March 31. Art. Lunch. Art.

Katya came by at 11.  First stop of the day was LA Louvre to see the Frederick Hammersley and Charles Garabedian shows.  They were both excellent--work that I wasn't at all familiar with (though Katya, of course, was).

Lunch

It was cold, gray and drizzly when we made our way back home, where I'd promised Katya a proper lunch.  Of course, there were masses of left-overs, but in addition to the pasta with eggplant and zucchini and black beans and rice and cucumber and radish salad, I cooked up a fresh round of brussels sprouts and served it all with mango in lime juice.  And, of course, a sliver of that long-lasting key-lime pie for dessert.

Good walkers that we are, we made our way back to Katya's, where she brewed up two cups of excellent coffee to go for our next art foray to LACMA.  Oh--it was one packed art day.  Our first stop was the members preview for The Plumed Serpent a small but excellent exhibit of mostly pre-Columbian Mexican art, then on to Chris Burden's Metropolis II, a scene of fabulous chaos--huge crowds taking advantage of a free museum day to marvel at miniature cars zooming through a wild urban landscape.  Shifting gears, we were lured into the huge retrospective of the photography of Robert Adams--it was all news to us--and breath-taking in yet another way.

Wrapped Rock

Before leaving,  we managed to catch a glimpse of the huge wrapped rock awaiting its promised levitation and even got to listen to a band playing  California Girls before heading home with a quick stop at Trader Joe's--yet another California contribution to the culture.

March 30th. Egg McMuffin. Penne with spinach and Ricotta.

Carol's school vacation began today--how could I resist meeting her at Fred Segal for coffee before my noon yoga class.
For whatever reasons, the offerings at the coffee bar didn't appeal (the more proper restaurant across the street no longer served breakfast--did it ever?).
Was there another place that would meet my highly specific pre-yoga needs?  I didn't want to be overwhelmed with hunger during class, but I could't eat too much--vinyasas are no fun with a full stomach.  All these rules and regulations are completely ordinary in these food phobic times--but hard not to think of them as a function of age as well. We wandered through the new Santa Monica Place--I think it was already after 10AM--the food court looked open, but no food was being served.
I might not admit this in yoga class, but what I really wanted at that exact moment was an Egg McMuffin.  I'd never been to either of the MacDonald's in downtown Santa Monica but from our vantage point atop the still empty mall, we could see the  Colorado MacDonalds and within minutes found ourselves in what might have been the liveliest morning spots in the neighborhood.   Who would have guessed?   I haven't done that much research but do believe that the Egg McMuffin, whatever it's flaws (egg cooked in margarine for example) is one of the best items on the menu-as well as the inspiration for many upscale variations on the Canadian bacon, cheese and egg theme?  In any case, it was exactly what I needed.  Carol, a champion of self-control, didn't eat a thing.

Fortified, with plenty of time to digest, we returned to Fred Segal in time for both my yoga class and a proper latte for Carol.

That night salad and the left-over penne with spinach and ricotta,  with a sliver of key lime pie for a quick and easy dinner.

march 29th. Farfalle with parsley and olive oil. Eggplant and zucchini stew. roasted asparagus

Phoebe Brooks, daughter of Lena and Julian turned two months old yesterday.  Julian is back at work, Lena home with baby is immersed in the quest for the perfect schedule and easy nap.

We had a lunch date today, so I got to start the day chopping eggplant and zucchini (still working on emptying the refrigerator-hoping to have it empty enough for a close to bare-naked photo later this week).  I was thinking some kind of simple pasta with garlic and parsley--with an assortment of other vegetables that could be eaten either on the side, or on top.

I had a small eggplant, a large zucchini, and two orange peppers deep in the fridge which I made into some sort of stew.  I'll write it exactly as I made it--but all proportions could vary widely with fine results.

INGREDIENTS:
One Eggplant
One Large or two small zucchini, cut into 1 inch pieces
One Large Onion, cut roughly into one-two inch pieces
Two Orange Peppers, cut into one inch pieces
One pint Roasted Tomatoes
Two Tablespoons capers
Two Tablespoons golden raisins
Olive Oil
salt, pepper
smoked paprika

I started by roasting the tomatoes.  I can never have too many roasted tomatoes, but you could just use canned tomatoes.

