical: coconut and mango mousse with caramelized pineapples and hints of cinnamon, anise, and vanilla. Another surprise is Ye Yek, a traditional shortbread cookie from Choo’s homeland.
Fried rice, a timeless Chinese classic, is a great choice if you want a quick, easy, and delicious meal. You can toss this together in about 20 minutes. Here’s what you’ll need:
This beautiful photo comes from Cake Journal, and accompanies a great DIY tutorial on making the pink sugar flowers you see above. Click here to start sculpting delicious blooms!
We love this crock-pot chili recipe, made with white beans…especially on a rainy day! It’s simple to make:
INGREDIENTS
1lb Great Northern beans, soaked
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (4 oz each) green chilies
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 chicken bullion cubes combined with 14 1/2 oz of water
or
1 can (14 1/2 oz) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
DIRECTIONS:
Boil 6-8 cups of water in a medium pan and add the beans. Boil at a rapid boil for 2 minutes, then remove from heat and cover. Let the beans soak for 1 hour, then drain and discard the water. Meanwhile, cut the chicken into 1 inch pieces. Place everything in the slow cooker and stir it up. Cover and cook on LOW for 10 hours or HIGH for 6 hours. Bon Appétit!
* adapted from the Rival Crock Pot Owner’s Guide
You’re not in Denmark anymore…although you’d never know it.
For sweet aficionados this side of the pond, European confectionery delight can be sampled just a hop, skip, and a jaunt from Los Angeles. Without having to fly to Denmark to embark on this culinary journey, one can get their pastry fix in Solvang, California, a Danish village located in Santa Barbara county. Downtown Solvang is no ordinary California city. It’s home to Scandinavian shops, wine bars, and eateries that all architecturally appear to have been plucked out of a picturesque village outside Copenhagen. Yes, Danish flags flap in the wind. Yes, store clerks strutt traditional costumes. And yes, Smorgasbord feasts and aebleskivers (Danish pancakes) beckon from restaurant windows. Solvang even boasts not one—but three—historic windmills!
Shay Aaron, a talented artist from Israel, makes the most amazing miniature food art. The sheer precision and skill that goes into crafting each of his tiny pieces of art must be astounding. The food items he sculpts show off his sense of humor—from hot dogs and scrambled eggs, to udon and cupcakes—Shay Aaron’s food imagination is certainly immense. A real treat for foodies is that almost all his food miniatures are wearable pieces of jewelry!
I thought lunch by the sea sounded perfect for this lovely Friday. For those searching for some fresh seafood, a jaunt on Pacific Coast Hwy will land you at Malibu Seafood. Malibu Seafood is the perfect afternoon respite from work, perched right across the street from the beach where you can enjoy the sounds of the sea, albeit in competition with the roaring sounds of motorists. Essentially a fish shack serving up favorites like fish tacos, clam chowder, and fish and chips, you can either get your food to go, or enjoy some casual dining under the sun on the tiered patio.
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This delicious concoction was dreamed up by resident chef Tyson Wintibaugh. It’s a fancy way to spruce up a simple dessert. All you need is ice cream, chocolate syrup, and a cookie. If you’ve got one, a flower on top definitely adds a little something to the mix. Enjoy!
Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream Swirl
Dreyer’s Peanut Butter Cup Ice cream
“Organic Midnight Moo” from Trader Joe’s, or the equivalent chocolate syrup
Dark Chocolate Almond Lacey cookies, (or your own home-baked favorite)
Scoop your ice cream, and swirl the chocolate syrup around creating a spiral pattern. Dig a cookie into the base of the ice cream and top with a fresh flower.
