Movies in a plate: "Ghostbusters"

As a child, one of my favorite movies was Ghostbusters. It was trippy, funny and it had ghosts, so needless to say I watched it many times. I've also been compared to "Slimer", who in the movie spends his entire time eating and finishing leftovers from strangers' plates. What can I say? I hate to waste!

I was very excited when they announced the production of "Ghostbusters 3" that we had been wanting for so many years. I celebrated the way I usually celebrate good news and enjoyed a nice meal with a lot of beer.

This is made out of rice, carrots and Ground mushrooms. Once I was done taking my picture I added the rest of the ground mushrooms and some homemade vinaigrette and finished the plate in a record time, staying true to my old nickname "Slimer".

The day of the coconut

I recently did this "Movie in a plate" version of "Jaws", one of my favorite movies of all time. The shark definitely looks less scary when it's made out of Veggies. It reminded me of my first shark dive and I will always refer to that day as "The day of the coconut".

There’s nothing like crossing something off your bucket list, and the second you become a diver the bucket list seems to get significantly bigger. When we first arrived at our resort in Roatan, we immediately saw an opportunity to take care of a few items on the list including our fist shark dive. For some reason, being in the middle of twenty hungry but hopefully not angry sharks is a diver’s dream come true…Go figure

The dive was offered once a week and we had to wait a few days before being able to brag about it to the rest of the world but we were preparing mentally for the big day…mainly by getting drunk with the resort’s infamous cocktails while trying to convince other divers to sign up for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, thus lowering the odds that a shark would pick us to become their morning snacks. Not getting enough people to sign up for the trip to happen was also not an option, we were on a mission.

Days passed by, we encountered turtles, moray eels, an octopus, a few barracudas and we visited one of their wrecks “The Odyssey”. It was already a successful trip but all we could think and talk about was our upcoming Shark dive.

The day had come, and the sun rising in the distance indicated that it was time to get out of bed and face the beasts. Before becoming a diver, I don’t think I would ever see the sun rise during a vacation…now that I’m a diver, I seldom see the sunset anymore because I’m already in bed recovering for the next day…or I’m inside a bar, celebrating another day of diving.

We grabbed our gear and started walking to the restaurant to get our breakfast and some energy in the form of coffee before going down to the bottom of the ocean. However, we planned on not eating too much because we weren’t sure if sharks would be attracted to vomit or not.

As we were admiring the beauty surrounding us on the path, and getting excited about gaining a new diver badge by the end of the day, we suddenly froze when a coconut fell out of the sky and landed right in front of us, avoiding our skulls by just a few inches.

We had all heard before that we are most likely to die from a falling coconut than from a shark bite but I also have seen every “Final Destination” movies and I learned from these documentaries that if you cheat death it might come back to get you. So we looked at each other before resuming our walk. Was this an omen? Are we not supposed to get on that boat today? I mean some of us will look at it with a “Glass Hal Full” philosophy and say that it’s our lucky day because we didn’t die from that coconut….but others who see the glass “Half empty and filled with toxic poison” will say that it’s probably a sign that a hammock might be a safer activity for the day. But that dive was only offered once during our stay…and the deposit was non-refundable and those were two very good reasons to keep walking to the boat and face our fears in the eye (actually don’t look at a shark in the eye). After a light meal and a few cups of coffee, we said a prayer to Poseidon, grabbed our gear and jumped on the boat with a phony confidence that would get most actors an award at the oscars…or the Razzies awards…either way, we tried to look like nothing could scare us…not even a stupid coconut! The briefing was short: The divemaster was gonna go down with a closed bucket of chum, the sharks would smell that and dance around us for a while until the divemaster opened the bucket, the sharks would then eat and swim away in a matter of seconds and the last part would involve the curious divers swimming close to the bottom to try and find shark teeths. However, it seemed like the divemaster should have probably used reverse psychology instead of treating us like grown-ups. Everything he told us not to do during the dive….we ended up doing. “Please don’t touch the shark” sounded a lot like “Please do touch the shark” especially with the idling engine covering most of his lecture. The boat was full and we were proud to observe that a few of the fearless divers who had joined the adventure were some of our recruits. High-Fives all around! One of the divers cut his hand while assembling his BCD and a little bit of blood started dripping. But we were assured that sharks are not attracted to human blood: they only like fish blood…. Even though it sounded reasonable, I whispered to my buddy that we were going to stay as far away from that wounded diver as possible during the dive.

The first half of the ride was nice but we had been warned that getting to the dive spot required a long journey involving going to the other side of the island where the swell picked up and the boat started shaking like a mechanical bull at a hipster bar. After a few minutes of breathing in the engine’s fumes and being thrown from one side of the boat to the other, I started getting sick…..very sick. The eggs and the curd cheese were slowly making their way up, but my brain was telling my face to keep acting cool because there was no way I was going to miss that dive. After about twenty minutes of bouncing back and forth on the deck, we finally stopped at our dive spot. As an instructor, I should have known better: we always tell our students to never push themselves if they don’t feel good because there will always be another occasion to dive but they will never get a second life…. But I’m also a proponent of the “Do as I say, not as I do” philosophy and I jumped in the water first to try to feel a little better before having to descend down to 80ft where the Shark dance was about to take place. But what I hadn’t realized is that once I was in the water, there was no time to “chill” and feel better. The captain told me to make my way to the bow using the current line and there was no time to negotiate. I started pulling on the line and I was fighting a strong current. By the time I got to the safety stop buoy I was already out of breath but there was no turning back: I was there to see some sharks!

