September 21. Space Shuttle flying over House.

Surprise excitement as the Space Shuttle twirled around California on its very last flight before landing at LAX to be hauled to the science museum in Exposition Park.  I hadn't been paying a lot of attention, but the plan was for the shuttle to do some low-flying circles around Los Angeles on Friday morning.  It was one of those jolly and unexpected communal events.  The boardwalk wasn't packed, but there were plenty of people out, hanging out of windows, on the beach, on Ocean Front walk, glancing north in anticipation.  No-one knew (or at least I didn't know) exactly what we were expecting.  Then suddenly, looming down the coast was an enormous 747 with the Endeavor atop.  Just as it hit our neighborhood, it turned eastwards--everyone I know thinks it flew directly over them--and perhaps it did--it was very big indeed.

In any case, whatever anyone's thoughts about the space program, it's beginning, it's end, whatever, this huge photo op--made everyone unexpectedly happy.

In anticipation of my departure for New Jersey, I've begun massive cleaning, but took a break to bike to Ralph's for flowers and perhaps some protein.  At the never-too-inspiring fish counter, I spotted fillets, that looked thin and elegant and were on manager's special--an excellent buy.  It was called arrowtooth flounder and was described as wild caught.  "It's like sole," the guy at the fish counter told me.  I always assume "manager's special" means cook immediately--so there was dinner ready to go.

Before cooking fish, I made a side dish of sauteed onions, zucchini, red pepper and aging garden tomatoes with lots of garlic and parsley.  Always looks better un-cooked, chopped or not.

Once the vegetables were nicely cooked, I moved them out of the frying pan into a sauce pan, wiped the pan, dipped the filets in milk, then in the mixture of bread crumbs and panko which had worked so well on halibut fillets a while back.

This has generally been a pretty effortless project.  The fillets were large--so I made one first.  It fell apart as I served myself, but worse yet, it was completely mushy and almost tasteless.  It seemed thoroughly cooked, but perhaps I hadn't browned it sufficiently.  For my second helping, I added a bit more oil, and cooked until it was browner and crispier.  But now, the only bits that were tasty were those well browned bread-crumb mouthfuls.

As you can see, I had a pretty high ratio of brown to white mush, but can't say it was a taste sensation.  But this is a moment to  praise Google.  I checked out arrowtooth flounder and learned that although it is the most common fish in the Bay of Alaska, it is basically inedible--due to its complete mushiness. The stuff I read might not have been completely authoritative--there was speculation about an enzyme that in response to heat caused fish to turn to mush.  But there was no speculation at all about the fish's ultimate unsavoriness and mushiness.   There you have it.  Lesson learned  Do not buy arrowtooth flounder.  Unlike that twirling space shuttle, it will make you very sad.

September 20. Rajas con Crema with scrambled eggs. Carol's birthday. Hunan Eggplant. Nice Cream.

Elena leaving early for the Huntington, but time enough for me to make Rajas con crema with scrambled eggs for a proper breakfast with Elena.

She went off to the Huntingdon.  I went to yoga hours later, breakfast, praise be, well digested.

Carol called, as planned late in the afternoon.  Turns out today is her birthday (I have it listed, on my list of significant dates, but alas, as is often the case, it had slipped right by).

I instantly invited her to stop by (this had always been the plan--even when I was birthday ignorant).

She reminded me that thirty years ago, for that long ago important birthday, I'd made a most excellent roast chicken with tarragon from the Julia Child cookbook, that was my special occasion recipe for years. 

I had not made such a grand effort this year.  We had assorted left-over snacks (I'd done lots of shopping before Elena's visit)--humus, roasted cauliflower, bits of frittata--and once I learned about the occasion I'd put up brown rice and made one more round of my new favorite--hunan eggplant.  I only had one small eggplant, but since I had all the necessary ingredients, it  fit the bill.

One Eggplant's worth of Hunan Eggplant in wok

We were having such a fine time, it was almost seven when we looked at the clock and realized we'd have to hurry to catch Grace who was working at Nice Cream a few blocks south on the Ocean Front Walk, for a little bit of birthday ice cream.  The store was in fact closed, but Grace was there and waiting--and was happy to let us have all the tastes we needed before settling on salted caramel gelato (actually I had mine with a little chocolate sorbet as well).  A fine birthday time was had by all.  

September 19th. Frittata. Arugula Salad. Spaghetti with garlic and parsley.

Made a morning frittata for Elena.  A variation of my new quick frittata.  Here's the recipe--no quantities--just ingredients.  I always use four-six eggs--with a splash of water and a crushed garlic clove or two,  but everything else is discretionary.  The main ingredients are herbs and cheese.  I finely chopped chives, dill and parsley.  Added grated parmesan and chopped smoked mozarella--as well as a bit of left-over brown rice (so little we didn't even notice it--sometimes when I use rice, it feels like the main ingredient--and that's fine too).  Oh--also threw in a few tablespoons of roasted tomatoes.    

All, in all, it was irresistible (at least to me).  I'd planned to eat after yoga, but I ended up sampling a bit too much.   I'm generally very good about not eating for hours before yoga (took me a while to learn this, but today (thrown off both by excellent fritatta and earlier class)  I abandoned caution and paid for it in downward dog!

Hours later, made a quite excellent salad for Elena and me--mixed greens with lots of arugula, golden beets, bacon, tomatoes--maybe more...

And later still, with Elena out for the evening, I made myself my emergency meal for visitors--spaghetti with olive oil, garlic and parsley.  I do eat more and better when guests are around, even if they're not joining me.

Many hours after yoga

September 18th. Roasted Tomatoes. Roast Cauliflower.

Roasted a pan of aging garden tomatoes with ordinary Roma tomatoes from Farmer's market.

Salad for lunch -- garden tomatoes, lettuce and a spare rib or two.

Rare outing in car to Lamps Plus where I was hoping to look at many fans, but the fans I wanted to see do not make appearances there.  So, as is often the case in my random shopping life, alarmed by the news that it could take two weeks for the fan to ship (this is always the case they said with Modern Fans--is this true?  false?  I didn't seem to have the energy to find out, so to move the process along, I ordered the fan then and there).

Inspired by the ease of that purchase, I stepped into OSH which shares the parking lot.  I was looking for an over-sized dustpan for aid in sweeping the side-walk, but didn't see the appropriate item.  Instead, bought a squeegee with a long-ish handle to help move my window-washing program forward.

Elena's plane was late--and it wasn't clear what dinner plans were but just the possibility of a visiting eater is all I need to do a little cooking.  A cauliflower had been sitting in the vegetable bin for weeks--the time had come to roast it--and as the oven was going to be on--why not roast the golden beets I'd bought just the other day?

The cauliflower and roasted tomatoes could easily be called into action.   If Elena had no other plans, I'd make pasta with garlic and parsley--the vegetables could be added or not--and there was lots of salad stuff as well.

In fact, that meal would have to wait.  Elena arrived exhausted--it was already close to 8pm.  She had tentative plans to meet friends, Andrew and Chrissy.  They wanted to go to Woodfire Pizza on Washington.   Lots of discussion about how Elena would meet them.   The easiest solution seemed to be that I would just take her and join them.  I'd been there once before with Carol and thought it was o.k.--but although it was a comfortable place to sit and quiet enough for us to carry on two simultaneous conversations, the two pizzas and two salads we got were not very good at all.  So the food was disappointing, but the conversation was fine.  No small thing.

