Comfort Foods and Indulgences

Caviar 5000

I live in a great neighborhood. Westfield Century City Mall and Westwood Village are both walking distance. Walgreen’s and Coffee Bean and Tealeaf are too. There’s even a stellar newsstand adjacent to Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. That being said I could count the times I’ve actually walked there on both hands and I’ve lived there for 27 years. Ahem.

The thing is, when it’s a neighborhood business, you’re liable to stumble upon it and think you discovered it. But no, I just happened to live up the street from the best caviar store in town.

The Bel Air Caviar Merchant’s storefront looks more like a Psychic Reading parlor than the premier caviar supplier for the Westside. I’d say it’s a well kept secret, but its really not. People stake out their orders and wait patiently on folded chairs in a makeshift lobby. Business is done behind a screen.

Roadside Diner Cheeseburger Quiche

My oldest son saw this in a magazine and instantly proclaimed he wanted it for dinner. I was rather surprised as most kids, including my own, don't like food that is touching or mixed up. In other words, casseroles are usually out.

But when my kids see something they want me to make, I usually oblige. However, I can't even begin to imagine what the calorie count is here. Actually, I don't even care. Moving on.

I have to admit this quiche is pretty cool, it does taste exactly like a cheeseburger. A bacon cheeseburger. You have a crust in place for the buns and this thick slab of cheese on top, meat in the middle and what makes it most authentic tasting is the dill pickle relish. The relish just gives it that "cheeseburgeresque" taste. Leaving it out would be a mistake. A big mistake.

Your first bite will surprise you as your mind is seeing quiche but you are tasting burger. I even wanted to squirt some ketchup on the side for a little dip. I think I'll try that tomorrow.

Loads of Nuts and Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

Little Gracie had been feeling under the weather all day Wednesday. She had no interest in running and playing, choosing to curl up and sleep for most of the day. And, she was coughing.

So, yesterday, off to the vet we went. When I take Gracie for a ride in the car, I feel like a new mother packing up to take the new baby out to run errands. I have no diaper bag, though. I put some water in the special bowl I have with a tight-sealing screw-on lid. Chew toys for the crate in the back seat. The leash. Treats to replenish the small supply I keep in my cup-holder in the front seat.

For this trip, I also made room for a small basket of my favorite chocolate chip cookies. I was sure the nice doctors, office staff and techs at the veterinary clinic would enjoy a people treat of their own.

Tostones Con Mojo

You know what I realized I don’t eat enough of? Plantains. These banana relatives must be cooked before eaten, and their starchy potato-goodness is usually featured in African and Caribbean cooking. And while plantains can be used in stews or baked and served alongside fish and meat, my favorite way of eating them involves double frying them into tostones and dipping them into mojo, a garlic and olive oil condiment. It’s a perfect snack or a great way to start a meal. You could even use the tostones to dip into a giant pile of guacamole.

Tostones Con Mojo adapted from Saveur

For the Tostones:
3 large green plantains
canola or vegetable oil for frying
sea salt

For the Mojo:
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
sea salt

Put crushed garlic and a pinch of salt into a mortar and crush into a paste. Add the chopped cilantro and crush a little bit more. Add the oil to the garlic, salt and cilantro and continue to mix to incorporate. Once mixed, put into a bowl and set aside.

Remove the skin from the plantain. It can be tough to remove, try slicing both ends off and making a slit with the knife the length of the plantain. With your thumb, wedge it between the flesh and peel and remove the skin. Once the skin is removed cut the plantains into 1-inch thick rounds.

Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet to no more than 350 degrees. Fry the plantains until lightly golden and then transfer to a paper towel to drain, about 3 minutes. With the bottom of a small pan or glass bowl, press the cooked tostones to flatten them to half their original thickness.

Return the flattened tostones to the hot oil and fry again until crisp around the edges and deeply golden. Once cooked transfer to paper towels to drain and then season with salt. Serve the tostones hot with the Mojo.

A Ploughman's Grilled Cheese Sandwich

A grilled cheese sandwich is as American as American gets. But other countries have their favorite form of cheese sandwich. The Swiss have the tradition of eating melted Raclette cheese spread on toasted bread. The French have the cafe favorite, the Croque-monsieur, a hot ham and cheese sandwich. The English have Welsh rarebit, which features slices of toast doused in a savory cheese sauce. And of course, the Americans have processed cheese product melted between two pieces of cardboard white bread. It's what most kids grow up on, even me. But I think it's time for a more mature grilled cheese sandwich.

My version puts a twist on an English classic, the Ploughman's lunch. It's a sandwich I enjoyed countless times through my travels in England.

Comfort Foods and Indulgences