When I looked back and noticed the herd of divers behind me pulling on the same current line, I realized I only had one option: to keep going. So I started making my way down the descent line, pulling on it with one hand and holding on to my camera rig with the other hand. It was such a physical descent and I was so focused on making it to the bottom that I hadn’t even noticed that my buddy was having problem with her regulator and had switched to her octopus. I was being a really bad buddy. Once I got to the bottom I kneeled down on the sand and I tried to catch my breath, but it never happened. I was sucking on my air like the day I did my very first dive and I was not happy about it. The divemaster showed up with his orange bucket and set it a few yards away from us and dozens of sharks appeared out of nowhere. My strobes started firing away and even though a few of the sharks were so curious that they came a little too close for comfort it was one of the most enjoyable show I had ever seen. We swam around a bit and got enough souvenir shots to fill an entire memory card. The minute the divemaster opened the bucket to feed them they all devoured what was inside of it in a matter of seconds and disappeared. There were no sharks left. So it was finally time to try and recover a few teeth that may have fallen at the bottom during the feeding to turn into a cool pendant when we got back home. I swam for about thirty seconds until I realized I was dangerously low on air and no shark teeth was worth my life…so I signaled my buddy that it was time to bail and I started ascending a little faster than I was supposed to. My buddy followed me and by the time we were starting our safety stop I was completely out of air so I signaled her that I was going to grab her back-up regulator but after a few seconds of communicating with each other using made-up signals, I realized something else was wrong: she was already using her back-up because her main second stage wasn’t working.

So….we started buddy breathing during what seemed like the longest three minutes of my life. When our computers gave us the signal to go back to the surface, I was really happy to see the boat again and even happier to say that I survived my first shark dive. We went back to the resort with a lot of joy in our eyes and the memory of an intense but beautiful dive that will rarely be equaled.That afternoon, I ended up slipping on a rock and a sea snail lodged itself all the way into my foot. It was extremely painful and getting it out turned the hotel bathroom into a scene from “Saw” where my girlfriend had to pry it out even though its suction cup was attached to the flesh inside my foot. That day, we promised ourselves that the next time a coconut falls in front of us in the morning, the best plan of action is to either go back to bed or lay down on a hammock for the rest of the day.

Mini Soy Chorizo Crustless Quiches

Being a stoner on the go, I always try to find ways to make my life easier without sacrificing eating healthy homemade vegetarian meals.

I recently stopped at a Target store with my mother who bought me a new pan. She was feeling guilty for burning the one I previously had after forgetting it on the hot stove one evening while she was enjoying some relaxing time in the jaccuzzi.

Target is full of fun kitchen gadgets, and just like a kid in a candy store, I started whining and I asked my mother for everything in the store. "I want this! I want it, I gotta have it,  get it for me"

I left with a new pan....and a few cliff bars which are often used as my breakfast on my way to work. But I had my eyes on a muffin tray and it would take me a few days to work up the courage to go back to the store to buy it for myself. It's not easy being a man with a muffin tray at the cash register.

When I came back home I immediately put it to use and started working on my first batch of mini crustless quiches. I do enjoy a good muffin once in a while but I was looking to use it to make all kinds of savory snacks that I could then freeze and reheat later whenever I would get hungry. Since the tray has 12 compartments, it allows me to get a few meals out of one batch, hence minimizing the amount of effort required for each meal. But cooking so much for one person can also be dangerous if you end up eating all twelve quiches on your own...I know

Recipe for 12 quiches

Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 1/2 cup of flour
- 1/4 cup of heavy cream
- 100g soy chorizo
- Basil
- salt and pepper
- Thin Zucchini slices
- 1/2 cup of Grated cheese of your choice (I used swiss and Comté cheese)

Mix the eggs, the cream, the flour, the chorizo, the basil, 1/4 cup of cheese and the salt and pepper together. Pour the mix in the muffin tray about 1/8 inch from the top and add a slice of zucchini on top of the mix. The slice should be thin enough to stay on top of the batter and not sink. Then add the remaining cheese on top the zucchinis.

Place the tray in the oven at 375 degrees for 35 mn or until the top is becoming brown. I also tried it with a handful of ground mushrooms and loved it. It's an easy and festives recipe.

Movies in a plate: The March Of The Penguins

I recently channeled Steve Carell from "Dinner for Schmucks" and started working on a series of pictures depicting famous movie posters in vegetarian dishes: a true food nerd experiment.

My first food poster was done right after my trip to Japan where I had an incredible culinary experience. When I returned home I headed straight to the local Japanese supermarket and bought some of my favorite vegetarian ingredients like daikon, seaweed, pickled cucumber and sticky rice.

It was enough to work on my project and eat a decent meal.

I was inspired by the contrast of the black seaweed and the white rice and "The march of the penguins in a plate" wad created. And it didn't taste that bad even though that was a lot of daikon for one small plate (the clouds were made out of daikon). It wad hard to destroy it and eat it, but it was a better alternative than just letting it rot away.