September 17. Left-overs and Happy Hour Hamburger

Rosh Hashonah left-over lunch--Challah (i.e. brioche) with honey and apples.  The last bit of frittata, Sliced tomatoes from the Levine's garden.

After a four pm yoga class, met Linda for Happy Hour burger at M Street Kitchen  on her corner.  We had the burgers and a crispy spicy tuna roll.  The happy hour beer for the day was IPA (is this a type?  a brand?).  Although I am the cheapest drunk in the world I can usually manage a couple of beers--but I became instantly tipsy.  Our young waitress assured me this was not so strange as the alcohol content of my beer was extraordinarily high.  Nonetheless I was able to bike home successfully, all lights wildly flashing.

September 16. Challah and Apples with Honey, Hunan Eggplant. Tomato, Corn and Cucumber Salad. Green Salad with Figs and Cheese.

Woke up thinking about New Year preparations.   This is my third New Year in 9 months (had the extra bonus of Tet in Vietnam).  I've never been a champion of Rosh Hashonah meals, but I am quite committed to the round challah and apples dipped in honey.  In years gone by, I've plotted and planned to get my challah on time (they do sell out at the best bakeries), and I've even been known to bake my own.

Not this year.  Here it was the morning before--Rosh Hashonah-inappropriate spare ribs in the fridge--and no ceremonial dishes or guests.   Addressing myself to some of these issues, I biked to the Ocean Park Farmer's Market.  I'd been thinking I'd go to the lovelier Mar Vista market--but biking on the bike path in the heat is so preferable to trundling down Venice Boulevard, there was no contest.

Brioche, impersonating Round Challah for the New Year

I knew the Bread Man sold challah, but he was no-where to be found.  Stopped at the only bread outlet, Ca'Oro--where I was instantly offered a bag of four brioches.  This was not an option I'd exercised before, but earlier this morning, I'd suggested to Sarah that is she couldn't find a remaining round Challah mid-afternoon in Brooklyn, she could probably substitute brioche.  And here I was with my own brioche alternative. To celebrate their potential excellence, I bought a little jar of sage honey, fresh from the hives.   I'd assumed the apples would be the easiest part of my mission.  Wrong again. We're still in the midst of stone fruit abundance--nectarines, plums, peaches, not an apple in sight.  On the way home, I stopped at One Life. Many apples.  Organic $3.50 a pound.  Is this possible?  That would be close to $3 an apple.  They had non-organic Braeburn's for $1.99.  One would be enough for me, but I am always shopping for those as yet un-named visitors, so I bought two and headed home, on my way to the New Year. 

Getting Ready for New Years Dinner

Called Natasha around 5pm.  Days ago we'd discussed possibility of sunset walk on beach.  I attempted to lure her with promises of honeyed bread and apples.  It worked.  She and Joe showed up at my door with bags of bounty from their garden -- and we headed to the beach.  We by-passed the thousands (I don't think that's an exaggeration gathered at the drum circle), and walked along the sand as the brilliant orange/pink sun sank into the sea.

Returning home, we set to work preparing a meal.  Natasha made two salads--tomatoes from their garden with my cucumbers and kernels from the corn I'd bought at the Wednesday market (I'd cooked the corn earlier and it was still delicious)  and a green salad--arugula, kale, mixed greens with figs and cheese.  I had my left-over hunan eggplant and rice, as well as the herb frittata--and to start of course--we had blessings over the candles, the brioche/challah, and apples and honey as well.

It was a  fine beginning  to the New Year as well as an excellent example of my favorite way to entertain--some seemingly random shopping, a walk and spontaneous supper.

September 15th. Spare Ribs.

Yesterday, I'd stopped at Ralph's to buy gladiolas, but  but lured by some excellent sale prices, I also bought--for the first time in decades, a rack of pork ribs.  On getting home, I realized (oh how these things sneak up on me) that it would soon be Rosh Hashonah, and spare ribs weren't really my idea of a holiday appropriate meal.    But--there was a small possibility that Randi might stop by--so why not get those ribs going?

I have no memory of making spare ribs--though I'm sure I have over the years--but combining two recipes--one from the internet for Chinese Style Spare Ribs with one  from the Gourmet Cookbook Chinese Hawaiian "Barbecued" Ribs.  I was half-tempted to set them marinating for days--but all advice was for between four and twenty-four hours.  Decided the six-to-eight hours available to me would be quite enough.
Limited by the ingredients on hand (I only had a little bit of crystallized honey--should have perhaps just heated it up--honey might is often the preferred meat sweetener, but instead used a mixture of brown and white sugars.

This is more or less the marinade I made for about 2 1/2 pounds spare-ribs:

3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons white sugar
4 cloves crushed garlic
1 inch cube peeled ginger, grated
1/4 cup ketchup
1/8 cup red wine (long lingering in fridge).

Stir until sugar is well-dissolved.  Coat ribs with mixture (I put them in a glass roasting pan).  Cover pan and refrigerate for 4-24 hours--turning once or twice.

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.  Put slabs of ribs (un-cut) on a rack placed on a foil covered jelly-roll pan or cookie tray.  Cook for about two hours, basting every twenty minutes.  They should be tender and well-browned.  Don't baste for the last ten or twenty minutes so they'll get a bit crispy.  Let sit for five-ten minutes before cutting into rib-sized pieces.  

Randi didn't make it.   I just nibbled a few ribs with salad for dinner and that was that.  

September 14th. Frittata with rice, herbs and two cheeses

Began the day with a very fast frittata.    Chopped dill, chives, lemon basil, grated parmesan and smoked mozarella.
Amanda had it for breakfast with toast.  It was a late afternoon meal for me.  After yoga, I'd stopped at Ralph's.  I was in search of their bargain gladiolas--and was happy to find them.  Bought two bunches--one purple, one white, and a few other surprise items as well.

That evening, I was meeting Suzanne and Peter at a book party for Michelle Markel's new children's book, The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau at my local book store,  Small World Books on the boardwalk.  I hadn't been there in a while, and it was a perfect opportunity to catch up some of the Sholem crowd, which was well represented.
Peter was eager to go to Santino's--a pan-Latino restaurant bar on Lincoln with Brazilian music.  I'd never been--I think it might be relatively new--but it was lively--very noisy--the food was fine (we didn't eat that much).  I don't know if I'd return--but I was happy to visit one of the mysterious spots I often bike past.  

September 13th. Left-over chicken with farfalle.

For breakfast, cooked up the beet greens from farmer's market, and happily ate them with a fried egg.

I'd stopped at the 99¢ store on the way home from yoga.   I'd been planning to go to Trader Joe's for a few items, but it's been so hot and muggy, I  didn't want to bike over the hill, nor did I want to go home for the car, so the 99¢ store it was.  My purchases included a pound of pasilla peppers.  Although I wasn't about to eat them, following a new rule which I adhere to sporadically I roasted them so they'll be ready one of these days for a round of rajas con crema.  (Towards that end, I'd also bought a 1/2 pint of heavy cream).

