summer cocktails

last summer, the new york times published a great list of easy 3 ingredient cocktail recipes to help refresh and cool you off without having to hire a vest and mustache clad hipster bartender. 
this summer, i'm going to remember to take the easy recipes to all planned bbqs and summer suppers. first up, basil gimlet!

glimpse behind the veil

iranian photographer kiana hayeri returned to iran in 2010 to document the dual life young iranian women are forced to navigate through- in public and behind closed doors. i saw some of her images online a few months ago and was happy to see that the new york times lens blog recently featured some of the compelling images from her 2011 project titled your veil is a battleground. 

succulent sunday

i think i mentioned something last friday about tasting some local treats. well, we tasted, we sipped, we sampled, we drove, we hiked, we drove back, we drank and we ate some more - here are some snapshots from a most delicious super lovely staycation weekend...

* all but three photos by ladan k

staycation

what are your plans for this long holiday weekend? 
i'll be day dreaming about a future weekend here, but until then will be glad to have a chance to catch up with some friends and family and my growing stack of magazines

while sitting on my favorite strip of malibu beach

and nibbling on some delicious local treats.

have a fabulously kick back and relaxing long weekend!

egypt casts a vote

millions of egyptians voted yesterday for the man that will succeed ousted president hosni mubarak. it was the first truly free and competitive election in egypt's history - a fact not lost on most of the people waiting in long lines to cast their choice from a list of 13 presidential candidates. today has been declared a holiday so public sector employees can vote and if there is no clear majority winner after the votes are tallied, a runoff election between the two top contenders will be held in june. the arab spring continues to bloom.
here are some pics taken yesterday from three various news organizations. 

*photos via the nytimes, the washington post and al-jazeera

best food blogs

saveur magazine came out with it's list of 2012's best food blogs a couple of weeks ago.  the winning blogs are listed in various categories which include best recipe blog, best restaurant blog, best wine or beer blog and my two favorites - best food photography and best culinary travel blog. unfortunately, this great los angeles blog did not make the list so i've made a mental note to track down the nomination process for next year's entries!

free ranging on melrose

i walked over to the melrose place farmers market sunday morning with the sole mission to sample the egg tart served at the free range market stand. i wish i could convey to you how yummy this little savory treat was - one of the most delicious farmers market finds hand down!
the market is from 10 - 2 every sunday and apparently the tarts sell out by noon, so go early and hungry and leave time to sample the fruits, veggies, jams, breads and sweets from the rest of the little neighborhood gathering.

music monday - bee gees

when we moved to this country, the bee gees were all over the place, always on the radio and the most played song at 6th grade giggly slumber parties and ice skating rinks of southern california. when saturday night fever aired on hbo in the summer of 1982, my slumber party friends and i were glued to the forbidden tv fruit (we can discuss at another time the fact that we were also glued to olivia newton john, rod stewart, abba and ac/dc records that summer). 
thanks for my groovy musical welcome into american pop culture robin gibb. 

ludo chicken

word on the (literal) street is that ludo lefebvre makes the best fried chicken in town and so i finally tracked down the much hyped and reviewed ludo chicken via his ludo truck and have to report that yes, it was the best damn $5 fried chicken i have ever eaten. i skipped the legendary fried chicken sandwich and opted for 2 fried chicken breast strips with a delicious just out of the oven honey lavender biscuit. the strips were (really) hot and moist and the breading perfectly seasoned and crispy. 
you can find the truck's daily los angeles location via tweeter or facebook - just bring cash and be prepared to wait in a long, but worthy line. 
have a hot and juicy weekend!

chopstick eggs

apparently disposable wood chopsticks make the perfect tool for cooking scrambled eggs. thanks to a great food blog, i came across this article about making delicious, soft and fluffy, perfectly cooked eggs with wood chopsticks. being a lover of all things egg, i had to see for myself and managed to make a delicious batch (scrambled with spinach and goat cheese) for dinner last night. you do learn something new every day. 

*photo via finecooking.com

ai weiwei

i recently had a chance to view a screener for the soon to be released documentary on chinese artist and activist, ai weiwei. ai weiwei never sorry is an extraordinary film that should be on your must watch list when the film comes to theaters in limited release on july 27th. i've been reading about weiwei in the news for a few years now and this film was the perfect peek behind the curtain at the engine and drive that propels him, his art and his struggle.
a beautiful film documenting a brilliant and brave life.