The Vegetti Spiral Slicer: My New Favorite Kitchen Toy

I have recently gone from being omnivorous to being pescatarian, but I have been eating vegetarian for the most part. Now it wasn't an easy transition: I was a meat lover for years and I would try anything on my travels and ate things that most people would never touch (eg: 7-Eleven hot dogs). But I decided to make the jump for a few personal reasons and I have been happy with this decision. I essentially only eat fish when I get a craving after a big workout or a long hike, but I keep it to a minimum. Who can forget Finding Nemo's most famous quote: "Fish are friends, not food". I had to change my way of thinking along the way and find new staple food to keep in my kitchen, while still making my cooking fun and delicious.

Going cold turkey was the only way to make this happen, but of course it meant that my first month of meatless dishes looked like....well... it looked like something was missing. As they often say on the show The Taste: "Where's the protein?" I still love to host diner parties and cook for my friends, and even though I will never try to impose my personal beliefs on others, I enjoy the challenge of treating them to a meatless but tasty dinner that hopefully will inspire them to cook more vegetarian dishes in the future. My quest for the perfect Vegetarian party dish had started. 

There have been some hits and there have been a lot of misses, but practice makes perfect and I persevered. Along the way I peeled, I boiled, I steamed and I puréed and green veggies don't scare me anymore: I have come to love every produce in the grocery store (except celery, now that's just nasty). I've also always wanted to keep having fun in the process, whether I'm having fun cooking or plating for a nice picture. And after too many visits to Bed Bath and Beyond, I finally gave in and bought myself a Vegetti Spiral Slicer.

Whether you're looking to cut back on the controversial gluten, or you simply want to find a fun way to eat vegetables for you and your family, the Vegetti will become one of your favorite kitchen utensil.

I have used it repeatedly with Squash and I have yet to experience with more veggies, but here are two of my recent dishes.

The picture on the left is a baked portabello mushroom with grilled cheese on a bed of yellow squash Vegetti with a homemade tomato sauce. The picture on the right is Squash Vegetti in a bowl of Gazpacho.

Thanksgiving Shrimp Sliders

In my quest to win the thanksgiving cooking contest at work this year, I tried out a new recipe with some of our favorite ingredients from this sweet Holiday. I made a few shrimp sliders topped with homemade potato chips and yam chips and served with a cranberry and cilantro sauce. 

I made the shrimp patties by putting chopped shrimps and onions, cilantro, parmesan, flour and a small tomato in the food processor and turned the mix into a shrimp paste. I fried the patties until they were golden brown on both sides. I then deep fried the slices of yam and potatoes which gave a nice crunch on the first bite. I put a nice amount of my mix of cranberry sauce, mayonnaise and cilantro and served them with toasted sweet rolls.

They were absolutely delicious and I can't wait to share them with guests at Thanksgiving.

The Gourmet Stoner Tips: Going to the restaurant

There are two kinds of stoners: Those who get the munchies right after smoking and those who lie and say they don't get the munchies (I believe that should be categorized as an eating disorder). Whether we enjoyed a toke on the top of a mountain after finishing a strenuous hike, in the comfort of our home or at a coffee shop in Amsterdam we all face a situation that leads to hours of discussion and complex tasks if not handled properly: What are we going to eat?

While cooking or buying a good healthy meal at supermarket is always an option, let's face it....Munchies doesn't really rhyme with Tofu and beets but it does rhyme with cookies and goodies....and those goodies are even better if you don't have to move a finger or wash a single dish after it's all said and eaten...so we usually opt for the other option: Going to a restaurant.

Now going to a restaurant with other people can be a daunting task in the first place, but if one of the members in the group happens to be stoned, it becomes a whole new experience. However, it does have potential to go well if the stoner has been trained properly.

There are a few rules that everyone should observe when going to a restaurant but these following rules are especially important for potheads who forget everything their mama taught them when they walk into food heaven.

1: Pick a location before you go
This might seem like an obvious one but how many times have you just gotten into your car driving to a neighborhood saying: We'll park the car and walk around and see what looks good. Here's what's going to happen: by the time you park your car everyone will already be starving....so everything will look good and nobody is going to want to walk around looking at other people eating. Pick a restaurant and go there (DO NOT stop a gas station or at a liquor store on the way there...there will be too many tempting munchies options that will kill your appetite)
Budget Tip: DO NOT pick a restaurant where you can't afford the most expensive item on the menu because chances are: that's what you're going to order when you're stoned.

2: Know what you're going to order before you get there:
There will be waiters going across the room with desserts in their hands, sizzling dishes, and cold pints of beer and you will be surrounded with delicious dishes on other customers' tables so it will become harder to make a decision once you get there.We all have smart phones and most restaurants have their menu online, and there is no excuse for spending ten minutes deciding what you're going to eat when everyone else is about to collapse because they're so hungry. While some stoners might think it's funny that you keep repeating "Everything looks sooooooo Goooooood!" every five seconds while reading the menu, others might want to grab their fork and stick it in your eye. Also: DO AVOID restaurants with pictures of their dishes...It is a stoner's worst ennemy and you will never get out of that restaurant the same person you were before you went in.