Heated up the left-overs two drumsticks.  There wasn't quite enough sauce, so I sauteed some more veggies--onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and soft tomatoes from Farmer's market.  After adding the new sauce and ate the drumsticks with farfalle.

September 12. Hunan Eggplant--Again!! Drumsticks with Tomatoes and Onions

Salad for lunch with long-ago roasted golden beets.
Filling the gap left by absence of Ashtanga teachers, I went to a yoga workshop at 10, which meant I had time for the Wednesday Santa Monica Farmer's Market.  Summer Bounty!!  Japanese eggplants, zucchini, tomatoes, lemon basil (by mistake--wanted thai or regular--but so be it).  I'd come prepared with backpack, so easily biked all that produce home.

Lena came by late afternoon with Phoebe who has just learned to almost crawl.  She crawls, but doesn't yet realize it's full locomotive potential.  We were quite happy chatting and watching as she made her way to assorted toys I brought from my quite ample supply box.

Patty called as we were bidding farewell.  She's just returned after months in Michigan and was happy to join me for dinner.  This is the situation I claim I most enjoy---a surprise dinner guest--no time to shop--just poking through the fridge and  cupboards to see what I can whip up.

New Round of Hunan Eggplant

Of course, I had that chicken in a sauce that had been getting better by the moment--the cacciatore sauce and the fresh tomato sauce had been augmented by the portobello mushrooms.  And I had a new batch of Japanese eggplants for another round of hunan eggplant.  I put up brown rice as soon as I hung up the phone--that would take about 40 minutes, but everything else could be ready in minutes.  Patty arrived with salad and ice-cream and we had a splendid feast.

September 11. Frittata. Drumsticks alla cacciatora.

Emily came over for some editing work.  For lunch, I made a different fritata--well--not that different.  Sauteed onions and chopped zucchini--mixed with six eggs, left-over brown rice, parsley, dill, grated parmesan and chopped smoked mozzarella-

The five drumsticks I'd been defrosting were ready to be cooked. Although I wasn't sure if I wanted a proper meal, the gray afternoon seemed a good moment to do some cooking.  I had been thinking just marinating the legs in some soy sauce brew but couldn't resist one of my favorites--Marcella Hazan's Pollo alla cacciatora.  I love the sauce--lots of onions, garlic, carrots, celery and pepper--there wasn't going to be much meat (how far can five drumsticks go?)--but this is a dish that always makes me happy--so although I had no plans to eat it that evening, I was happy to do all that browning and sauteeing--I'm often  happy enough just filling the house with the aromas and sensations of meal preparation---the actual meal is just gravy.  At the last minute I added the fresh tomato sauce I'd made the other day--so all in all it was quite a fine meal waiting to be eaten.  

While the chicken was cooking, I found two good sized  portabello mushrooms in the fridge.  They'd been there a bit too long, so I sauteed them with garlic and parsley....also for a future meal. 

A little nibbling on all of this counted as dinner.   

September 10th. Fried Egg with Roasted Vegetables. Quesadillas. Hamburgers at Lisa and Gar's

Up early enough to fry an egg with the last of the roasted vegetables (re-fried)  for breakfast.  For lunch a   a quesadilla with smoked mozarella and roasted tomatoes.

I'd defrosted chicken legs I'd bought some time ago and was planning to make them for dinner, but instead, after speaking to Lisa decided the chicken could wait another day.  She and Gar were making hamburgers.  I had two 1/4 pound burgers frozen in the fridge, and brought them over, along with the last bits of my hunan eggplant.

The rest of the meal was excellent indeed.  For starters there was burrata with fresh tomatoes followed by the burgers on ciabatta rolls with grilled eggplant and many fine condiments. Grapes and rasperries with greek yogurt and mint (from my garden)  for dessert.

September 9. Left-overs. Hunan Eggplant.

After all those activities and meals yesterday, today was a quiet day at home.  No visits.  No cooking.

Another round of hunan eggplant, to which I may have become addicted.  Also rice with the portabello mushrooms.  Here's that photogenic eggplant again.

September 8th. Westminster Garden. Gjelina. Beach Walk. Hunan Eggplant once again.

Monthly work day at the Westminster Elementary Garden.  A little digging, but mostly hauling of weeds to dumpsters, and a bit of snacking.  It was a special working day for the kindergarten garden so more parents and kids then usual. The pictures at the above link are from two years ago, and those dirt patches are now bursting with vegetation (source of the many weeds pulled up and dumped).

Gjelina for lunch with Diana.  She drove across mountains to satisfy her Gjelina cravings, and of course, I was happy to indulge her as I am not immune to such desires myself and have found myself thinking more and more about various dishes.  We miraculously got a table as soon we arrived (we discovered after we'd finished eating that our particular table, right next to the front window was the hottest spot in the house (not in terms of hip, but in heat from the sun).  No matter.  We barely noticed it during our quite perfect meal of squash blossom pizza and burrata with peaches and prosciutto.

Bumped into Joanie at sunset on the beach--After long walk, returned home and made a dinner of rice, hunan eggplant and a salad.

Walked Joanie home with my bike well after 10pm.  Coming home I'd watched 3 episodes of Breaking Bad--the end of Second Season until 2AM

September 7. Tuna Salad Corn Salad. Gratitude.

I've been thinking tuna salad for weeks. Perhaps that quite delicious rockfish has spurred me on to more seafood meals.   Made a very basic but good tuna salad--with  celery.  scallions, capers,  chives and dill.  Had a restaurant proper lunch of tuna salad sandwich with the last bit of left-over corn salad...

Late  in the afternoon, biked to meet Lena and Phoebe on Rose--now site of many restaurants and hot spots--is this the new Venice?  New Abbott Kinney?

We stopped at Cafe Gratitude, newly opened in the building on the site of the old and much missed Pioneer Bakery.  I realized I'd read about the Larchmont branch which had opened a while ago in the New Yorker--turns out it's part of a chain famous for vegan food named with exhortations or maybe they're affirmations--"I am awesome," I am fearless," etc.--bold names for food that despite all the plaudits is not quite bold enough for a person who is used to a little more meaty heft.  A little post meal research revealed a long and peculiar history of this quite popular spot--all available to any intrepid googler.

We lingered so long that Julian ended up meeting us there for dinner--which we all agreed was adequate if not inspirational.
By the time we left, a bit past sunset, the new restaurants on the block were filling up with patrons--this is one rapidly shifting situation.

September 6th. Nectarine and Mango with Cottage Cheese. Sauteed Rockfish fillet with fresh tomato Sauce. cucmber salad

A perfectly appropriate summer post-yoga lunch--a particularly delicious mango with cottage cheese

Biked to library for the rest of Breaking Bad Season 2--then to Ralph's.  Now that I'm rarely driving around town, my grocery trips are determined by need for milk.  My purpose is to buy milk, but I rarely stop there.  This tendency has always caused storage and spoilage problems, but now also causes burdens for the bike rider (that would be me).  I like to think I can conjure a meal as long as I have parsley and garlic, and perhaps I can, but I do like to have something else on hand--and unfortunately--I spot potential everywhere--and am soon lugging home way too much.