din tai fung dumplings

din tai fung dumplings are legendary in los angeles food circles. i've been reading and hearing about how delicious and perfect and addicting the little steamed pillows are for several years now and finally had the chance to drive out to arcadia and taste what all the fuss was about. 
well, the people had spoken and the people were right. these were the best little pork (and chicken and shrimp) dumplings i have ever had and well worth the one hour wait in line (there is a great big asian super market and a crazy eclectic asian bakery in the same shopping mall to help you pass the time). 
it's rarely you can say this about hyper reviewed dining spots, but din tai fung is indeed worth all the hype!

music monday - jack peñate

a nice jumpstart song and video for a sunny monday morning, shot on super 8 in one of the places i most long to visit, jordan. 

son of a gun

if you love fresh, sustainable, and creatively prepared seafood, then 2009 food & wine magazine best new chef winners, jon shook and vinny dotolo's, second restaurant son of a gun, is an answer to your ocean creature loving prayers. the restaurant opened here in los angeles in february of 2011 and quickly found it's way onto bon appeti's best new restaurants in america list. 
i've eaten at son of a gun a few times now, and i have to say, it has gotten better with each subsequent visit. call a couple of weeks in advance for coveted reservations, or walk in and wait for a spot at the big communal table.
here is a list of our dinner choices, topped off with a dreamy refreshing passion fruit snow cone cocktail! 

kusshi oysters on the half shell, condiments 

butter lettuce, smoked trout, buttermilk tarragon, grapefruit 

lobster roll, celery, lemon aioli 

shrimp toast sandwich, herbs, sriracha mayo

fried chicken sandwich, spicy b&b pickle slaw, rooster aioli

amberjack crudo, galbi vinaigrette, asian pear

linguine and clams, uni aglio-olio, chili, breadcrumbs

uni, burrata, radicchio, yuzu 

have a delicious weekend!

the dutch will fix it all

i am enamored with the dutch way of life - their liberal, socially forward thinking politics, their beautiful and clean designs and their general ability and desire to live in a progressive and sustainable way with the people and cities and objects and rooms around them. 
well the brilliant dutch have done it again - establishing 30 repair cafes around the netherlands, where people can bring in their old clothes, gadgets and electronics and have them mended and repaired (or at least attempt to be), free by neighborhood volunteers. it's not just a brilliant sustainable way to recycle and repair otherwise perfectly good objects, but also a simple socially conscious way to bridge neighbors within communities. fantastisch!

*photo via the nytimes

paris in your palms

i've been dreaming about paris the past week - dreams where i'm walking around the city, completely lost but utterly happy, eating baskets full of bread, cheeses, pastries and chocolates. While the city itself is always in a fog, the food is crystal clear and mouthwatering. i've been waking up with my stomach growling...
well, now there is an app for those dreams (and real life travels) - an easy eat your way around food lover's guide to paris that you can download for your iphone or ipad. 
bon nuit e bon voyage! 

mama's secret turkish bakery

i love turkish coffee - the dark, thick, strong elixir has been part of my life since childhood - carefully prepared by all the women in my family and always capped off with a circle of people waiting for their empty coffee cup fortunes to be told.
sadly, the turkish coffee served at restaurants here in los angeles has bordered from the weak & watery to horrible mud in a cup and has never come close to the coffee served in people's homes - that is until now. i have finally discovered a little restaurant that serves the best, most beautiful cup of authentic turkish coffee this side of istanbul. mama's secret bakery is run by a lovely turkish family and is the perfect place to pop in for a delicious breakfast or afternoon turkish delight!
zevk!

music monday - beastie boys

the beastie boys's adam yauch died of cancer last friday. he was only 47.
they have been playing their songs in memoriam on kcrw all weekend here, solidifying even more just how great and original and important they were to my generation of music fans. 
rest in peace mca!

beach (day)dreams

what better way to start the weekend but with a hot cup of perfectly dark coffee (or mimosa if you already have a bounce in your step this morning) and travel & leisure's new list of the world's best beaches. i have already mentally checked out and touched down on the seychelles. 
have a dreamy sand and sun filled weekend.

*photos via travel&leisure

yogurt passion (fruit)

i have driven and googled my way around los angeles looking for all sorts of passion fruit pastries, chocolates, ice creams and jams (let's not even talk about my harassment of farmers market fruit vendors). well, last week, i stumbled across this little pot of gold at my local grocery store, just 2 blocks from home. i think i did a little dance when our paths crossed - happy happy - joy joy!

bkr h2o

i've been looking for a glass (no plastic or aluminum) water bottle and was excited last week to come across bkr, a san francisco based company, who produce a beautiful line of portable glass bottles. the store sales assistant swore that the colored silicone sleeves protect the glass and that they are almost impossible to break (she threw a bottle on the floor just to prove her point)! i was sold on her stunt and the simple clean design and bought myself an orange bottle. 
now i just need to remember to take it with me and drink more water!