3: DO wash you hands before you eat
You grabbed a few nugs and shared drug paraphernalia with a bunch of other stoners, maybe touched a few door handles along the way, then you sat down at a table and touched a menu, and you're likely to order a burger that you're going to grab with your two hands and if the sauce is good you're going to lick every single one of your fingers in the process. So go wash your hands or you'll be wondering if you're sick because of the smelly fish or because of your smelly fingers.

4: DO NOT Stare:
There will also be a lot of other distractions in the restaurant like Televisions, hot waitresses, and amusing signs...DO NOT stare! Once you start staring you will get lost in whatever you're staring at and the group will take advantage of that by stealing fries from your plate and you will look like the creep in the restaurant.

5: DO NOT go to a "All-You-Can-Eat" Restaurant
While this may sounds like a smart plan at the time when you decide to go after you tenth bong hit, you might either regret it the morning after.....or you will regret it that same day. Either way, nothing comes out of a group of stoners going to a restaurant where the customer is allowed to eat a much as their stomach can take. Smoking somehow makes the brain think that our stomach is bigger than it actually is and when we come down form our high, we realize that it wasn't actually a black hole where food was disappearing from the surface of the earth.

6: DO Order water with your meal
Yeah, I knwo you "need" your beer and the cold pop makes your brain "tingle" but your cottonmouth is telling you one thing: You need to give it some good ol' water. Your body will thank you.,,,especially after you eat at that all-you-can-eat sushis restaurant in the middle of the desert.

7: DO NOT laugh obnoxiously
I do realize it's easier said than done and if somebody says something funny we would probably all laugh. But if the cooks in the kitchen can hear you laughing then maybe it's a little too loud. Think of your obnoxious stoner laugh as a fart: We know you can't help it but just go outside for a second if you're laughing so hard that tears are coming out of your dry eyes.

8: DO Order dessert when the Waitress asks
Let's face it, someone in the group will have a sweet tooth, and even if you don't want to indulge too much, you know you're going to grab one of those spoons when it's time for everyone to share that one slice of goodness....or you will regret not trying it. The waitress will be happy too because her tip just got bigger and everyone will come out of this experience a happy camper.

9: DO take your leftovers in a take away box
It might feel like this was the biggest meal you've ever had and there's no way you're ever going to eat anything again for at least twelve hours, but believe me: when you come back home to enjoy your digestive joint, you will be grateful for that food an hour later when all you have to do is throw it in the microwave to re-heat it. DO NOT stare at the food while you're microwaving it, the waves might damage your brain.

10: DO Leave a nice tip...if one of the members in your group didn't follow one of these rules
Whether you realize it or not, chances are that one person in your group was that annoying stoner that didn't follow these rules....and even if everybody acted in a civilized manner, you probably scared off other customers who may have enjoyed a cup of coffee or another beer...so be nice to the person who just made your life so much easier and fed you a delicious meal.

Waterloo & City - Culver City

After a summer day on the beach enjoying a few spliffs while listening to the sound of the crashing waves, it only seemed appropriate to indulge on some savory munchies and a lot of cold drinks at one of my favorite restaurants in Los Angeles: "Waterloo and City"

Waterloo and City is a gem in the heart of Mar Vista in an area where trendy restaurants are slowly taking over. There are so many choices for good food, even if you end up disliking "Waterloo & City" you'll find another great eatery to have exquisite drinks and inventive food.

One of the things I love about this place is that it's great for casual Happy Hours with friends at the end of a long day AND it's also a great location to bring somebody for a special date or to celebrate an event. The food at this gastro pub is to die for and the menu is constantly being updated with creative items that will make your head spin. One of the appetizers on the menu that night was "Bone marrow and sea urchin salad".

I walked in looking like a beach bum but we were still welcome with wide smiles from the friendly staff, and we sat down at one of the few remaining tables. We noticed that they now start their Happy Hours earlier on Sunday and you can now enjoy cheap drinks and succulent food form 3p-7p.

The menu had changed since the last time I had been there and it was even more mouthwatering. The first thing I wanted to order was the "Charcuterie plate" which is a French term that refers to a specific type of cured and fermented meat usually accompanied with bread, mustard and pickled cornichons. I browsed through the menu quickly and couldn't find my favorite appetizer but I did see an item called "Salumi plate" which I assumed was their new name for that awesome assortment of goodness but I wasn't quite sure. So....I asked our waitress: "Excuse me, What is a Salumi plate?" her response was: "It's Italian" ....errr....Thank you lady, I'm not sure I was asking for the origins of your new menu item, but I don't mind being educated even on Sundays so I restrained from making a wise ass comment and simply asked again: "What is it?". That's when I found out that my "Charcuterie plate" had just been renamed with its Italian version "Salumi plate". So I ordered it. We also ordered a wild mushrooms flatbread with truffle oil, some sweet corn Raviolis and a tuna tartare  I added a glass of their Happy Hour Wine on our order and sipped on my ice-cold water while waiting for our food to arrive.

The Salumi plate actually surprised me in a good way: It seemed like an upgrade from its previous version and "Charcuterie plate 2.0" was a great selection of cured meats. The raviolis were very sweet but it was an original recipe and we enjoyed every bite. The tuna tartare was fresh and well seasoned and the only mistake they made that night was the overcooked flatbread....I think it may have stayed in their oven a little too long. But after scraping off the cancerous parts of our mini pizza, we finished everything on the table. There are tons of other options that are both filling and indulging and I invite you to take a look at their website: http://www.waterlooandcity.com The presentation of all the dishes were outstanding and I would highly recommend that you try this place if you ever visit this neighborhood.