While the tomatoes are in the oven (if you choose that aromatic path), heat the olive oil, lightly brown the onion, add the peppers, and when both are cooked, put them into a heavy casserole--and brown the eggplant and zucchini.  When they are browned and soft--add them to the casserole along with the roasted tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and  smoked paprika and cook for 10-20 minutes, adding the capers and raisins for the last five minutes or so.

Lunch with Lena

I would have made a simple garlic and parsley sauce for the farfalle, but Lena requested no garlic, so I just cooked the pasta and tossed it with a bit of olive oil and chopped parsley.

I also roasted asparagus. This is a staple, and I thought I'd written this long ago, but perhaps I didn't. It's not that difficult to roast any vegetable--but asparagus might be the easiest.  I break off the bottoms (snapping where they naturally break), put a bit of olive oil in a jelly roll pan, roll the stalks around--and roast at around 400 degrees. Length of cooking varies--depending on the size of the stalks, and whether or not you want to crisp them.  Start checking after seven or eight minutes.  When they're done to your liking--remove from heat, top with salt, pepper, lemon juice and a few shavings of parmesan--and there you are.  I also made a salad and there was of course left-over key-lime pie.  Many tupperware containers packed into a tote bag.

March 28th Quesadillas with rajas. Pork and Hominy Stew

Very quiet day.   Sam and Madison back in Cambridge.

Noon yoga class dictates a bizarre eating schedule.  Coffee and a piece of toast has to tide me over till mid-afternoon.   I manage lunch somewhere between two and three.  Maybe that's not so bizarre.   Theoretically, it might make it possible to have the most minimal of dinners--creating the ideal meal structure--of large mid-day luncheon followed by a light supper.  I might manage this sometimes, but hard to know what the norm is around here.

In any case, still reaping the rewards of a bursting fridge, I made a quick, modest lunch of a cheese quesadilla with the left-over rajas, black beans and salad.

I return starving from yoga, but miraculously, I don't have to eat that much to be completely satisfied.

Late afternoon, Lisa and I went for a walk. Earlier in the week, they'd made a pork and hominy stew with collard greens. Gar claimed it was the first recipe he'd ever cooked from a newspaper.  He was so excited upon reading it, he'd dashed out to Whole Foods for the right kind of hominy.  It was a grand success. I was delighted to work my way through someone else's left-overs and had brought my left-over key lime pie and whipped cream for a quite perfect and appropriate dessert.

March 27. Penne with ricotta and spinach. Salad. Key Lime Pie with whipped cream. Continuing variations on black beans, chile rellenos, etc.

We made a final field trip to the Whole Foods Parking Lot, with a zip through of the 99¢ store.  The good news is that despite my inability to resist buying a few items, the refrigerator is slightly less bloated.   The bad news is that Sam and Madison are flying out on the red-eye, so this is the last meal in the series.

Keeping it simple, and also, I must admit, because I love it and had all the ingredients were on hand, I made penne with spinach and ricotta, and a green salad.  Again, due to impulsive purchases of many limes, I was inspired to make a key lime pie, another favorite.  And tonight, again due to wild buying at the 99¢ cent, I even had heavy cream on hand--so we got to have the pie with whipped cream.  Then...off to the airport!

Leftovers plus rajas con crema with a Digression for Home Repairs.

Another lunch of leftovers. Made a quick lunch for myself and Madison (Sam had eaten breakfast with Russell and claimed he wasn't hungry--which didn't stop him from  eating a good share of our mango salad).

We'd roasted a huge pile of pasilla chiles--a small pile of limp, unpeeled and stuffed pasillas were waiting in a tupperware and happy to be sliced for rajas con crema.

We'd first had this dish years ago at La Super Rica Taco in Santa Barbara--where I'd stop whenever possible on drives north.  A few years ago, I discovered it was a traditional Mexican dish and easy enough to replicate.  I don't often think of it--and when I do, I usually don't have the ingredients on hand--but today, substituting sour cream for Mexican crema--i did.

