Beyond the avocado toast: California appetite for international food.

Although a lot of people may think the contrary, I believe there is no place that welcomes the food of other countries with more enthusiasm than California. Since I moved here from Brazil more than 20 years ago, I have seeing and experienced an insatiable appetite for international ingredients, foods, and cuisines.

A walk along any neighborhood could offer everything from sushi to tacos and pizza to Korean. Some of this food comes from chain restaurants with global presence, but for the most part it is the product of small restaurants and food shops run by immigrant families that have come here and set up shop. Let me tell you before you are even able to make any assumptions or judgment. This is NOT about politics, walls, laws, or any immigration advocacy. This is FOOD I’m talking about. Food from other cultures and places. It’s the access to these foods and experiences I wholeheartedly celebrate and want to write about today.

California, and especially Los Angeles, is one of those unique places where you can get your hands on a warm, freshly baked roti or stuff your face with Dim Sum in the same area or even in the same street.

Now don’t expect the same in Florence or Madrid. There will be little food available that isn’t local. Certainly, there will be sections of each city with a particular culinary flavor, but there won’t be anything like the concentrated array of nationalities there is in California. No one, it seems to me, has embraced the international cuisines like the Californians.

We, the Californians, are mostly a bunch of adventurous eaters. Our appetites are open-minded, our plates ever happy to hold something unique. We should not be considered snob hippies who eat anything that has a ‘high price tag’ and an ‘Instagram hashtag’, but rather culinary driven people who pick up the best available. To restrict ourselves from predictable food, however good they are, would be to miss out on some delicious eating experience.

Our appetite for international flavors is not confined to restaurants either. We do it at home too.  Our own home cooking of Italian or Thai recipes may not be authentic, but that only proves our willingness to adapt the ideas of others and make them our own- thus ‘fusion California cuisine. This may horrify those who live by “authenticity” but suits most of us  who just want something more extraordinary to eat.

I love us Californians. Call us foodies, vegan snobs, avocado crazies, or else. We don’t care.  We celebrate ingredients, recipes and dishes that have found their way to our table, mostly with those who have moved here from other countries. Each flavor, each ingredient, each fusion, has a story to tell and we love them ALL.

Real

I’ve been down. The more I look at food/cooking blogs out there, melting and sizzling media accounts, minute-videos of how to make the “best dishes ever”, the more I realize I can’t keep up. The fakeness is real! I’ve been self-duped by a bunch of images, videos and endless stories that made me almost believe that I ,too, can make perfectly perfect looking real food.

Sadly, I tried. Luckily, I realize that I’m just too real to be fake.

I’m disappointed. I don’t have as many Instagram followers as I thought I could have. It may be because I fucking suck at pictures, creative #hashtags, catchy post phrases, and who knows what else. I’m an Instalooser and I know it! But I love to cook, and I make good stuff. I’ve been doing it for a long time and for the right reasons.

I have 17 precious blog followers. Seventeen!!! Two of them are my kids. The rest are…not sure who they are because I still can’t figure out how to see who subscribed to this stupidly complicated WordPress blog. Maybe because I’m not tech savvy. Maybe because I don’t do ‘give aways’. Maybe because I can’t write, spell or know how to SEO. But I keep doing it so my kids–and whoever else thinks it’s worth it–can look back at some of these life moments and feel inspired to cook, eat, and share.

In the abstract—which is to say, if I had all the time in the world and I didn’t need to attend to all but those parts of human life I chose to handle myself– the walnuts would be perfectly aligned in the salad, my apron+hair+nails would be impeccable, and my posts would be shining with sparkles.

Unfortunately, I do not live in the abstract, but rather here in reality, where I am sorry to report that a perfectly fake portrait is kind of a pain in the ass to keep up. It requires a special set of behaviors, camera lenses, routines and energies. I cook. My kitchen is messy, my aprons constantly dirty, and my nails…what nails?