We left with a smile, a full stomach and a desire to go back there soon.

Omelet with Roasted Zucchinis

It's Saturday morning, I wake up too early and start my lazy day. I make my way from the bed to the couch and lay down after remembering to grab the remote control. I turn the TV on, but I'm not sure what I end up watching because I'm still sleepy. I enjoy my morning coffee and roll the first spliff of the day with excitement...

After realizing the TV had been stuck on some brainwashing infomercial for most of the morning, I quickly changed the channel to something more mind stimulating and ended up watching cartoons...

Lazy Saturday had certainly started on the right foot and I was ready to roll a second spliff and drink a second cup of coffee while Scooby-Doo and his pals solved more mysteries.... Lazy Saturday was also going to include a nap, a beer or two, a dip in the pool, another nap and it certainly wasn't going to include a trip to the grocery store...

The freezer is usually full of goodies meant to be thrown in the oven for a few minutes before being devoured by a few stoners in heat, but we had already run out of all the good munchies and between the bag of frozen spinach and the bag of frozen peas laid an ice pack that almost looked more desirable than the other options...

Lazy Saturday was about to come to an end: I either had to go out to get food or I had to make the best out of the few ingredients laying around the kitchen. Driving wasn't an option and I scattered all the goodies that would make a perfect breakfast: potatoes and eggs. These ingredient are always laying around and they've saved the day on a few occasions. I also noticed that a zucchini was resting at the bottom of the fridge and decided to cut it in slices and roast them to serve with what was now becoming a gourmet omelet.

I fried the sliced potatoes for a while with olive oil and Italian herbs...Peeling and slicing weren't part of the plan when I first woke up but I carried on and cooked a basil and curry omelet to go with it. I then topped it all with the roasted zucchinis. It was a filling and yummy breakfast but definitely put a dent in the "Lazy" day...

Menchie's - Culver City

You say Menchie's, I say Munchies. In the battle for the Frozen Yogurt market in Los Angeles, "Menchie's" has come out a winner for a lot of reasons.

First of all, this place is any Stoner's paradise. When other stores will offer you a free sample of your choice, Menchie's lets you pick up as many miniature sampling cups as you desire and you could technically "taste" every flavor there and fill up with frozen yogurt for free if you're not inclined to add toppings. But if you're still hungry after giving every flavor a proper try, gaze at the incredible variety of toppings they offer from fruits to peanut butter cups and grated coconut, and start making you own "Best frozen yogurt" ever (Try not to eat too many topping because I'm not sure you're really allowed to "sample" them. Even if you don't want to eat any yogurt because of your intolerance to lactose, you can still hit the toppings bar and fill your cup with some delicious treats and a variety of chocolate.

Now the sugar rush is not the only thing that's appealing to the average stoner: The pretty vivid colors in the store and the smooth colorful plastic spoons that we get to keep as a weird souvenir of our foggy trip to the ice-cream parlor all enhance this childish but rejuvenating experience.

You say Menchie's, I say: "Let's roll one so I can try to fill my cup with as many toppings as I possibly can and still manage to finish it all".

In other words: Menchie's is where we all hope we end up after we die. After meeting at the crossroads, maybe we should hit up the "Menchie's" by the heaven's gate....Duuuude!

http://www.Menchies.com

"Cinco De Mayo" in September - Culver City

Whether it's for Monday football, Taco Tuesday or Hump day...whether it's to celebrate end of the week for the 9-5ers or fearlessly treat ourselves with some of the most decadent comfort food, every day ending with a "Y" is a good day to eat Mexican food.

So after a few beers at a local bar I decided to stop by one of my favorite Mexican restaurant in Culver City: "Cinco de Mayo" to get my usual fish tacos and Carne Asada tacos but that night I decided to be even more daring and I tried their Seafood cocktail on a tostada. It was a refreshing mix of shrimps, octopus, calamaris, and fish with the essentials (chopped Cilantro, tomato and onions). It was fresh and delicious and I actually ended up going back to get more the following night on our way to the Hollywood bowl to see B.B king with my friend from France. We ordered a side of Ceviche to make sure we weren't go hungry while sitting on our asses listening to music, and the tostadas were so crunchy that the people sitting in front of us during the performance weren't too happy about our choice of picnic, but after opening a few beers and focusing on the amazing music coming from the amphitheater, I quickly forgot that I was annoying them, and resumed enjoying the show....with a few breaks to the bathroom.

The Ceviche was covered with fresh avocado and it was ridiculously cheap but incredibly savory. If you were on your way to the way overrated "Tito's Tacos" but don't feel like waiting in line or ordering crap that looks like crap... then go next door to "Cinco de Mayo".

Couscous Salad and Merguez Sausages

Sometimes traveling to an exotic destination only takes a typical meal from another country and a lot of imagination. Since I don't lack imagination, the only thing I needed to feel like I was spending a summer day in the south of France was a typical Summer BBQ meal. A few days ago, a friend surprised me with this delicious diner: Merguez Sausages and a savory couscous salad (A.K.A Taboule) and I was overwhelemed with joy and gratitude.