This time, I kept things pretty much under control.  The produce at Ralph is increasingly local--but I didn't get much--eggplant and zucchini and bargain gladiolas.  Wandering past Ralph's relatively dreary fish counter, I was inspired to buy rockfish (whatever that might be--it's label announced it was wild caught--so why not?).
A proper fish dinner:    I dipped the fillets in milk (is this something that's done?), coated it with a mixture of ordinary bread crumbs and panko and sauteed it quickly.   Some of last weeks tomatoes were a bit too soft--perfect for a fresh tomato sauce of onion, garlic, parsley and tomato to accompany the fish along with a cucumber salad.

September 5th. Salad with hardboiled egg, tomatoes, avocado. Rajas con cream quesadilla.

Salad for a very late lunch.

Later, remembering the many pasilla chiles I'd roasted on Friday after all that shopping with Sam and a 1/2 pint of un-opened heavy cream bought months ago (expiration date finally nearing),

the time had come for rajas with crema.   I substituted the cream for a Mexican variation and it was just fine.  Then made a quesadilla with cheese and rajas as well as a corn salad with red pepper, dill, chives and scallions.

Despite my vows to let the conventions pass me by, I ate my quesadilla Did it while watching the DNC.  I was completely sucked in yesterday--by Michelle Obama's shoulders as much as by her speech.  I'd heard smidgens of the Republican Convention while driving (these radio moments are something I've lost with all my biking), and then was alerted by Laura T. to find Clint Eastwood and chair on the internet--violating my resolve to not spend an iota of time on the conventions.   And now, here I am lured in by the Michelle/Maddow combo, deciding to stay home and watch the second night.

Soon after I finished my early supper after my late lunch,  Lisa called.  She and Gar are back in town for a few weeks and she was happy to stop by for some rajas and convention watching.

Delighted that my rajas were going to eaten so quickly, I added more cream to the generous amount of remaining sauteed onions and peppers for the next round of rajas.  Alas, distracted by something--e-mail?  convention?  I solved the problem of too-many-peppers by burning most of them to a crisp.  Was able to salvage about one quesadilla worth for Lisa--which we prepared about 35 minutes into Bill's speech.  She happily ate it accompanied by the unburned corn salad.

September 4. Leftovers.

Yoga and library.  Quiet day with left-overs.

There was a bit of last  night's chicken, leeks and rice for lunch.

For dinner?  Pretty minimal.  Many left-over vegetables -- the potatoes, sweet as well as white,  carrots and onions that I'd roasted with the lemon chicken on Friday night.  I sauteed some of them (there were plenty) along with left-over green beans and portobello mushrooms, only adding a some salt and smoked paprika.  It was surprisingly good, if not terribly photogenic.

September 3. Burrata with roasted and fresh tomatoes. Chicken with leeks and spicy Chinese sauce.

Labor Day.  Decided at last minute, due to scarcely leaving the house yesterday, a splendid sun-filled Sunday, to start this day with  beach yoga .  Not the greatest yoga.  I've become less tolerant than I used to be of the sand and sun, but the short-comings were more than redeemed by the perfect breezy weather, tumultuous surf and  excellent sighing of dolphins (you can find dolphin pictures at the beach yoga site.  And, whatever my complaints I always love  balancing by the water, looking at the sea upside down, and getting to stare (more or less) at the ocean for an hour and a half.

Chicken and corn salad with dill, lime and cilantro for lunch--and the last of the strawberries (they were about to go) with a bit of yogurt.  And a few squares of chocolate to celebrate labor day.

Sam was driving back from the Sierras and then flying back to Boston.  We hadn't been sure how long his drive would be, how much time there'd be before rushing for his plane, whether there'd even be time to  Inspired by a pound of organic chicken thighs I'd defrosted and two leeks I'd bought at the farmer's market as well as the memories of that delicious Hunan eggplant, I made the following:

Stir Fried Chicken with Leeks.

INGREDIENTS
One pound chicken thighs cut into one inch pieces.
2 good sized leeks, thinly slices in rounds.  .
4 plump cloves of garlic, minced or crushed
1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
2 tablespoons chile garlic sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
T Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. sesame oil
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Heat oil in heavy saute pan or wok.  Cook chicken pieces until beginning to brown (maybe five minutes).
Remove chicken with slotted spoon.  Add leeks to pan.  When they are soft, add ginger, garlic and chile sauce.  Cook for a minute or two--then add broth, soy sauce, vinegar and sugar.  Bring to a boil.  Return chicken to mixture.  Heat through.  Add sesame oil, garnish with cilantro and serve over rice (I had left-over brown rice--very good indeed).

This was very quick to make--important because Sam was in from the mountains and off on a plane in record time.  We did have an appetizer of the remaining burrata with both roasted and fresh tomatoes and shredded thai basil (the basil, I suppose, providing some cross-cultural linkage between the dishes.

September 2. Left-overs.

Quiet day at home.  Scarcely stepped out.

There is a refrigerator full of stuff--two meals of left-overs in relatively rapid succession:  rice with hunan eggplant.  Chicken and Corn Salad with dill, chives, cilantro, tomatoes and avocado and lime dressing.

September 1. Deviled Eggs

Woke up early enough to get eggs boiled and chilled before biking with Robin to meet Linda for 11 am showing of AiWeiWei documentary at the Monica 4.  It was terrific, and I'll take this opportunity to recommend it to all. I left  Linda and Robin as they headed towards a Chinese lunch (I could have sworn I smelled food cooking while we were in the theater, but that was just a trick of the movie mind). I biked home to make these deviled eggs

30 Deviled Eggs

All my preparations paid off.  Once I understood how to use the pastry bag with star attachment -- these elegant piping was as easy as can be. Here's the recipe for 30 eggs!  That's two and one half dozen, adapted from the Gourmet Cookbook.
INGREDIENTS
30 large eggs
1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
5 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and Pepper
Chopped Chives
Smoked Paprika..and as a special bonus, a pastry bag with a on-half inch star tip

Using so many eggs, I was worried they might shatter if I crammed too many into a pots, so I used four pots, one for each burner.  I covered the eggs with cold water--two inches above egg level, partially covered each pan and bring to a rolling boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover completely and cook for 30 seconds.  (I aimed for this precision--but with those four boiling pots--I suspect these seconds varied considerably).  In any case, soon after the 30 seconds, remove all pots from heat, cover and let sit for 15 minutes.  

When the eggs are well chilled, they should peel easily (I'd say 28 of my thirty egg shells leaped from the whites, while only two took a tad longer).

Cut the eggs in half.  Scoop out the yolks and mash with the mayo, mustard, cayenne, salt and pepper.  The internet had all kinds of hints about food processors etc., but the fork mashing worked fine with me.  Well, perhaps the fork works especially well in connection with the pastry bag.  Having learned at my return visit to Sur La Table that I did not need the plastic connector, I slipped the star attachment into the pastry bag (below)  and made these lovely squiggles seen above.  I am not going to reveal how messy this was.  I couldn't manage to keep the egg mixture from squeezing out the top and onto my hands, but repeated washings and good luck kept the eggs looking as lovely as can be.  Once the squiggles were in place, I sprinkled the eggs with smoked paprika and finely chopped chives and carted them to Kate's where they joined many other delicious items on the groaning board.