INGREDIENTS
8 pasilla chiles, roasted, peeled, and cut into 1/4 inch strips
1 good sized onion, thinly sliced
a few tablespoons Mexican crema--or any thick cream--I used sour cream
queso fresco (White Mexican cheese)--


Saute the onion in a bit of oil.  When it is soft, stir in the pepper strips and cook for a minute or two.  Add the cream, warm through, sprinkle with the cheese.

Lunch (Madison Condon, 2012)

I was planning to spoon them into quesadillas but instead made cheese quesadillas with a mixture of queso fresco and pepper jack, and served the rajas, black beans and avocados on the side.

Gate with Footprint

Lunch done, Sam pointed out the damaged front gate, which I'd completely forgotten. Last summer during a small brawl on the walk street, the gate was kicked and damaged.  Perhaps the recent rain had made it worse.

The wood was split and seriously in need of repair.   We decided it could be adequately, if not perfectly, repaired, with some wood glue and a few long screws.
Sam was going to do it, but, inexplicably
seized by
do-it-yourself fervor, I
pulled out the wood glue
and the little power drill, and, with just a drop of advice from William, who was working on repairing the deck, next door, I managed to heal the gaping wound.
I did however preserve
the footprint for the
historical record.

March 26. Continuing variations on black beans, chile rellenos, etc.

Oh the wonders that can be wrought from a refrigerator with such leftovers as these!

Lunch.  After coffee and toast didn't eat until after 2.  Sam and Madison had gone to Joshua Tree--not likely they'd be back for dinner, so another day of working through the tupperware.  Eggs again--this time I sauteed onions and garlic, added rice and corn.  I beat  two eggs with a dash of soy sauce (I guess I was thinking some sort of slightly chinese egg-foo-yung), added the eggs to the rice-veggie mixture, scrambled it together.  I was going to throw in the few left-over cherry tomatoes, but ate them all before they made it into the pan.  It was a fine lunch, but although I have fairly minimal standards for dishes I'll photograph, this one didn't make the cut.

For dinner, I reheated two of the chile rellenos with black beans and rice on the side--pretty much a reprise of the night before, but heavier on the beans than the rice.  This also didn't make the photo cut.

I do believe I ended both meals with slivers of cheese cake for dessert

March 25th. Variations on Black Beans in Cast Iron in Two Acts.

Lunch

Quiet rainy Sunday.  Alone with all those leftovers, my cast iron pan did double duty--for lunch I sauteed a diced onion along with a finely chopped garlic clover, threw in some corn kernels, black beans and cilantro, and fried two eggs.  A sliver of cream cheese cake for dessert and I was set.

Dinner

I so enjoyed that lunch, I reprised it for dinner with a few more flourishes.

I diced up a slice or so of bacon--before it was crispy added some diced onion and garlic once again.  Then, for a little variety tossed in some of the left-over rice before adding the beans and corn.  While that was heating in one half of the pan, I slipped two of last night's chile rellenos with their sauce into the other half and covered the pan.  In five minutes there was dinner.  

March 24th. Mango Salad. Banana Bread, Cheeses. Salad. Clocks. Chile Relleno Dinner

A Saturday snacking breakfast--coffee with banana bread, many cheeses  Fresh squeezed orange juice and delicious mango salad (with lime and chile) were the only additions to the rapidly accumulating leftovers.

For lunch we had a grand salad, baby greens and arugula with hard-boiled eggs, multi-colored baby peppers and cherry tomatoes, scallions, cucumber, radishes, raisins, nuts and stilton--very California. There was some more nibbling on the frittata (it's almost gone--we'd forgotten it at breakfast), the roasted  tomatoes and roasted peppers with feta.  Oh--and as a special bonus I roasted half a cauliflowers worth of florets.  We were one crew of happy eaters.

Next stop--LACMA to see The Clock. The 24 hour film, a collage of thousands of film clips created by Christian Marclay, as promised, mesmerizing and an astounding treat. It was showing from noon Saturday to noon Sunday.  Lots of discussion of how to avoid the crowds--but while we were there--there were no crowds to avoid. Alone, I might have stayed for many more hours, convinced that we'd have the opportunity to catch the remaining 21 hours, we stayed from 5:30-8:30 before heading home for a late dinner.