A Merguez sausages is a spicy blend of lamb and beef with mediterranean seasoning, cilantro and harissa. They are hard to find in Los Angeles but most French people have their favorite spot they like to go to when they want to get their Merguez fix. However, if you've never tried them before and want to give them a try I would highly recommend: "Payless Internation Market" on Venice Bld and Westwood Ave (10817 Venice Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90034). This store is a little gem in West L.A, offering a variaty of Halal meat (don't plan on buying any pork there"), Feta cheese from various countries, and cheap but flavorful fruits and vegetables.

Unfortuinately, the stash of charcoal bricks and our supplies of gas were both gone and we had to grill the sausages on the stove instead of the BBQ, which was a bit of a disappointment but roasting the merguez in the oven for about 5-10 minutes after cooking them was a perfect way to get the sausages crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside.

We enjoyed this diner with some good wine, we had a digestive spliff and I was esctatic when I had the chance to eat the leftovers the day after.

Healthy with a Dash of Tasty

Stoners sometimes have a bad reputation for being lazy and eating horrible food to cure their munchies....and like most stereotypes, there is some truth to it. Ordering a pizza while waiting patiently on the couch is a stoner's favorite sport and since I had already worked my finger out on the phone's keypad the night before to order pizzas that took an hour and thirty minutes to be delivered, I decided to make my way to the fridge to see what was hiding in there.

Since my girlfriend and I recently started eating a little healthier, our shopping carts mainly get filled with fruits, vegetables, and natural juices and cigarettes.....which is (mostly) great for our health, but not so great for nibbling on finger food in front of "Workaholics".

Champagne was already flowing by 5pm, and after enjoying the summer weather by the pool, I wanted to celebrate this fabulous day with an unforgettable meal.....or at least with a meal that would make my munchies go away. After combining things I wanted to eat with things I actually had in the fridge, I started cooking our snack.

I once learned from a chef that the first thing to do when you're about to cook is boil some water: You can use it to boil vegetables, make a broth, cook pasta or drink tea during the process...And if you don't end up using it,throw a few eggs in the boiling water and you'll have a few hard broiled eggs for the next big salad you will be making. So....I boiled some water.

Here's what I ended up making: "Fried Zucchinis with bacon on top of a Rice and Carrot patty" baked in the oven with a slice of mozzarella cheese on top.

Recipe:
- Rice & Carrots Patties:
- 1 1/2 cup of Rice
- 8-10 Carrots
- 1/4 cup of butter
- 1/4 cup of milk
- Chives
- Onions
- Garlic
- 2 eggs

- Cook the Rice.  Peel and boil Carrots until tender. Strain the carrots and mash them with the butter and the milk over low heat. Mix the rice and the mashed carrots into a big bowl. Add the chopped onions, garlic, pepper and chives. Add 2 eggs and mix it all together.

Make small patties out of the mix and fry them with olive oil until golden.

- Fried Zucchinis
- 3 Zucchinis
- 1/2 onion
- 1 strip of Bacon cut into small pieces
- 1 Tomato
- Italian Herbs
- Salt & Pepper
- Olive oil
- 1/4 cup of red wine

Cook the onions in olive oil until golden, add the bits of bacon and the Italian herbs and let it cook on low while you cut the zucchinis in thin slices (leaving a little bit of the skin will help). Stir the zucchinis in the pan with the rest, add the chopped tomato and the salt & pepper and add the red wine to the mix. Let it simmer until slices are soft in the center and a little crunchy on the outer edge.

Add the Zucchinis on top of the Rice Patties on an oven safe dish and top it off with a slice of mozzarella cheese. Bake everything in the oven on "Broil" at 425 degrees 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is golden.

Enjoy this with a good bottle of red wine.

The summer of smores

Summer is the time we all like to go camping for a weekend, to get away from the city, breathe some fresh air and roast some marshmallows. After the tent is pitched and the fire started, there is nothing like gathering around the warm fire with a beer and some smores.

Trying to roast a marshmallow to perfection is a skill and not setting it on fire is always a challenge, but taking care of your munchies with the most devilish treat is always a great way to spend some time outdoor.

However, when the fun is over and you have to drive back to reality, smores can still be enjoyed indoor with the leftovers from the trip. They make a great last minute dessert and are easy to bake in the oven. Just prepare your sandwich, throw it in the preheated oven at 375 degrees, wait 10 minutes, and grab yourself the drink of choice that will help you chase down the sugary cement.

You will still make a mess at home and you better be ready to lick caramelized sugar off your fingers and be equipped with a lot of napkins, but every bite is worth the trouble and this sinful "sandwich" never disappoints.

You can see and buy some "Smores" pictures on my Istockphoto portfolio and I invite you to take a look at my "Food and Drinks" lightbox.

"Yen Sushi" - Culver City

Located in one of the most notorious malls of Los Angeles lies a new sushi restaurant that offers a variety of fishy dishes with a beautiful view on their parking lot. "Yen Sushi" is a great way to end a shopping spree at the mall with a fantastic happy hour menu.

