Category Archives: Food

My Favorite Kitchen Gadget: Chef’n Emulstir

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ChefnEmulstirA few years ago my mom gave me a Chef’n Emulstir salad dressing mixer. Before then I would just buy whatever looked good at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods. This little gadget makes mixing your own super easy (and whatever is left gets stored in the fridge). My favorite part is being able to spin the dressing with a few pulses, but what’s really genius are the simple recipes printed on the bottle itself. A great gift for a cook or housewarming.

I just made this dijon vinaigrette in about three minutes:

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil *2 tsp. dijon mustard * 2 1/2 tbs. red wine vinegar *salt and pepper to taste

Last Minute Gift: Five Minute Fudge

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FiveMinuteFudge

I posted about this five minute fudge last year, but in case you didn’t see it or forgot how easy it was, I wanted to share. This is the perfect holiday treat to gift people especially when you are short on time.

You can use peanut butter chips instead of butterscotch and add in anything from walnut pieces to currants. It’s a guaranteed hit!

1 (12-ounce) bag of semisweet chocolate morsels

1 (12-ounce) bag of butterscotch morsels

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

8-inch square Pyrex or similar dish

Place a heavy pot on the stove over low heat. Add the chips and milk and stir until everything is melted. Then stir in the vanilla and remove fudge from heat (you don’t want burnt fudge!) Pour the melted goodness into the pan and chill covered in the fridge. It’s so delicious (and pretty rich) so you can serve in small slices or wrap larger pieces to give as gifts.

Tips and Tricks: How to Make Zucchini Chips

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I don’t know about you, but I really have to focus on healthy eating during the holiday season since there are so many temptations around (luckily I work at home so I don’t have to see baked goods each day.) One of my favorite fun snacks to make (Tim teases me because I call them fun) are zucchini chips, which weigh in at around 60 calories for 20 chips.

What you’ll need: One good size zucchini / 1/4 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs / 1/4 cup grated Parmesan / 1/4 tsp salt / 1/4 tsp garlic powder / 1/8 tsp pepper / 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk / cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice zucchini into thin 1/4-inch rounds and combine the first five ingredients in a bowl and mix. Then put the milk into another shallow bowl.

2. Dip the zucchini slices in milk and dredge in the breadcrumb mixture.

3. Place the slices on a baking sheet, spray with cooking spray and pop into the oven for 30 minutes (you can flip them halfway through.)

Getting Personal: Have a Sweet Weekend

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Bottega Louie Macaron

I recently met my friend Kim for breakfast at Bottega Louie, one of my favorite places in L.A., and had some primo lemon ricotta pancakes. I love to hang out in the marketplace for a few minutes afterward so I can just look at all the pastries, macarons and sweets. I definitely have to try the Grand Macaron sometime (the ones in the back would make for a great alternative to a birthday cake.)

Hope you have a nice weekend ahead.

Sprinkles Cupcake ATM

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After my birthday dinner in June, Tim surprised me with a visit to the Sprinkles Cupcake ATM in Beverly Hills, but we haven’t found ourselves with a reason to go back until Friday night. We were seeing some friends perform in Star Wars in 60 Minutes at nearby Beverly Hills High School so it worked out perfect. The novelty of an ATM that dispenses gourmet cupcakes means crowds, so consider going at an off time. It doesn’t get much cuter than this!

Tips and Tricks: How to Make Watermelon Granita

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My friend Heather served us watermelon granita a few years back and I’ve been making it every summer since. My sister and her boyfriend were staying with us last week and so after Zankou I served up the icy treat and it was a big hit. I love it because it’s so refreshing, incredibly easy to make and it’s very healthy.

Just puree (in a food processor or blender) 4 cups of cubed seedless watermelon with 1 tbsp fresh lime juice and pour into a shallow baking dish. Cover and freeze the mixture for about two hours. Using a fork just rake the granita to form icy flakes. Do this every hour until you are ready to serve (I like to just make it a few hours beforehand so I’m not raking all day, but this is the most fun part.)

Here is a great step-by-step recipe from The Pioneer Woman so you can see the whole process (I skip the sugar since the watermelon is sweet enough on its own.)

Most Wanted: Get Your Grill On

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Jonathan Adler Rope Ice Bucket / Empire Mayonnaise Red Chili / Formosa Clover Tray Table / Williams-Sonoma Ultimate Burger Seasoning / Sur La Table Piggy Corn Holders

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