Don’t get me wrong here: A well ‘seasoned’ presence is great, and there are so many inspiring food/cooking blogs, vlogs, instas, and stories out there. But I do realize it takes time, money and a pinch of bullshit to make it work–all three I don’t have!

I’ve been down but I’m proud– proud of my cooking, my pictures and writing. I own them all. The successes and the failures. I cook. I share. I document it. It’s sort of my own legacy. It’s messy and unpopular, but it’s REAL!

Smorgasburg LA for Mother’s Day

I can’t believe it took me so long to get to Smorgasburg but it finally happened, and ON Mother’s Day! This little piece of foodie heaven has been in LA since last summer and all I’ve done since then is drool over their Instagram pictures, dreaming of the day I’d have a bite of this place.

It was the perfect experience gift for this mom! Yup…I ate like a mother and can’t wait to do it again. No regrets. No shame. Only a thankful heart and expanded waist.

My orders, in order of consumption.

Caramelized bacon and avocado musubi from Mama Musubi.

Polar Berry Club from Donut FriendLemon glaze, fresh mixed berries, and mint on top of a traditional donut.

Empanadilla de Camarones from The Ricans Food; deep fried Puerto Rican turnover that reminded me so much of Brazilian pasteis.

I can’t even describe correctly all that it’s going on in this slush from Lade Slush Co. Basil watermelon pulp topped with 1/2 lemonade and 1/2 mint tea slushy. It was the best and most enjoyable brain freeze I ever had!

When I though I couldn’t handle anymore food there was Sticky Rice on Wheels and I somehow manage to eat this mango & coconut sticky rice treat.

And as I was on the verge of food comatose, I also tried small bites of my family orders of dumplings, fried chicken, weird tasting soda in a jar, and mandu–because it’s crucial that you try this head size Korean dumplings!

I think you should try ‘hard’ to check out Smorgasburg LA. Come hungry and leave guilt behind. Bring the kiddos but leave the fido–no pets allowed. They are open every Sunday from 10am-4pm. They offer 2 hrs of free parking. Most vendors accept credit cards but bring some cash too. New vendors are added frequently, so check their Instagram for updates.

When your kid’s homework is to cook dinner for you!

My kid made dinner for us!

I’m pretty sure he would have rather spent his Saturday evening playing Call of Duty but he had an assignment for his Life Management class; cooking dinner. And by dinner the teacher meant an appetizer, a main dish, a dessert and a drink.

I was so surprised with his level of enthusiasm. He planned a menu. He shop for ingredients we didn’t have. He prep. He cooked. He set the table and he served dinner. Of course I supervised and help! But only with verbal instructions. I did not touch anything but my glass of wine!

The menu: Caprese salad; Carbonara pasta; Brownies and sparkling wine (which he opened on his own.)

My kid made dinner for us!

Nathan had already helped me a lot in the kitchen before and learned basic safety rules, like not leaving the room when a burner is lighted, and how to hold his fingers when chopping. He had mastered making a few dishes from scratch before like this Thai Curry  dish.

My kid cook dinner for us!

I admit it was a heartwarming (and heart stopping at times) mother-son bonding experience. I am pleased to report that there was no house fire and all fingers are accounted for. We had some yummy A++  home-cooked meal. And, best of all, my boy was proud of his handiwork.

The ‘Deal’ About Kale!

Kale deal @Sprouts

Kale is one trending vegetable. Even if you’re not a foodie or health conscious, it’s been hard to avoid it for the past 3, 4, 6? years. I’ve seen kale T-shirts, books devoted to kale (Fifty Shades of Kale? seriously), hundreds of Instagram images and entire Pinterest boards dedicated to this cruciferous (I had to double check the spelling on that!!!)

Some say kale is good for you. Same say it can be bad. I’m not here to debunk kale myths or reinsure kale benefits. I like kale. My kids like kale. Like any other food, we eat it mindfully which is hard to do when you come across a deal like this one above! (today at our local Sprouts!)