Chile Rellenos (Madison Condon, 2012)

Working non-stop with excellent sous-chefing by Sam, Madison and Amar, we recreated last week's chile relleno dinner.  Plenty of left-over rice and beans, but we did have to make a new batch of tomato sauce and chiles, as well as a fresh cabbage salad.  Appropriately enough, we were very conscious of the time.  Given our very late start, despite our cooking efficiency, We didn't dine until 11:03.

Clock Plate by Sam, circa 1989

March 23. Left-overs and re-runs.

Breakfast.  So much food from last night--Sam and I nibbled at all of it--frittata, banana bread and cream cheese cake.
He headed out--dinner plans unclear.
For lunch--I over-shot.  I've had a package of brussels sprouts in the fridge for too long. Also lingering for many months--a box of very cheap, not very good dates, which--could this be possible?--I brought back from New Jersey.   Last week, bought a package of very good bits and scraps of bacon at TJ's--and also a big bottle of cider vinegar at the 99¢ store.  I am now in possession of all the ingredients for my most favored brussels sprouts dish.

Cooking up those bits of bacon (really good--very meaty, not like the chunks of mostly fat I've bought at super-markets), I was inspired to make a salad--greens, stilton, bacon bits, multi-colored tiny tomatoes.  Looked great--but after eating up every last bit of the brussels sprouts, I had to slip the salad into the refrigerator for another meal.

Sam called in to report that he would not be coming for dinner--so I ate the salad and headed out for a walk through the canals, and on to the Venice Pier and beach for sunset.

Kitchen Hint #1 Peeling Garlic.

I think this deserves a post of his own.  When Robin and Tim were here last week, Robin demonstrated a method for peeling garlic that she'd heard months ago on NPR.  She was dancing about shaking two metal bowls, but I was too pre-occupied with the tri-tip at the time to pay proper attention.

Yesterday, faced with the task of peeling many garlic cloves (something I've never minded all that much), I decided to check out her system.

As instructed, I smashed a whole clove of garlic--I used my fist--but you could hit it with a cleaver or other heavy item if you don't feel like testing your strength.  This should leave you with a nice collection of separated cloves.  Then, find two bowls the same size.  Put the cloves in one.  Cover with the other--and shake vigorously (NPR says five seconds, I might not be such a great shaker--I probably needed 10-15.  Peek inside--and wonder of wonders-- a good pile of completely naked garlic cloves!!

March 22nd. Left-over lunch. Midnight meal--frittata, banana bread, veggies and cream cheese cake

Left-over lunch.  Oh that tri-tip is lasting forever.  Made another hash variation--steak, potatoes, onions, basil, and jalapenos which I ate on a tortilla.

After picking up the European latches for bathroom cabinet (more on that very soon), went to Tru-Valu--great Mexican market on Inglewood and Culver--then home to start preparations for Sam's arrival tonight!

He's arriving at 10:45--well after mid-night EDT,not proper meal time, according to me, but given my current cooking mode--how could I not have many meals waiting for returning son.

First item--cream cheese cake--classic 1950's is straight from Betty Jacoby--I've been making it for forty years!!

And yet, as I finished spooning the filling onto the crust, I licked the spatula.  Something was not right!   I'd forgotten the sugar.  It wasn't too late.  I scooped some of the mixture back into the bowl, added the  1/2 cup of sugar--spooned it back in--trying to mix the sugared with the un-sugared,  hoping it would  all merge together in either  the cooking or  the eating.

Took a yoga break and on my return,  finished the onion and zucchini frittata, and baked a banana bread.  Also roasted tomatoes, cauliflower and asparagus.

We had a fine mid-night snack of all of the above.  These are morning after pictures (veggies gone)--and yes, the cheese cake was just fine.

March 21st. Left-over triumphs!

Black beans are incredible.  Add them to anything.  That's what I was doing today.

Mid-morning--the chicken soup (it really turned into a stew--chunks of chicken, potatoes, carrots, etc.) was completely transformed by addition of black beans and corn.  Made a little cheese quesadilla--a lot of food for mid-morning--but was going to a noon yoga class-followed by many errands--and needed fortification that would carry me through.