The menu is not only full of creative rolls and sushis but it also offers a variety of options for those who don't eat fish such as the "Tornado potato" and Asian dishes. The quality of the fish was outstanding and the presentation of the plates was elegant and original. Their happy hour menu includes a plate of sashimis (or sushis) including five sorts of fish with your order and they have Sapporo on draft for those who enjoy a large pitcher of beer with their meal.

We ordered a few different rolls including the "Rock n' Roll" "The lobster roll" and the "Spicy tuna on crispy rice" and they were all fabulous. Even their side of Wasabi was a visual delight.

The friendly staff made our drinks stronger when we kindly told them that they were a little weak, and finishing the meal off with a perfectly battered "Green Tea Ice Cream Tempura" was a real pleasure.

After a few beers and a few glasses of sake, you might even be inclined to give Karaoke a try since they also offer this service.

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"Cousins Maine Lobster" Food Truck - Los Angeles

This weekend we went to the "Street Food Cinema", a celebration of great food, good time with friends, booze drinking in public, and a chance to experience the summer by watching a movie in the fresh smoggy air of downtown instead of sitting on a couch.

The park is located right across from the famous Los Angeles Coliseum near USC which they turn into an outdoor theater during the summer. After setting our blankets and coolers on the grass at the very end of the park, as far away from the screen as we possible could, we started roaming around the venue to decide what food truck was going to feed us. After wandering around and bumping into people carrying food, we decided to go to the "Cousins Maine Lobster" truck to order one Maine Lobster Roll and three California Lobster Tacos. We started waiting in the absurdly long line and gazed at the menu on the side of the truck. We added a side of Truffle Mac & Cheese from another truck and went back to our spot to enjoy our meal.

Contrary to a lot of other "Lobster Rolls" trucks, this one had a lot of meat and wasn't laced with stupid ingredients like Celery or mayonnaise.. There was a lot of meat in the rolls, it was just seasoned enough and lightly buttered and it was delicious. The lobster Tacos with he creamy cilantro sauce were tasty too and after we were done swallowing our dinner, we tried to get comfortable for the movie were were about to watch.

The movie they were screening that night was the funny comedy "Bridesmaids". It was a good thing I had already seen the movie because the screen was far away, the sound system was weak, and to top it off, we had a birthday party happening right in front of us with balloons filled with Helium blocking our view and chatty inebriated friends.

It was a beautiful summer evening and a great way to see "Bridesmaids" again and laugh with the rest of the crowd.

Meatballs and Rice Pasta

Last night I felt lazy but still wanted to have a decent meal. I opened the fridge and after staring at the pack of ground beef laying in the middle of the empty fridge I decided to cook some meatballs with tomato sauce and rice pasta.

Here's my recipe (3 people):
MeatBalls Mix
- 1lbs of beef
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup of flour
- A bunch of Freh Cilantro
- Italian Herbs
- Pepper
- 1 Strip of Bacon cooked and cut in tiny pieces
- Grated Swiss cheese
Other ingredients
- Tomato Sauce
- Red Wine
NO SALT (add salt only at the end before you serve)

Wash your hands, put all the ingredients in a giant bowl, mix the ground beef with all the other ingredients listed above and put the mix in the fridge to rest for at least 15 minutes.

While you wait, grind some weed, roll a joint and pour a glass of the red wine you're about to use later in the process.

After waiting and getting baked, pour some olive oil in a pan and let it heat up as you start making small beef balls with your clean hands the size of a small apricot, their size will reduce as you start cooking them. Throw all of them in the pan at the same time and cook all of meatballs thoroughly. Once they are medium, add a little bit of red wine to glaze the balls. Proceed to open the can of organic tomato sauce and add the content in the pan with the meatballs and turn down the heat to let the meatballs simmer for at least 20 minutes.

Add some grated swiss cheese and a little bit of salt on top of the meatballs before serving and enjoy this delicious comfort food with some of your favorite pasta.

"Thomas Hill Organics" Market Bistro - Paso Robles

This week I had the chance to spend some time in the Redwoods National Park near Big Sur and enjoyed every second of this short vacation. On the way down, I took the scenic route from Cambria to Palos Robles to stop at a restaurant for my girlfriend's birthday. 

Paso Robles is like the mini "Napa Valley" of Southern California. It's somewhat of a small city but it's full of inviting wine tasting rooms and charming restaurants with local flavors. It was already late when we arrived there and most of the places were closed, but we ended up falling upon what ended up being one of the best culinary experiences I've ever had: "Thomas Hill Organics" Market Bistro.

When I went on their website to check the menu before walking in, I was delighted to learn that their menu changed every day depending on what the cook found at the local organic farms and markets. That was a good sign.

We walked in and I immediately apologized for wearing what I had been wearing at the campsite which consisted of black sweat pants, sandals and a "Smurf" T-shirt with firewood scent...but that's what I also loved about this restaurant: they didn't kick us out. We sat down in their outdoor patio that was simply but elegantly decorated and we started salivating at the menu that was full of creative dishes made with fresh local produce.

We started with some local white wine from the Paso Robles Bodegas Winery, and we ordered the appetizer that we were going to share: "Braised Beluga Lentil Tacos, Carrot Ginger Purée, Candied Jalapenos, Chews & coconut, Watermelon, Cilantro"

These Tacos were by far the most delicious and inventive tacos I had ever had. The mix of the flavorful organic vegetables and the sweet fruits was the best way to get a taste of this incomparable restaurant. 