Pastry Bag with Star Attachment

August 31st. Big Dinner. Burrata with roasted tomatoes. Guacamole. Roasted Asparagus and more.

Long list of errands with Sam.  His friends Anton and Jesse will unexpectedly be coming for dinner (they leave for their back-packing trip tomorrow).  Three young guys for dinner means I will make about ten thousand dishes.  And with Sam as a sous chef and shopping companion--oh dear--all limits collapse.

First stop was Sur La Table.  I arrived with pastry bag and all insufficient attachments.  Discovered that I did not need the little plastic connectors.  The star attachment in bag would do the trick.  That was easy enough.

Then to REI where Sam got socks, rope, sun screen, etc. for tomorrow's trip.  Walking to the car we got a mocha ice blended with an extra shot at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf--something I haven't had in years--very delicious indeed.

Friday is one of the day's that Gioa's Burrata is delivered to Bay Cities.  It doesn't have a very long shelf life, so guests are mandatory--especially if I buy the pound container.   The lunch hour was long over, so lines were short as we bought both the burrata and two loaves of still warm bread.

I had been thinking we'd go to Trader Joe's, but wanted to check out the 99¢ store first (this, I'll admit is a bit of an addiction).  Friday afternoon traffic was so dreadful on Lincoln Boulevard that after an excellent round of purchases at both the 99¢ store (cauliflower,green beans,asparagus,  portobello mushrooms, red peppers,  pasilla peppers, organic lettuce, dill, chives, etc) and CVS, we decided to forego TJ's and buy our chicken and beer at Whole Foods.  Good choice!!  Both items were on sale--and so was fresh corn--so we had that upscale ease and no more driving before heading home.  It was close to 6--we had way to many food items--and lots of cooking ahead!!

Sam had requested Roast Chicken. This is my expansion on Marcella Hazan's chicken with two lemons.

I put in cherry tomatoes to roast to serve with the burrata, as well as asparagus.  Also--since the oven was on, roasted golden beets and pasilla peppers for future meals.

Not cooking alone, having Sam there, helping with both preparation and pre-meal cleaning, zipped things right along--and spurred me on to make many more dishes than necessary.  Part of the rationale is of course that it is better to have a refrigerator stuffed with cooked vegetables than raw and rotting ones.   So--on we went.

Although it was scarcely necessary, and didn't quite fit with the menu, I wanted to make another round of Hunan eggplant and so I did.

Sam made guacamole.  To re-cap:  The guacamole, burrata with roasted and fresh tomatoes and basil and roasted asparagus with lemon and parmesan would be the appetizers.

The main course--chicken with roasted vegetables, the green beans with portobello mushrooms, fresh corn.   And, there was even dessert--that lemon ice-cream with triple ginger snaps with still more gingersnaps and strawberries.

Plenty of left-overs and the golden beets and pasilla peppers still waiting for their table moment.



ice cream with strawberries...

August 30th. Scrambled eggs with zucchini and zucchini blossoms.

Zucchini and blossoms, whole and chopped

Sam arriving tonight.  Amanda came on Thursday instead of Friday, and I took the opportunity to make us a grand breakfast of scrambled eggs with both zucchini and zucchini blossoms.

After yoga, bumped into Alex in the Fred Segals parking lot (How bizarre is it that I go to Fred Segals almost every day for yoga?  Won't even go into it).  We hadn't seen each other in years and decided to have lunch there.  I often stop at the cafe for a glass of water infused with celery and citrus, but I've never been tempted to eat there.  The prices, if a bit high, are pretty standard, and much more reasonable than the clothes--but although it's s always looked fresh and healthy--that might not be quite enough.  But I was starving, happy to see Alex, and there it was, so in we went.   For some reason, perhaps because I was so surprised to be there, I had a tuna sandwich on toast with a garden salad.   It was o.k.    Alex had a kale salad which looked more interesting.  She said it was quite good.  I'd meant to taste it, but forgot.  I had been much happier with the Umami burger across the street.

Continuing in my quest for extraordinary deviled eggs, I stopped at Sur La Table, in search of a pastry bag and the proper attachments in an unprecedented effort to fill my egg whites with a beautifully piped and squiggly yolk mixture.  I left with a bag, a silver funnel, and a package of four plastic connectors--together, I was assured they would do the trick.

But first, I stopped at Katya's studio for a promised cup of coffee and a catch-up after her trip east.   We had a fine visit--both over coffee and then dangling our feet in the Charmont pool where I used to bring Sarah to swim thirty years ago!!

Sam's plane was supposed to arrive at 11, but was delayed two hours--not scheduled to arrive until after 1AM.  I'd taken out dvds from the library--Lubitsch's To Be or Not to Be, which I'd ordered last week, and the first season of Breaking Bad.  I figured these would keep me up into the wee hours.

It was unlikely he'd want a proper meal at that late hour, but why not try out my new equipment and make a few more deviled eggs.  Oh dear.  My splendid new equipment wasn't quite right.  The connectors were too small, the star attachment too big.  While my efforts at piping and pastry bagging should not perhaps be classified as a great disaster (the eggs looked pretty much as they might have if I'd just spooned in the deviled mixture), they did not make what we might consider an elegant appearance.  They were good enough for Sam who was happy to eat a few on his arrival, but would have to be improved for party presentation.  I didn't get to sleep until close to 3.  The work will continue in the morrow.

August 29th. Stuffed squash blossoms. Rice with Zucchini

One of my many unexpected purchases at the Farmer's Market was a little pint container of squash blossoms.  They looked quite fragile at the moment of purchase, and fearing they wouldn't last very long, I decided to experiment and fry some up.  

Made a ridiculously simple batter of flour and water--following some guidelines (which I can't now recall) which advised a batter the consistency of sour cream.  Easy enough.  I slipped a sliver of smoked mozzarella into each of the blossoms, coated them with the batter and sauteed them up.  They were not spectacular.  I might have been happier with some kind of tempura batter, but they were tasty enough and certainly looked cute.  

While I was fussing about, I'd cooked a batch of brown rice and had some of that with sauteed zucchini, onions and tomatoes.

August 28th. Hamburger. Salad. Deviled Eggs.

I'd promised Kate a few dozen deviled eggs for her birthday party on Saturday night.  I'm always delighted when deviled eggs show up on the table, but they're not something I've made in years.    
An internet search revealed a world of deviled egg madness and options, but I've always gone with a very simple combination of mayonnaise and mustard, salt and pepper.  Of course, I had no real idea of proportions, but that is normal, and it usually all works out.  Still, this was for a significant birthday, and I did want to make party-perfect eggs, so was quite happy to discover a familiar enough recipe in the fat Gourmet Cook Book I'd picked up at the Venice Library, that echoed my own long ago deviling procedures.   I'd boiled three eggs and chilled them before leaving for yoga.  On my return, mashed up the yogas, and made my eggs with random amounts of the above ingredients.  Quite tasty, but not very beautiful.  Might have to think about piping.

