Monday, July 30, 2012

Cookies for Cody Charity Bake Sale: Bourbon-Caramel Brownies


I'm not sharing a recipe today.

But you can eat the Bourbon-Caramel Brownies pictured above.

That's right. I'm baking them for one lucky winner as part of the Cookies for Cody online charity bake sale. It's a cancer fundraising to benefit the nephew of my blogger friend Stephanie from The Recipe Renovator. Here's a little more on Cody from Stephanie:
Our nephew Cody is 4. He has been fighting neuroblastoma. You can help his family by bidding on three dozen baked goods and over 50 signed cookbooks in our auction, which starts today. Or you can donate here at codybrasich.com to the family directly at any time. [Please add "Cookies for Cody" and your message to the family when donating, so we can track our total donations.]
Cody has been fighting neuroblastoma, a rare childhood cancer since last July. Now that his cancer has returned, aggressively, there are no more treatment options. Our family truly appreciates your love, prayers and support. The family has incurred approximately $15,000 in medical expenses to date.
All you have to do to win my brownies is click on the link below and leave a bid in the comments.

Click here to bid on Bourbon-Caramel Brownies

We've already raised $5,000 thanks to everybody's support. Let's see if we can raise even more!

UPDATE: Cody passed away yesterday, on the final day of the sale. Thanks again for everybody's support. My thoughts and prayers are with the family. The auction is now closed.

Monday, July 23, 2012

Grilled Zucchini with Basil-Walnut Pesto


Thanks to everybody for making last week's Meatless Monday Twitter Party rock!

So summer continues unabated. We've had a heat wave recently in Los Angeles. And that means one thing: I've been firing up my grill. A lot.

But this is great for you!

It means lots of fabulous summer grilling recipes.


Zucchini is one of my favorite things to throw on the grill, especially super-sized late summer squash. This zucchini came from my friend Jeff's garden. They were huge—two different heirloom variaties—and so fresh and sweet and tender when grilled. I finished them with a little bit of homemade Basil-Walnut Pesto and some Parmigiano Reggiano. 

The result was so fabulous that I can't wait to make it again. This dish works as a side dish to a meal, but it's filling enough and tasty enough to be a main course too.


Grilled Zucchini with Basil-Walnut Pesto

Serves 4 people if main course; about 6 people if side dish
Vegetarian (but easy to veganize); gluten-free
Cooking time: about twenty minutes

Ingredients

2 pounds zucchini, sliced lengthwise
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
parmigiano reggiano for garnishing

for basil-walnut pesto:
1/4 cup raw walnuts
1 cup packed basil leaves, rinsed and dried
1/4 cup good extra virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove, peeled
squeeze of lemon juice (optional)
salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the grill.

2. Meanwhile, make the Basil-Walnut Pesto. Place the walnuts in a mini food processor (or you can make a larger batch in a bigger one). Process until finely chopped. Add the basil and garlic, and pulse until incorporated and no big pieces of garlic remain. Add the lemon juice and pulse again to incorporate. Lastly, with the lid off and the motor running, slowly add the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.

3. Toss the zucchini with the olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Quickly grill over medium heat for a two to three minutes on each side, until tender. Larger slices may take longer.

4. Place the zucchini on a serving platter. Check seasoning for salt and pepper and adjust if needed. Spoon pesto over the zucchini and top with grated parmigiano. Enjoy!

Monday, July 16, 2012

Special Edition Meatless Monday: The Great Potato Round-Up

Spicy Paprika Lemon Potatoes

It's finally arrived.

Tonight I'm hosting a potato-themed Twitter Party for Meatless Monday from 9pm-10pm EST. Please join us—we'll be using the snazzy hashtag #potatoesonmonday and giving away lots of great prize packs (yes, you read that right—not prizes, but prize packs). 


I'm co-hosting with Stephanie from The Recipe Renovator. To join the chat, I recommend going to TweetChat (www.tweetchat.com) and following the clear instructions on their homepage. You will log in using your Twitter account and feed in the hashtag (#potatoesonmonday). It will then automatically appear at the end of all of your posts so that we can see them. 

We'll be asking all sorts of fun questions about favorite food memories, giving out recipes and cooking tips, and much more. And of course, you could even win something...

You can follow us on Twitter: @DomDivas @reciperenovator @MeatlessMonday @KlondikePotato.

Baby Potato & Zucchini Casserole

To get your mouth watering and the inspiration flowing, here are some of our favorite meatless potato recipes from Domestic Divas, The Recipe Renovator, and Klondike

The Great Potato Round-Up

Baby Potato Zucchini Casserole (Domestic Divas)

Beet-Potato-Carrot Salad (The Recipe Renovator)

Creamy Grilled Potato Salad (Klondike)

Fingerling Potatoes with Pesto Dipping Sauce (The Recipe Renovator)

German Potato Salad with Vegan Bacon (The Recipe Renovator)

Potato and Asparagus Salad (Klondike)

Potato Enchiladas (Klondike & featured by Meatless Monday)

Spicy Mustard Potato Salad (Domestic Divas)

Spicy Paprika Lemon Potatoes (Domestic Divas)

Required Disclosure: I'm receiving a very modest sum of money to host the Twitter Party, but I only accept compensation from causes in which I truly believe. Looking forward to tonight's party!

