All About Me
Who?
I am a 27-year-old Midwestern transplant to Los Angeles, who still can't get over the fact that no one mows his own lawn in Southern California. I have more shoes and books than one apartment can comfortably hold, and a very messy spice cupboard. On Sunday mornings, you can find me either at the Hollywood Farmers' Market, eating brunch at Madame Matisse, or trying to solve the puzzle on NPR's Weekend Edition.
What?
I like to cook and eat and explore food in Los Angeles and beyond. Inspired by the Locavores, Michael Pollan's book, The Omnivore's Dilemma, and my family history, I've started eating as locally as possible. My favorite kitchen tools are my bamboo spoons (thanks Aunt Karla!) and my microplane grater. Also, after a long day, my cocktail shaker or my corkscrew.
Why?
I like to eat. I like to explore. I wanted to document my adventures. Also, I like to finish things. My day job, however, doesn't provide a lot of end product satisfaction--instead it's "do it for my (non-existant) children" work. Cooking, on the other hand, allows a start and a finish in a relatively short period of time. You see and enjoy the fruits of your labor, usually making other people happy in the process (unless you greedily eat all the chocolate chip cookies yourself--which is okay every once and awhile).
How?
On my kitchen bookshelf you will find: The Joy of Cooking; Mastering the Art of French Cooking; Nigella Lawson's How to Be a Domestic Goddess, Feast, and Forever Summer; The Herbal Kitchen by Jerry Traunfeld; The Babbo Cookbook; Chez Panisse Cafe Cookbook; Moosewood Restaurant New Classics; The Edible Mushroom; The San Francisco Chronicle Cookbook; Cooking for Mr. Latte; Vegetariana; Emma's Tea Room Cookbook; La Bonne Cuisine de Madame E. Saint-Ange; A Slice of Kentucky; and last bust certainly not least, though I haven't cooked from it, The Clinton Presidential Center Cookbook.
The recipes in the Babbo book are remarkably simple and Chez Panisse's pizza dough and crostata di perella can't be beat; Moosewood has the best basic muffins, while Nigella's dense chocolate loaf cake and flourless chocolate cake wow even a non-chocolate-lover like myself. If you want technique and the "why" behind it all, a combination reading of Joy of Cooking, Julia Child and Madame E. Saint-Ange will give you the scoop.
Best Meal(s) in the past few years?
A tie between dinner at Babbo after getting engaged in Washington Square Park in New York City and our family and friend-filled pre-wedding BBQ in Wisconsin with chicken from the Holmen Locker and apple pie from J's grandma and aunts.
Favorite foods?
Depends on the time of day and my mood. Salty always beats sweet. Pork, particularly in cured form, beats beef and chicken, but not duck. If health were no concern, I'd eat every day at French bistros, always steak frites or moules frites. Any fruit, any cheese, any bread. Any vegetable, except cauliflower, especially asparagus.
I am a 27-year-old Midwestern transplant to Los Angeles, who still can't get over the fact that no one mows his own lawn in Southern California. I have more shoes and books than one apartment can comfortably hold, and a very messy spice cupboard. On Sunday mornings, you can find me either at the Hollywood Farmers' Market, eating brunch at Madame Matisse, or trying to solve the puzzle on NPR's Weekend Edition.
What?
I like to cook and eat and explore food in Los Angeles and beyond. Inspired by the Locavores, Michael Pollan's book, The Omnivore's Dilemma, and my family history, I've started eating as locally as possible. My favorite kitchen tools are my bamboo spoons (thanks Aunt Karla!) and my microplane grater. Also, after a long day, my cocktail shaker or my corkscrew.
Why?
I like to eat. I like to explore. I wanted to document my adventures. Also, I like to finish things. My day job, however, doesn't provide a lot of end product satisfaction--instead it's "do it for my (non-existant) children" work. Cooking, on the other hand, allows a start and a finish in a relatively short period of time. You see and enjoy the fruits of your labor, usually making other people happy in the process (unless you greedily eat all the chocolate chip cookies yourself--which is okay every once and awhile).
How?
On my kitchen bookshelf you will find: The Joy of Cooking; Mastering the Art of French Cooking; Nigella Lawson's How to Be a Domestic Goddess, Feast, and Forever Summer; The Herbal Kitchen by Jerry Traunfeld; The Babbo Cookbook; Chez Panisse Cafe Cookbook; Moosewood Restaurant New Classics; The Edible Mushroom; The San Francisco Chronicle Cookbook; Cooking for Mr. Latte; Vegetariana; Emma's Tea Room Cookbook; La Bonne Cuisine de Madame E. Saint-Ange; A Slice of Kentucky; and last bust certainly not least, though I haven't cooked from it, The Clinton Presidential Center Cookbook.
The recipes in the Babbo book are remarkably simple and Chez Panisse's pizza dough and crostata di perella can't be beat; Moosewood has the best basic muffins, while Nigella's dense chocolate loaf cake and flourless chocolate cake wow even a non-chocolate-lover like myself. If you want technique and the "why" behind it all, a combination reading of Joy of Cooking, Julia Child and Madame E. Saint-Ange will give you the scoop.
Best Meal(s) in the past few years?
A tie between dinner at Babbo after getting engaged in Washington Square Park in New York City and our family and friend-filled pre-wedding BBQ in Wisconsin with chicken from the Holmen Locker and apple pie from J's grandma and aunts.
Favorite foods?
Depends on the time of day and my mood. Salty always beats sweet. Pork, particularly in cured form, beats beef and chicken, but not duck. If health were no concern, I'd eat every day at French bistros, always steak frites or moules frites. Any fruit, any cheese, any bread. Any vegetable, except cauliflower, especially asparagus.
5 Comments:
The moules frites at Marcel in the farmers market are the BEST! I eat them as often as possible (diet be damned.)
Erin,
I couldn't find you're e-mail on any pages so I thought I would write this in a comment.
Every week, we feature a new blogger on our web site www.familyoven.com. This upcoming week we would like to feature you and your blog on our web site.
Becoming our featured blogger means we place picture, of your choice, on our homepage and will have a full page dedicated to you, your blog and your favorite recipes. If you're interested in becoming our featured blogger please e-mail me at imosquera@familyoven.com and feel free to come and see our website.
On side note, my wife and I love your almond encrusted salmon.
-Isaac Mosquera
Why is my photo here?
Did you get my permission?
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