I got excited and probably bought more kale than my family can handle to eat! At the risk of having my kids convert to non-kale-lovers, I’m going to make a whole lotta of kale this weekend.

Below is our family kale favorites but I would LOVE to hear your favorite kale recipe, kale dish from a restaurant or any kale sugestion.

#1 Kids kale dish: Kale Chips (pump up the volume and click on the link!)

Kale chips @dealiciouscooking.com

#2 My favorite way to eat kale: Kale and Quinoa Salad with Spicy Citrus Dressing

Kale and Quinoa salad dealiciouscooking.com

#3 Breakfast kale fix: Sweet Potato & Kale Hash 

Sweet Potato and Kale

#4 The family pleaser: Kale Caesar salad

Kale Caesar Salad

The Fry Kitchen is OPEN!

Nearly three months after demo, our kitchen is done and we’ve started to cook again, even though the work isn’t completely finished, and, as I write this, we still have unpacked boxes waiting for me in the garage.

I’m sure you heard that “The kitchen is the heart of the home.” Well, as much as our old kitchen was ugly, non functional, and outdated it was still the heart of our home.  And with that heart scattered all over the garage, I felt lost.

It’s definitely gratifying to have this brand new kitchen now! The cook in me, caged for what felt like a decade, is already use to the new setting. I love almost everything about the new kitchen but being able to cook on a GAS range is by far the best thing EVER!

So now that the heart of our home is once again beating, there are some things I don’t want to forget:

Our timeline doesn’t mean sh*t. We are at the mercy of ‘others’ time and they live on a different planet than us foolish non general contractor mortals.

It’s going to get worse…way worse before it gets better, so don’t mind the dust, the noise and the smells.

There will be music playing constantly so learn to love – or at least tolerate – Hispanic tunes.

Trying moments are inevitable.  For those there is always a nice craft beer, a favorite bottle of wine or straight up ice cream.

In the final stretch, things are beyond stressful, and I swear to G-d I will NEVER EVER do this again. Agh the painful home stretch just like childbirth and then finally… you have this beautiful creation!

Fry Kitchen Remodel dealiciouscooking.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fry Kitchen Remodel dealiciouscooking.com

Can I cook yet?

We’ve finally pulled the trigger on our kitchen remodel! After so many years of dreaming, months of planning and hours of pinning ideas – the remodel is ON!

FryKitchenRemodel dealiciouscooking.com

Tile countertop, painted cabinets with misaligned doors, exposed hinges, ancient ceramic cook top, no hood, no counter space, jammed drawers, tiny sink, and the worst of it all…disgusting and fugly linoleum floors. This old shoebox kitchen had it all!

FryKitchenRemodel dealiciouscooking.com IMG_9103

Demolition was the easiest and most rewarding part. When you love cooking and do it everyday in a kitchen you have very little love for, seeing it being hammered down piece by piece is orgasmic highly enjoyable!

FryKitchenRemodel dealiciouscooking.com

This kitchen was the worst part of the Fry shack and even with all the family memories we’ve made in it I was so satisfied to see it just like this…totally naked!

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FryKitchenRemodel dealiciouscooking.com

I’m thankful for my awesome grill and great SoCal weather which it was perfect for the first 3 weeks of the remodel. We barbecued a lot and ate in the patio. Now that the weather has cooled down, the crockpot and toaster oven have been lifesavers!

We were hoping for our kitchen to be at least useable by Thanksgiving but it looks like we’ll have to barbecue the Turkey. Keeping our fingers crossed to be able to bake cookies for Santa in our new kitchen.

Put an apron on!

I love to cook but hate to clean up. I know a lot of people identify with this statement. And I’m not only talking about the amount of clean-up I do just to prepare the meal. I’m referring to all the cleaning involved with cooking, including the clean-up waiting for me as soon as everyone has left their seats and disappeared from sight.