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Special Event: Meatless Monday Twitter Party


The banner above says it all, but please join us for a Meatless Monday Twitter Party on Monday 7/16 from 9-10pm EST in honor of going meatless on Mondays and potatoes. 

I'm hosting the virtual party along with the fabulous Stephanie of The Recipe Renovator (check out her blog—the recipe up right now looks irresistible). We'll be chatting about recipes, giving tips on going meatless, and much more.

This is a great cause—to raise awareness of the benefits of incorporating meatless meals every week. So post to Facebook, email around, tweet, and help us get the word out!


Also as an extra incentive, we'll be giving away several gift packages throughout the party to lucky participants. They will include:

  • Potato Grill Rack
  • Potato Peeler
  • Potato Ricer
  • Green Giant Hat
  • Klondike Brands T-Shirt
  • Green Giant Pens
  • Klondike Cookbook
  • Annabelle Doll
  • Luggage Tags
  • Potato Scrubbing Gloves
  • Key Chains

Looking forward to a fabulous virtual party!

Monday, July 9, 2012

Grilled Baby Bok Choy


It's Monday, and I'm up bright and early to blog.

Many exciting developments are coming soon, including a Twitter Party that I'm hosting for Meatless Monday (details to follow) and an article that I'm writing for Whole Life Times, inspired by my blog post: My Glamorous Hollywood Career... And Why I Gave It Up.


Today I wanted a share a simple, delicious, healthy summer recipe for Grilled Baby Bok Choy

This is one of my favorite vegetables in the world. Bok Choy—also known as white cabbage or Chinese cabbage—comes from the same family as broccoli and brussels sprouts, and has many of the same health benefits

For this recipe, I simply halve the bok choy (if the bok choy is bigger, you can quarter them), brush them with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. 

Then I lightly grill them on each side. If you're grilling, this is a great easy vegetable to throw on. It can also be made indoors (as I did last night in my Le Crueset grill pans).



Grilled Baby Bok Choy

Serves 4 people
Cooking time: less than 10 minutes
Vegan; gluten-free

Ingredients

about 12 heads of baby bok choy
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Heat grill or grill pan.

2. Halve the baby bok choy (or quarter if they are on the larger side). Brush them with the olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.

3. Quickly grill the bok choy over medium to low heat for about two to three minutes (depending o size) on each side. Enjoy!

Monday, July 2, 2012

Lexington Social House: Jazz Night & Jidori Fried Chicken

Lexington Social House Cocktail Flight

Music and food are two of my favorite things in the world.

Seldom do I cook without putting a CD on the stereo (yes, we're dinosaurs that way) or flipping on the radio (more dinosaur stuff). It just doesn't feel right without it. So when I was invited to
Lexington Social House for a blogger dinner to celebrate Jazz Night with Jeff Goldblum and his Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, I jumped at the chance.

I'd seen Jeff Goldblum perform before at
Largo, a music and comedy club that I regularly hit up. So I knew that this wasn't a novelty act—he's really talented.

But first came dinner. We sat on the
gorgeous patio on a gorgeous evening (the weather in LA has been fantastic lately). We began the evening with a candy-colored cocktail flight, served in adorable miniature glasses. They were all delicious in their own special ways.

Summer Fling Cocktail

My favorites included the "Sweet Lips," a refreshing blend of elderberry, watermelon, lemon juice, and sparkling wine. It tasted like spring. Another standout was the "Summer Fling." This cocktail is made from Jim beam Bourbon, Dewars scotch, apricot syrup, and fresh thyme. I loved the aroma of thyme that drifted out of the smokey drink as I sipped it.


Steak Tartare

And then the food came out in three courses, served family style. The appetizers included a Little Gem Lettuce Salad with grapes, toasted hazelnuts, and smoked blue cheese. We also feasted on pickled vegetables and enjoyed a whimsical take on Steak Tartare, complete with drive-thru French fries and 
encapsulated root beer spheres. 

Steak Tartare French Fries

However, my favorite appetizer was the Jidori Chicken Liver Toast.


Jidori Chicken Liver Toast

It was smooth and creamy and savory, and came with a lovely salad of picked shallots, radish, and parsley. I love herb salads.

Pickled Shallot & Parsley Salad

Main courses ranged from the lighter Florida White Shrimp with Risotto—to the heavier Braised Boneless Beef Short Ribs. This came with farro, one of my favorite grains. But this restaurant is known for one entree—Jidori Fried Chicken—and it's easy to see why. The fried chicken was served Southern Style with bacon braised greens, sweet potatoes, and corn bread. 

Jidori Fried Chicken with Bacon Braised Greens

Do I need to say anything more? 

Oh yes, dessert! Chocolate Bread Pudding (yum) and their famous Monkey Bread (yummier). The latter tasted like a take on a sweet bun, and is a signature dessert.

As if our feast wasn't enough, around nine o'clock Jeff Goldblum and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra began to play the first of their two sets. No surprises here—they were fantastic. The room was packed with eager jazz patrons, and Goldblum even dispensed a multitude of hugs (he's definitely a hugger) and took photos with adoring fans during the set break.

Their residency continues every Wednesday night (first set 9-10pm, second set 10:30-midnight) at the Lexington Social House. Reservations are suggested.