Yeah, I have time for that!

So.  I started a new blog – no, not to replace this one.  In ADDITION to this one.  Why yes, I am a glutton for punishment!  NOMNOMNOM I say!  That’s some tasty punishment.

Actually, it is.  Or will be.  I have plans, you see.

It’s also something I’ve been wanting to write about for a while, but hadn’t really considered it because it seemed like something only a few select folk would be interested in.

Wow, has THAT ever changed.

So, hope you enjoy.  It has a teensy bit more direction than More, please, so it might actually be easier to keep it current.  I swear that is really one of the hardest things about any form of blogging when it’s not your sole focus – consistency.  But until I can get it to pay the bills, the struggle happily continues.

A lil bit o’ cookin’…

Running out the door because I misjudged the clock, the schedule, and the everything. Ugh! So here’s what I was up to prior to the frantic hair pulling and kitten wrangling…

Weekends are supposed to be chill time, right? Lesson learned – not if you have morning plans that you forget or misjudge. Ah well. Long exhaustive post about good smelling baking later…

What I’ve been up to…

What’s life without the occasional, life-risking, kitten rescue? If you’ve been following the tweets, you know that a small (one pound, one ounce) kitten has taken over my life. I found him on the 110 (Arroyo) Freeway here in Los Angeles on October 23rd. You can read about his rescue and see the photos of his progression in his own special Flickr set here.I’m not above photographing a kitten in front of my Gourmet Magazine bucket to make the picture and story more relevant for a food blog.  That’s just how I roll.  He’s been a joy to have around, even with his sharp little needle teeth.

This IS my beautiful house!

I spent part of Monday with my editor, Amy, at the Gordon Ramsay at the London in West Hollywood.  Tea, you see. Afternoon. We wore dresses and talked shop – Bastide’s rumor milling, forbidden discussions about hidden gems of omakase, dates, how to take a good picture, milestones, book writing, book proposing, etc. In a nutshell, Amy is just plain fun to talk to. There’s no flotsam. Probably why she’s such a great editor – nothing is there that shouldn’t be.  And everything that is there is a joy to engage.

My apple pie universe

Not my pic, but it’s made the rounds on the Internet and I can’t find the original photographer.

Thank you, whoever you are.

If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe. – Carl Sagan

The details are irrelevant.  I’ve been busy inventing the universe.  And what a tasty, tasty place it is.  My universe is an endless cupboard, a timeless watch, and the mashed up philosophies of Kahlil Gibran, Julia Child, and yes, Carl Sagan.  I’ve been reading Shakespeare’s Sonnet #75 – So are you to my thoughts as food to life – and Like Water for Chocolate and How to Cook a Wolf.  And in between I’ve been comforting myself with spaghetti-o’s, sustaining myself with small batch pickles and slow braised ribs, and quenching my thirst with Pellegrino laced with leftover vanilla bean pear-poaching syrup.  In between, I’ve been a busy little bee.  That is my apple pie universe.

Moderation sucks, but it’s better than not saving babies

Something triggered a dream memory this morning as I was half asleep. I dreamt about dreaming an older dream I’ve had on occasion. It’s a tsunami dream. Earthquake. Then you’re on the beach when the water sucks back into the powerbase of the tsunami that’s building somewhere far off shore. In my dream, I’m on that beach surrounded by a bunch of other beach goers when I see the water suck back into itself. And in a moment, I know what’s about to happen.

Prickly pears at the SoPas market

My grandparents used to have a prickly pear cactus. And on a few occasions, me and my cousins would grab a ripe fruit off a paddle and begin to stian our mouths, our hands, our shirts, our shoes, and our books (after school and all) a vivid and stubborn pink. The flesh inside a prickly pear is vibrant and juicy. But it’s also jam packed with seeds. So when you eat them out of hand, it’s a whole lot of graceless chomping and spitting.

My mom probably would have been less mad if we just opted for a candy bar. But they were really good. So when I spied them at the SoPas market this week, I couldn’t resist.

These above are ok. I remember a sugary bright fruity flavor from my youth. These seemed more mealy and less sweet. But the basic foundation flavor was there. Alsom the mess was relegated to the cutting board and the sink. Though a better shot would have been of pink-stained hands and mouth.

Apple kuken is love not lost

Mom was our ‘daily bread’ cook during the week when we were growing up. Her menus laid down the foundation for my adult list of comfort foods – enchiladas, mac-n-cheese, spaghetti in meat sauce, broccoli in cheddar sauce, hell, anything in cheddar sauce, meatloaf, potato boats, etc.

Dad’s meals were Sunday specials. Some were great. Some were horrendous (my siblings and I still needle him about the great bok choy incident of ’88) but all of them were inspired and complicated, usually involving day-long shopping trips, ample pre-prep, and children’s sad sighs when they learned that it was their turn to clean up after him.  He loved to cook.  He loved to experiment.  And it was pretty infectious.

I’m up at 5AM making ice cream

EDIT: The recipe is now up and available at the LA Weekly’s food blog, Squid Ink.

It’s pistachio-rosewater ice cream, and I’ll post the recipe later.  It’s REALLY good.  Made the custard last night and let it chill til morning.  Then woke up at 5AM, grabbed the ice cream maker, and paid a little homage to National Ice Cream Month, which ends Saturday.

Why am I making ice cream at 5AM?  Because when my editor puts out the call, I pull out the heavy cream.  That’s just how I roll.

Now, for a little gentle caffeination.  But oh, what a sweet life.

Some summer food news and the latest Squid Ink

These are a few of my favorite things: My latest Squid Inkyness is up and I’m espousing the usual markety goodness. Go check it out!

I wanna jam it with you: The Fallen Fruit Collective is holding their annual Fruit Jam this coming Sunday.

I fought the law and the law won: I’m now on Twitter. While I still feel like I don’t QUITE get why people would want to know about my early morning routine before work, I cannot deny the power of it.

I wanna be one of the cool people: Going to try to participate in Summer Fest 2009 this year.  This week’s topic?  Herbs!  Hm!

Be my source: You already are my source for so much – feedback, foodie joy, fun. Thanks for reading! But if you know of something going on locally in the food world that needs tellin’?  Pop me a line – feliciaelena@gmail.com