Cooking is messy, and splashy, sticky, and gross at times. It takes a fair amount of space, tools, planning, patience and cleaning. But then there is the flip side. Chaos precedes creation. Somehow in all the mess making I create something good. Something tasty enough to make my kids go hmmmm and that makes up for all the clean-up I did or still have to do.

Yesterday’s Chaos

dealiciouscooking.com

The creation

http://dealiciouscooking.com/

What I learned from Martha Stewart

Stuffed Chicken Breast Rolls

When I first saw Martha Stewart on TV many years ago after I just moved here from Brazil, I  thought it was something seriously wrong with her. The slow talking, slow moving, the half smiles, the irritating hair in the eye, the missing sense of humor. What exactly is she? A baker?Designer? Not a chef, not a decorator…Wedding planner? I learned later that boring Martha was is an American icon and everyone loved loves to hate her.

I’m not exactly a fan but she has my respect. After all she has survived fame, prison, divorce, building an empire twice, and she has taught me how to pound a chicken breast properly.

Now, since I couldn’t find a video of Mrs. Stewart herself pounding the chicken breast here are the non-illustrated directions:

  1. Take a full chicken breast and place it on your cutting board.
  2. Take a piece of plastic wrap 2X bigger than the breast itself and put it over the chicken breast.
  3. With a meat mallet start pounding the chicken. Start from the center and work your way out. Use short and even strokes.

I use this method frequently to make chicken piccata, chicken scaloppini and chicken rolls. Stuffed chicken breast rolls is a quick ‘make ahead’ recipe. I usually stuff it with sauteed spinach, mushrooms, fresh mozzarella and basil, ham and provolone, and even stuffing. First you need to pound the chicken breast like you were Martha and then:

  1. Season the thin fillets with salt/pepper/garlic powder.
  2. Place a mound of stuffing on each breast.
  3. Wrap and roll the fillets over the stuffing.
  4. Secure breasts with toothpicks.
  5. Place rolls, seam side down, on a greased baking sheet.
  6. Bake at 380F for at least 40 minutes (depending on the size of the rolls)

Wrap the rolls in bacon or prosciutto for extra flavor. If we could only do the same to Martha Stewart!!!!

 

Thanksgiving past, present and future

First Thanksgiving Family Dinner

Until not too long ago, Thanksgiving was just something which I had no understanding of, whatsoever. Growing up in Brazil, turkey was a protein that we mostly ate at Christmas…and Christmas only. Since I moved to US zillion years ago this holiday and its special meaning has evolved with me. Thanksgiving used to be a nice long break from work and time to shop the best deals. Nothing else. Then some Brazilian friends married some American friends and unexpectedly we’re  all gorging on turkey and cranberry sauce and all the rest of the food that we traditionally saved for Christmas. Next, I married my American Hawaiian husband and we created our own Thanksgiving tradition. We feasted on ‘feijoada’ (a delicious Brazilian pork and beans stew); ‘kalua pig’ (because one can’t get enough pig); and even paella because we felt thankful for our cultural diversity and taste buds.

It was not until our first born started kindergarden that we had a real traditional Thanksgiving meal and only because he actually requested. Since then, many turkeys have been roasted and many side dishes made it to our favorite list. Every year, something different is introduced to our ever evolving menu…a side, a appetizer, a dessert or even a cocktail. Our last year winner was this amazing Balsamic-glazed brussels sprouts from The AOC Cookbook.

The OAC Cookbook recipe-Brussel Sprouts

For this year Thanksgiving dinner, I’ve been collecting some fall recipes from my favorite chefs, cooks, cookbooks, bloggers, pinners and instagrammers. So many dishes I’d love to cook but there’s always that ONE recipe that pops out and makes me want to run to the kitchen and start the magic.  I may not even wait for Thanksgiving to try them out.

Here are the 2014 Thanksgiving recipe nominees!

Sourdough Stuffing With Kale, Dates and Turkey Sausage

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Roasted Squash & Whipped Feta Tartine with Pistachio Dukkah

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Black Rice, Kale & Aubergine Pilaf

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