After many months, Huli was fixed my necklace and bracelet.  After my deviled eggs lunch drove to pick them up and then, because I was in the neighborhood did a Tuesday double-header which I hadn't enjoyed in years- Culver City Farmer's market and Trader Joe's where, in anticipation of Sam's visit, made many excessive purchases.

I do seem to be on a bit of burger binge--made myself a hamburger for dinner--I'd divided my pound of chopped meat into four burgers--cooked two, saved one and froze two uncooked chunks of meat for that hovering future.  The meat was from TJ's--but also had salad with farmer's market lettuce.

August 27. Pier Burger.

After yoga, long conversation at bike store about secret menus at different restaurants.

Inspired by all that burger talk couldn't resist buying a cheeseburger to go at Pier Burger--a new (I think) relatively fast food burger on the pier.  Ate it at home with iced coffee.

Lunch was  so late in the day, yogurt, strawberries and cottage cheese sufficed for dinner.

August 26th. Cucumber Soup. Steak and avocado salad.

Another bowl of cucumber soup for a very late lunch.

Late lunch followed by an early dinner. I'd bought a tiny New York steak  on sale at Ralph's last week.  I  pan-grilled it (is that the term?), and tossed it into a  quick salad of romaine lettuce,  avocados and tomatoes.

I eaten early  because a)I was hungry and b)I was planning to hear the Standards around 6pm at the coffee shop next to Vidiots.

As I stepped out my door, a young woman, tearful and panicked leaned over the gate.  "Call the police!" she shouted.  "He's crazy."  As she ran to the porch, I dialed 911.  My phone responded by turning into a red-illuminated microphone (could this be true?  I think so).  The woman, who was house-sitting next door, was in a complete state.  Her boyfriend had thrown her to the floor and broken a table.  Was he still around?  I wasn't sure.  It was late Sunday afternoon.  Each Sunday, thousands gather on the beach at the foot of our street for an enormous drum circle.  To keep an eye on things, there are generally many police, in cars, on foot, bicycles and sometimes horses in the immediate vicinity.  Surely one, or two or three of them could stop by.  But, my temporary neighbor wasn't sure if she wanted the police.  There were two young teen-agers holding boogie boards and looking frightened and confused in the front yard.  A man soon showed up.  He was not the boyfriend, but a friend who was visiting with his sons.  He told me there was just a mis-understanding and nothing to be concerned about.  I kept the police on the phone.  I did not want to be the person to report that all was well at the moment chaos might ensue.  Soon, another woman arrived and hugged the first woman.  Everyone told me that things were under control and assured me there would be no trouble.  A dog had also gotten away during the fracas, so there was much hysteria on many fronts.  At the time, it didn't seem like there was a need for the police.   I relayed this information to the police dispatcher, got on my bike and rode off to hear music.

I arrived just as The Standards, Mike, Ryan and Dennis  were packing up their instruments.  I made my apologies, complete with lengthy narrative of 911 intervention.  They urged me to stay on to hear the next band--The Painkillers--and I did.  They were terrific (Ryan got to play harmonica and sing a bit with them).  They had some of their own songs, but mostly sang blues, old folk, Dylan, etc.  It was a complete treat.  I was as happy as can be, biking home with lights flashing after the show.

August 25th. Left-overs. Apple Pan. Photography and films.

With plans to meet Randi at 1:30 for many activities, ate many left-overs--eggplant with rice, roasted tomatoes, etc. to get me through the afternoon.

First stop---Who Shot Rock and Roll?   at the Annenberg Space for Photography in Century City.  Neither of us had ever been there. I'd mistakenly assumed it was nestled somewhere in the shopping center/movie complex, where we parked, before discovering it was on the other side of The Avenue of the Stars.  We eventually found our way there through the vast and empty concrete landscape.   It was packed--a line outside and very crowded inside.  The video, shown regularly in a central room was quite good, though it didn't leave us much time for checking out the rest of the show.  I was delighted in the ladies room to see that the show continued with an ever-changing photo display in the middle of the mirror.

It's imperative to be at the Writer's Guild Theater in time for the screenings.  The guy at the door leaves his post, locking the  doors at the very moment the film is scheduled to start--no late entries, so although we were fairly close, we wanted to allow enough time to get there.  We made our way back to the shopping center parking lot quickly, but that was the end of our speedy exit.  We'd  carefully noted that my car was parked in the aisle marked B39.  On our descent into the lot (confident that we could find the car due to our proficiency in numbers and letters), we realized that in addition to these two categories, there was a third which we'd completely over-looked--there were pillars of many colors.  Due to our negligence in the hue department we spent close to one-half hour searching for the car--which we finally found by returning to the surface, trying to remember which stairway we'd emerged from and descending once again.  The car found, we sped to the film, but we were moments late and the doorway dark.

Of course, this was not the only film in town, and neither one of us had been desperate to see it, so disappointment in check, I drove to the Westside Pavilion--on the odd chance that there would be a film that we'd want to see showing at the moment of our arrival.

No film fit that bill.  Instead, we went to Macy's where Randi bought a little Cuisinart food chopper on sale.  Thinking of all that food processing, we realized it was time for a meal--and by good fortune, the Apple Pan is still right across the street.  After a short wait, we had hickory burgers and french fries.  Well fortified, and with time to spare, we thought we'd go back to the Writer's Guild and see Hope Springs.  This time, after finding our car exactly where we'd left it in minutes flat,  we arrived with time to spare, found street parking and saw the movie, which we both liked more than expected.  

August 24th. Guacamole. Hunan Eggplant. Caramelized tofu with brocooli

After lingering at yoga, I was too hungry to bike all the way  home without eating (this happens sometimes).  I had been looking forward to another round of cucumber soup, but instead I stopped at Sushi Sapporo, the Japanese restaurant on Lincoln adjacent to Albertson's.  I'd been pleased enough when I'd stumbled in there a while ago.  It is not amazingly delicious, but they do have a good lunch special.  You have your choice of two or three items along with miso soup, salad and a nicely cut orange.  I ordered sushi and sashimi and was about to choose a third dish, but the waiter implied that two selections should be more than enough.  Later, after I'd just about cleaned my tray, he asked how everything was.  I told him it had all been quite fine, but I feared he underestimated me for I surely could have eaten more.  He was most apologetic and quickly returned with a California roll,  so in fact I did not leave hungry.

Thinking about my empty refrigerator, I continued on Lincoln to Ralph's and with a vegetable loaded bike returned home.   It was close to 5--there was a note from Drea wondering if she could come for dinner after work.  That wouldn't be until after eight--so why not?   I was sure we could come up with a decent meal and would basically cook it together.

Weeks ago, Robin had mentioned a delicious Hunan Eggplant in her repertoire.   Her recipe was the first listed in a Google search.  .  I'd just bought a quite lovely eggplant--Our vegetarian dinner would be the eggplant with my excellent stand-by  caramelized tofu.

The avocados I'd bought last week were beginning to ripen.  I couldn't resist making a one avocado guacamole--just the avocado, a few chopped cherry tomatoes, a crushed garlic, lime juice and chopped cilantro.  I even had a tiny bag of fritos which I'd been looking for an excuse to open.  And, I also put up brown rice--I always forget about it as it takes so long--but knowing that there were hours before we'd eat--no reason not to get that rice cooked and waiting. I also opened the package of tofu I'd had forever (expiration date still a week or two away), and placed it between two cutting boards with a heavy can of tomatoes on top to press out some of the liquid.