This was the day of appointment with Jack the Taxman--why I call it an appointment is a mystery--it's really just a deadline for me to get all things in order and drop them off at his office. Deadline met!  Went straight from yoga--parked in the afore-mentioned Whole Foods Parking Lot (tax man, conveniently enough is

right across the street).  Couldn't resist another run into the 99¢ store--more pasilla peppers, asparagus, organic lettuces, etc.   then, on to my search for European latches for bathroom cabinet.  That venture will be concluded tomorrow--oh the chores  that keep me out of the kitchen!  To tide us over pictorially, here's one of the many signs on this excellent corner.  I'm embarrassed to admit that until I saw this depiction of Abraham Lincoln and the Rose, I don't think I ever associated either of those streets with Presidents or Flowers.

Didn't get home until close to four.  Starving.  Heated up the left-over chile rellenos, as well as left-over bean, chicken mixture from this morning.  Could that count as dinner?

I was hoping it would--but after a walk with Lisa, couldn't resist joining her and Gar for some of their excellent left-overs (chicken marengo and chard--very delicious--but I did just have a tiny plate).

And that was the end of a day of minimal cooking.

March 20. Left-overs galore. What's in Naomi's Refrigerator?

Another day of splendid left-overs.
Had a proper breakfast--fried eggs with black beans and for lunch, I added some of those beans to the left-over chicken vegetable soup--and ate it with a cheese quesadilla--again--a proper enough meal.
For dinner I was happy to keep up the re-cycling and made a hash (never quite sure what a hash is) of sauteed onions, left-over steak, potatoes, beans and curiously enough rice.  I would not hesitate to have shared this meal--but I'm not going to honor it with a recipe (or even a picture).  Nonetheless, these meals were a treat, testament I suppose to the excellence of the original meals which generated them.
Perhaps on this day of little cooking and no guests, it is the moment to recount a not-so-recent dinner  that inspired me to start re-thinking how I could cook more often for others.
For decades a good portion of my life was devoted to cooking for my family.

Now, I live alone, with a splendid kitchen and a relatively peripatetic life.  Unless I send out bulletins (certainly possible in these social media times, but I’m a fairly late adaptor), most people don’t know where I am.  Unless I am very pro-active, and regularly invite people for dinner, I usually eat alone.

Usually this is just fine.  Quick, easy, no need to clean the house—and ok to read while dining. 

Nonetheless, there are those moments when I’ve made something particularly delicious or have a fridge full of leftovers, or even long for a bit of conversation, I find myself wishing for a guest or two. 

In my habitual explorations of all sorts of food shopping venues-—farmers’ markets, Persian butcher/grocery store combos, Mexican bodegas and supermarkets, Chinese groceries, Indian spice stores, as well as old stand-bys—Ralph’s, Vons, Smart and Final, Costco and the wondrous 99¢ store with its pricey neighbor Whole Foods, I often wish that I were planning some grand soiree or catered event.  Why don’t I just have dinner parties—I could go to all the stores, be inspired to shop for multitudes, organize a grand meal and enjoy all the usual rewards.

Truth is—I much prefer the abridged version.  I am quite happy to forego all the planning (the shopping I seem to do, plan or not), and when called upon—preferably with very short notice-- dig into refrigerator and cupboard to excavate a meal.

The benefits are obvious (at least to me).  No expectations.  No promises to meet.  No goals to fulfill.   I most enjoy un-expected visitors.  Not so usual, but they do occasionally appear, inspiring me to conjure a meal with whatever is at hand— leftovers, aging vegetables  (one of the pit-falls of cooking for one is over-buying at the farmers market)—or the cans in the cupboard.   Most people are delighted to have anyone prepare any kind of food for them---and the pleasure only increases when you factor in surprise.  

One dark, chill and rainy night in March, my friend and neighbor Lisa, who with her husband Garfield, often invites me for an impromptu dinner, called. 

“Have you eaten?” she asked.  As a matter of fact I had.  But Lisa was not inviting me for dinner.