We then shared two entrées (I love to share all the dishes on the table to get a taste of everything). The first one was: "Pan Roasted Alaskan Halibut Cheeks, Roasted Baby Beets, Macerated Strawberries Pickled Watermelon, Coconut Cream, Mint Leaves, Citrus Vinaigrette". Here's the thing, I'm usually not a fan of beets but this restaurant's chef changed my view on beets that night. Every bite out of this original dish was heavenly, the presentation was sophisticated and enticing, the fish was perfectly cooked, and the staff was incredibly friendly.

Our second Entrée was a thin crust pizza with THO apples, Bacon, Mon Brie Cheese, Roasted Red Onion and Cremini Mushrooms. We had ordered a glass of red wine from their fabulous wine list at this point and I had to take a picture of the wine list because this wine was one of the boldest and tastiest red wine I had drank in a long time. (Our incredible red wine was: "Thomas Hill Vineyards 10' Miscela Delle Colline"). Eating the pizza while munching on this crispy and savory pizza was a perfect way to finish the meal.....before dessert of course.

I tried to be sneaky and I pretended to go to the bathroom to ask our waiter to bring a dessert with thirty candles. That was the only time they manged to disappoint me because they had run out of candles, and I think our waiter was also a little shy so he didn't even try to sing "happy birthday", but the "Chocolate Fondant (flourless chocolate cake) with Dulce de Leche and Honey Frosting" made up for it. We cleaned off the plate and shared coffee brought to the table in a French press. They apparently create their coffee blend themselves by picking some of their favorite beans and mixing them together.

They had a few baskets full of fresh fruits from the farm by the front door and we bought a pound of a medley of fruits and headed back on the road to Los Angeles. At this point, you understand that I highly recommend this restaurant if you drive to San Francisco, from San francisco, or if you ever get remotely close to Paso Robles while you drive on the 101 freeway. Even if you're a little far from it, it is definitely worth the drive. 

"Awash" - Los Angeles

 

I love to cook.

I love to open the fridge and wonder what ingredients I'm going to use for the next meal, I love picking the spices that will add flavor and colors to my gourmet concoctions, I love cooking with wine because it gives me an excuse to drink it during the process, I love creating new recipes and try them on some of my most daring friends, I love the surprised look on my guests' faces when they walk in the apartment and smell the delicious particles of goodness emanating from the stove and I love not having to wonder if the restaurant I'm in should be featured in the "Kitchen Nightmares" Series....However I do get lazy at times (or courageous) and after a long day of inhaling THC, I didn't feel like peeling, cutting and stirring....so we headed out to one of my favorite comfort food restaurant in Los Angeles: "Awash"

http://losangeles.menupages.com/restaurants/awash/

When I was first invited to go to this restaurant, I was a little apprehensive and I wasn't sure what "Ethiopian" food, but I was more than pleasantly surprised. The restaurant can be a little hard to spot the first time you go there but with the help of your favorite GPS system is shouldn't be too difficult. The dining room is fairly small and has little decoration but the incredible service, the outstanding food and the smile on the friendly waitress make up for it. I pretended to look at the menu because I always get the same thing when I go there but staring at the different food items on the menu is not only mouth watering but it's also inspiring. We ordered their "Vegetarian combo" (A staple dish of this Ethiopian restaurant) that includes split pea, lentils, spinash, potatoes and other goodies and we added a side of "Zilzil Tibbs" (long strips of prime tender beef seared over hot charcoal grill seasoned with garlic, black pepper and purified butter) which is one of their most delicious meat item. After adding a beer to the order, I made my way to the bathroom to wash my hands because if you didn't know this already, you eat everything with your hands in an Ethiopian restaurant (with the help of some Ethiopian bread called "Injera").

The sizzling meat came to our table a few minutes later and we devoured this entire meal in only a few minutes.

This is the perfect place to come with a few friends and share a few dishes with a few drinks.

Dear French Bakery

Dear French Bakery,

You never know how much you miss someone until they're gone....and I miss you.

You were there when I was a child, tempting me with your displays full of colorful candies and salivating chocolate croissants. I remember your crunchy baguettes waiting for me after school next to the jar of Nutella. I remember the sound of the slicing machine cutting up the loaf of bread previously picked by the gorgeous cashier. I remember staring at the rows of Kinder Eggs on the counter, wondering which one I would buy when I saved enough money to purchase one.

You were there when I was a teenager, helping me learn about life by offering me one of my first job as a cashier. You rescued me from my first hungover mornings with your fluffy croissants and strong espressos.
You fed me cheap and decent lunches with your savory sandwiches, allowing me to save money to buy important things like basketball cards and CDs.

You've been there throughout my adult life, luring me into your store with your  homemade desserts. You've comforted me during the rainy days with your tasty quiches. You've saved me from dehydration during the sunny days.  You've indulged my munchies with your filling pastries and you've managed to make my belly look a lot bigger than it's supposed to. 

You've helped me through my tough times and enhanced some of my good times. You've seen me grow up and become a man. Sometimes you're closed, but you've never been the jealous type and you never held a grudge against me for going to another bakery.

I can't wait to see you again next time I go to France and hope you will continue to surprise me with delicious creative treats.

Sincerely,

Me.