OK--On to Hunan Eggplant.  You can check out the inspirational recipe here.  I stuck pretty close to the original--but here's my version:

Cut eggplant into cubish--about 1/2" to 1".  In a wok or large frying pan (I used my wok here), heat a few tablespoons of canola oil (peanut oil is usually preferred for stir fries--but I didn't have any).  When pieces are nicely browned on most sides, remove with a slotted spoon.

Add another tablespoon or so of oil to wok. When hot, add 3-5 minced garlic cloves, one or more tablespoons chili paste with garlic, and a teaspoon or more of minced fresh ginger.  Cook 10-20 seconds (you don't want the garlic to brown).   Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1/2 cup of liquid (chicken stock would be best, or vegetable stock, but I just used water which was fine) and two teaspoons sugar.  Bring to a boil.  Return the eggplant to the wok along with one tablespoon rice vinegar.  Cook a few minutes, until eggplant has absorbed most of the sauce.  Stir in two tablespoons chopped cilantro (original had green onions, not cilantro)  and one tablespoon sesame oil.  Serve with Rice.

Hunan Eggplant

With two cooks working, it was easy to make the caramelized tofu while the eggplant absorbed its excellent juices. 

At the last minute, I tossed in yesterday's left-over steamed broccoli--and we what I at least would consider an almost proper Chinese dinner.

As we were cleaning our plates, Andrea was about to take the antibiotic which her brother had prescribed for a nagging cough. It was nowhere to be found.  She was convinced, she'd left it on her new desk in Woodland Hills and was lamenting the drive she'd have to make on Saturday, as well as the rupture in her most unusual antibiotic course.  True, or not, my feeling these days is that I rarely go out at night.  It was almost 10:30 on a Friday night.  A perfect time to step out.  Seizing the opportunity, I offered to drive to Woodland Hills at that very moment (though we first had to have some strawberries with yogurt to properly end our meal), and indeed that was just what we did---heading through the pass to the Judge's office in Woodland Hills in search of a pink medicine bottle.   

August 23rd. Cucumber Soup. Potatoes and onions with egg.

Cucumber soup for lunch.  I didn't make that much, but even though I didn't make a huge amount, and I'm not extending it as I go along, it certainly is supplying many meals.

Last night, inspired by smells of cooking potatoes and chicken from downstairs, I put up four potatoes from the farmer's market to boil---and promptly forgot about them until the water had boiled off and the poor potatoes were beginning to burn in the bottom of the pan.  By the time I noticed,  I'd finished my left-over penne dinner so....into the fridge went those over-cooked potatoes.

Tonight they emerged, in better shape than I'd feared,  to be sauteed with onions and topped with a fried egg.  Minimal but fine Thursday night meal.

April 22nd. Cucumber Soup. Left-overs penne plus.

Quiet day of many left-overs.   Cucumber Soup for lunch.

For dinner, the left-over penne with mushrooms, and the zucchini, roasted tomatoes, other tomatoes, roasted peppers and artichoke hearts tossed in.

August 21. Cold Cucumber Soup. Surprise Dinner. Pennete with mushrooms. Roasted Peppers. Roasted Tomatoes Zuccchini with herbs.

Expected another quiet day.   On return from yoga,  finally got to eat that long-awaited cold cucumber soup.  Looking for some elegant garnish, I thought I'd scallop some rounds of Persian cucumber, but instead, using the multi-sided scraper I'd bought at in Hoi An, I made made long graceful julienned strips which 

settled in a fine tangle atop the bowl of soup into which I'd stirred a fair amount of yogurt.

That was lunch.  I was planning on more or less the same for dinner, but at around 3pm, I got an e-mail from Drea.  Back in town, and starting work, she'd written a few days ago about the possibility of dinner some night this week.  She was now asking, if despite the short notice, tonight would work.  I have always said that my ideal dinner is one in which I have close to no time to prepare, so of course this was perfect.  And it did seem the logical outcome of my sudden shopping trip on Saturday night, and my Sunday cooking as well.  I wasn't sure if Sam was coming (he wasn't, he was in San Francisco).  Drea is a vegetarian, so for her at least, the cucumber soup was not an option.  But--I already had  left-over frittata, roasted peppers, roasted tomatoes, so was quite certain I could come up with a respectable meal, especially with the bread and wine that Drea offered to bring.  .

My first thought was to make some vegetable laden pasta, but I soon decided to serve most of my well-cooked vegetables on the side.  I roasted the cauliflower I'd been saving for just such a moment, and sauteed the three small zucchinis that had been waiting for their moment.  They were so delicious, I'll write the recipe right now.

SAUTEED ZUCCHINI
Three small summer squashes, cut into one inch by 1/4 inch strips.
olive oil
Two plump cloves garlic
1/4 cup mixed herbs (parsley, thai basil, Mint)

Heat oil in heavy pan.  When hot, add zucchini.  When they start browning nicely, stir, cooking until most are well-browned.  Stir in the chopped garlic for a minute or so (don't let it brown).  Turn off heat, stir in the finely chopped herbs and serve.

In addition to the dished of vegetables pictured above, I also made pennete (little penne) with a mushroom sauce.  And--since I'm feeling expansive--here's that impromptu recipe as well.

PENNETE WITH MUSHROOMS
Six Dried Shitake Mushrooms, soaked and sliced
1/2 Pound Crimini Mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped fine
Chopped Herbs--Thai Basil and Parsley
Bit of Smoked Mozzarella, chopped
12 ounces of pasta.

Soak the Shitake mushrooms, saving the water.  Squeeze and slice.  Saute the crimini mushrooms in olive oil and/or butter (I like to use both--leaning towards more butter).  When the mushrooms seem almost done, add the shitake mushrooms--and the garlic--stirring so the garlic doesn't get browned.  Add the mushroom liquid--bring to a boil.  Add the smoked mozzarella (I just had a smidgen --it added an excellent smoky flavor--and more would have been fine.  I had a 12 ounce package of pennete which turned out to be perfect amount for the sauce.  Stirred it in, and served with grated parmesan.

We ate the pasta accompanied by the various roasted vegetables.  For dessert, we had Trader Joe's Lemon and Triple Ginger Snap Ice Cream.  This is something I bought after reading a rave on a web site of Trader Joe's enthusiasts.  I have long been a fan of the triple ginger snaps, but would never have bought the ice cream--which turned out to be completely delicious--and even better accompanied by a few extra cookies and strawberries.  An excellent very impromptu meal

August 20th. Meat loaf sandwich. Cold Cucumber Soup.

Quiet day after all the visiting and eating in and out yesterday.

Had what felt like an appropriate post-yoga lunch of cottage cheese with tomatoes.  Was going to make a proper salad but the tomatoes were good enough to go it alone.  Cottage cheese with tomatoes.

For dinner I had the last of the four hamburgers from last week.  On toast with lettuce and tomato--a meatloaf sandwich, made from a very simple and tiny meatloaf.