“I’ve been home all day and am desperately craving a hamburger,” she continued.  I had not only eaten, but uncharacteristically had cleaned the kitchen and the dishwasher—it takes a single person some time to accumulate a full load of dirty dishes---was actually going through its paces.

During this particular cold and rainy period, I too had wanted some heavy-duty protein and had made myself a hamburger.  Following my usual procedure, I actually made four hamburgers, and at this very moment, the purring refrigerator, adjacent to that busy dishwasher, contained three not-quite-chilled little hamburgers.  Knowing that  Lisa was probably thinking of the thick caramelized onion and blue cheese smothered burger at Father’s Office, I proposed that she eat my leftovers instead.  I didn’t have proper hamburger rolls, nor did I have bacon—perhaps my patties would not abate Lisa’s cravings.

What was I thinking?  Of course Lisa chose the home-made option. As she wended her way over, I quickly sautéed some onions and mushrooms, and sliced some avocado and blue cheese.

She was of course delighted with this impromptu meal.  It was quick, delicious and surprising. 

Could this be the model?  I could suggest to friends that whenever

What's inside?

they don’t feel like cooking or stepping out for a meal, they could give me a call and see if there’s anything in my refrigerator that would fill the bill.  I’d get to rummage and cook—they’d get a meal.

Problems instantly crop up.  The most obvious is that nowadays (as opposed to those long ago times when guests miraculously dropped in just as I was putting dinner on the table) most people are a little wary about calling up and inviting themselves for dinner.  If that is the case, I suggest the subterfuge solution.  “You can always call,” I say, "and propose an early afternoon walk to be followed by a quick bite at a restaurant.  I will then suggest that we could take a walk, and then cook up  

Uh-oh...

an impromptu meal at my house." And if they'd like they could bring something from their own refrigerator.  Or from Whole Foods.   Many variations possible.    We will have to wait and see.

In recent days, due to extreme shopping with no refrigerator organization, chaos reigns  on those drip-less glass shelves.  There is usually a bit more breathing room, but this is the packed fridge from which many meals will spring.  

March 19th- Chile Rellenos, Black Beans, Rice, Cabbage, Carrot and Romaine Salad

wAlthough Drea was coming alone for dinner, I was planning to prepare a plate for her to take home to Sam who was working late.  This meant I could cook for multitudes.
The basic menu:  Chile Rellenos, Black Beans, Rice, Cabbage, Romaine and Carrot Salad and Sauteed Bananas for Dessert.  There were also assorted left-over salads and cheese--plenty of food indeed.
The black beans had been dutifully soaking overnight. This is a recipe I've made for years.  In the blog recipe, I add more water and call it a soup, but more on that later.  I started them cooking right away--I always throw an onion, a celery and a carrot into the pot--not sure if it adds flavor or not--maybe it's just an offering to the bean gods.

As the beans cook away, you will prepare the sofrito.  The instructions are pretty straightforward on the recipe blog,  as a bonus, here are the vegetables chopped before Cuisinart, and in their post-cuisinart slurry.

While all this is going on, move right along to the
Chile rellenos,  which I prepare pretty much as described in 52 recipes.   Here it is in a more compressed recipe format.

TOMATO SAUCE
One large, or two medium sized onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Olive Oil
1/4 cup red wine

2 cups mashed tomatoes with juice (can easily and happily be canned)

cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cloves (optional--mix and match)

Saute onion in olive oil until soft.  I use a really large pan onions barely cover the bottom because at the end, I put the finished peppers on top of the sauce (you don't need a massive amount of sauce --the peppers don't swim in it).  Add the garlic, cook another minute or two.  If you're using wine, add it now, letting it mostly boil away.  Add the chopped tomatoes and spices, cover and simmer on low flame until sauce thickens.  Depending on your timing, you might want to turn it off--and re-heat it just before serving.

While the sauce is cooking, or even before, if you've read through before starting (always a wise practice)--you should take those lovely peppers that you might remember from yesterday, put them on a cookie tin lightly brushed with olive oil and roast them in the broiler until they look more or less like those shriveled darlings above (the red and yellow bell peppers just went along for the ride--they're destined for a future with a little white vinegar, salt and garlic).

OK--here's the recipe for the chiles themselves.