I did finally make Cold Cucumber Soup No. 3.  Since this is a cold soup that is cooked first, I'd started it too late to eat this evening, but it is now chilling in the refrigerator and will be fine tomorrow.

August 19. Frittata. Roasted tomatoes. Roasted Peppers. Caponata. Yogurt with Strawberries and Toasted Walnuts.

Perhaps I do  conjure guests through shopping. Debbie called at about 8:30.  We'd had vague breakfast plans--I'd gone shopping last night with the thought that I needed some food at home, but I'd half expected we'd be eating out.  Instead, I ended up inviting both her and David for breakfast--they could arrive at any moment--and I was scarcely awake--so had to do some quick improvising. (This is of course the task I've set myself, so I am  not complaining, just noting).

I couldn't quite think, so fell into my regular routine.  Roasted a pan of yellow and red cherry tomatoes   as well as the red peppers.  While these were roasting, I sliced and sauteed onions for yet another zucchini and onion frittata.  Good thing I'm so fond of my basic staples.  I don't need much encouragement to prepare any of these dishes, and without thinking, I'd just replenished my stock of all the basic ingredients.  And as a bonus,  I'd bought Valencia oranges (usually get them at a Farmer's market, but they were organic and inexpensive at TJ's--so thought I'd give them a try and they did indeed provide a better juice (maybe it's the season) that the ones I'd last bought at the Farmer's Market.

The breakfast menu:  fresh squeezed orange juice, yogurt with sliced strawberries, toasted walnuts and dried cranberries, zucchini and onion fritta with sides of the left-over caponata, roasted tomatoes and roasted peppers.

In the evening, biked to The Inn at Venice Beach, Debbie and David's hotel on Washington Boulevard.  The plan was to then walk to a restaurant.  I'd thought we would try Sunny Spot, where I'd been for a happy hour weeks ago, but the walk felt too long for the wearied wedding guests so we turned around and ended up at Mosto Enoteca, an Italian restaurant, upstairs in the mall that once housed  Killer Shrimp and Aunt Kizzy's.  We had a surprisingly elegant little meal--with a great view of a sliver of a crescent moon setting in the twilight sky over the sea.

August 18, Egg Salad, Penne in Chicken broth. .

Quiet Saturday at home.  Egg salad sandwich for lunch.  An early dinner of the left over penne with chicken broth--not quite a soup--but almost.

After dinner, noted that there was next to nothing in the fridge, and thinking that Debbie might be coming for breakfast tomorrow, I uncharacteristically headed out on a Saturday night shopping trip.

First stop--the 99¢ store, where I bought cleaning supplies as well as lettuce, tomatoes, cauliflower, red peppers, and finally cucumbers for that long delayed cucumber soup!  My purchases totaling $12.99 were enough to earn me (as part of the chain's 30th anniversary celebration an  enormous 99¢ store re-usable bag.  Then on to Trader Joe's.  I thought it would  be popping on a Saturday night, but the parking lot and store were both almost empty. The first time I've been there with my car in months--so could stock up on seltzer, ice-cream bread, eggs, coffee, organic bananas and strawberries, flowers  oranges and Persian cucumbers for that soon-to-be-made soup--bulkier items and meltable that are not particularly bike-friendly.    Returned home pleased that I had enough items to whip up a meal or two if guests should materialize at my table.  

August 17th. Frittata. Three-Colored Metro Ride. Atheneum Picnic Buffet

Today shared yesterday's uneaten zucchini and onion frittata with Amanda.

Although it was over 100 in South Pasadena, I was not giving up on my plans to meet Suzanne and Peter at their local Metro Gold line station.
Suzanne had suggested we have dinner at Cal Tech's Athenaeum, at the warm weather outdoor buffet.   After my  forays on the Culver City Expo line, I was ready to continue my Metro explorations--driving to Pasadena late Friday afternoon or evening would take hours--this seemed the perfect opportunity to ride three Metro Lines--Expo, Red and Gold.
I've finally learned how to buy tickets from the silent machines on ground level, and since I now know that each line of a different color requires a separate fare, I bought a one-day pass--which for $1.80 (we're talking senior rates here) would let me ride from Culver City to South Pasadena and back.  In addition to the financial savings, possession of the pass means I didn't have to buy a new ticket each time I changed trains (maybe we're all meant to buy passes all the time--it is certainly onerous to have to buy numerous tickets for each trip).

looking East from Window of Expo Train

Looking up, same window

The train leaving Culver City at around 4:40 was almost empty, but it began filling as we headed east and  once we arrived at the 7th Street Metro Station we were in full Rush Hour mode.  Crowded but not jam-packed, and compared to New York subways, breezy, new and clean.  Rode the Red Line underground to its terminus at Union Station and then walked through that old grand station (though not through its most splendid entry hall) to catch the Gold Line on an outside platform for the final stage of my journey.

Looking towards Main Entrance (I think) while hurrying to Gold Line

Suzanne and Peter picked me up (how precise we can be thanks to these phones we once mocked--I called from Union Station and they pulled up just as I was descending the stairs in South Pasadena).

Dinner was quite jolly--a bar-b-que buffet--tri-tip, chicken and salmon with many sides and hot fudge sundaes for dessert.  The heat had abated, so it was quite pleasant sitting on the Athanaeum lawns surrounded by many happy eaters.  After dinner, we picked up the three dogs and took them for an outing on dark and beautiful tree-lined Pasadena streets.

It was after nine when they brought me to the South Pasadena station.  We must have just missed a train, because we waited for close to 20 minutes.  That first train was fairly empty, but the Red Line which I boarded at Union Station was well-populated and there was a good crowd waiting on the platform for the Expo Line at 7th Avenue.
The trip was remarkably easy.  The signage wasn't always perfect, but I'd figured out my way around, and on this my third Metro outing from Culver City, I was beginning to feel like I could become a regular.  I did have a moment of anxiety as I settled into my seat on the train clearly marked Culver City and heard an announcement that the last stop was Jefferson/La Cienega.  How could that be--that was the stop before Culver where I'd left my car.  Was this a glitch in the system I hadn't prepared for?  The young man sitting next to me was no help.  He hadn't noted that the train now went to Culver City, so thought the announcement was correct.  "That's as far as the train goes," he said, of the La Cienega stop.  Having boarded in Culver City, I knew this was not the case.  I then peered out onto the platform.  Many people had not boarded, but I assumed they were waiting for the Long Beach Line which shares these rails.  One young man walked over to help, but he spoke only German and had no idea what I was talking about.  Deciding to take my chances, I returned to my seat.  A young Latino man then turned to me.  "Don't worry," he said, "that announcement was just a machine.  "This train does go to Culver City.  I've been taking it for weeks."  Indeed, although the new station had been open for some time, they hadn't yet updated that initial recording.  My doubts assuaged, I enjoyed the half hour ride through the Los Angeles night before returning to my car that I'd left hours before in the ample Culver City lot and was home, if not in record breaking time, early enough.  On my return, I did a little research and discovered all kinds of warnings about the dangers of traveling on these many lines.  What can I say?  In my oblivious way, I found it completely pleasant and will certainly do it again.