6-8 chiles, pasilla or poblano
Cheese for stuffing--I tend use whatever I have--but Queso Fresco is always good--also monterey jack, cheddar, whatever
3-6 eggs depending on size and number of chiles, separated
Flour
Canola Oil

When the peppers are done (see picture), pop them into a bag and let them steam for a while.  This will make it really easy to remove the skins.   The peeling and stuffing of the peppers always seems intimidating--but as I've written--there is nothing to be frightened  off.  Try not to tear the peppers, but if you do, don't worry--the batter will act like glue..your peppers will look perfect!  Be Patient. Be Calm.

Make a slit in each pepper and slip a bit of cheese inside.  I used queso fresco, with bits of cheddar and goat cheese.  They weren't all the same--but who would know?  When the peppers were stuffed, I closed up the slit, rolled them in flour and took their picture.  This might be the moment to start heating the canola oil in a heavy duty pan--I use enough to come part way up the peppers--then--on to the batter!  Whip the egg whites until they are white and foamy and pretty stiff.  Gently, fold in the beaten egg yolks, and toss in a few tablespoons of flour.  You should have a pretty thick batter.  Working quickly, so the batter doesn't separate, perhaps using a spoon or spatula, dip the peppers, one at a time into the batter--then slip them into the oil.  This time, due perhaps to my slowness, the batter lost some of its cohesiveness--but I just poured it atop the peppers in the pan--and that worked--repeating the miracle of keeping the cheese from escaping.  When golden brown on one side, turn peppers over.  When both sides are nicely cooked, slip them into the sauce which you've now returned to a simmer.  And you're done.

I served the chiles with black beans, rice, and a salad of romaine, cabbage and carrots.   Here's a picture of Drea's plate.  Not sure why it's blurry--was it  trying to dance?  Or was I?

Sauteed bananas for dessert once again.  Made a plate-to-go for Sam.  And that was that.

March 18th. Soup, Scrambled Eggs and Leftovers.

Today--Sunday--despite ominous warnings of harsh rain (it's Marathon day here in Los Angeles)--it's cool and sunny--perfect running weather.   Not so perfect for tax preparation tasks--but so be it.

Woke up with shopping lists and menus swirling.  Planning to make chile rellenos for Drea tomorrow was thinking I'd use something besides cheese (my standard) for filling as I think she's lactose intolerant as well as vegetarian.  I'll make black beans--either for stuffing or side dish--so more shopping will be necessary.

Did a brief internet search for recipes--discovered that poblano peppers (not pasillas) are often the pepper of choice--but I can deal with that.

But--in my quick survey, I stumbled on many many blog sites (and really this was only in about two minutes).  Such impressive design!  So many excellent step-by-step photos!  Is this a path I should take?  Not exactly my skill set, but we shall see.

Did make some headway on my papers.  I threw out ancient receipts and requests from government agencies, banks, insurance companies, etc. before stopping for what I considered a very well-deserved lunch break.  I re-heated the soup--thick with chicken and vegetables and poached an egg in it while watching  to Springsteen's "keynote speech" at sXsw.   I  poured the soup over a fried tortilla, livening it with New Mexican chile sauce and some squeezes of lime.  A perfect and quick meal for a cold day.
By late afternoon enough progress to leave for a 6:15 yoga class--then to my favorite shopping combo--99¢ store and Whole Foods.
Here's the excellent video on the very parking lot that serves those two stores ('tho 99¢ is omitted from that narrative, you often see the three tiered sign for Whole Foods, 99¢ and CVS (which I neglected to say I also visited this evening).

I found  many brilliantly colored bell peppers (red, yellow and orange) which will be happy to meet the deep green pasillas I bought there the other day.  Also got whole wheat flour tortillas, black beans, dried and canned, sparkling water and graham crackers  before heading to Whole Foods.  I've sometimes found all sorts of organic greens at the 99  cents, and had thought they might just be sending them over from next door, but Heith, the produce man, also a Venice neighbor, said this is not the case.  There was a 3 day sale at Whole Foods of organic carrots, cabbages and potatoes for 69 cents a pound.  A deal I couldn't resist.  And since I was running out of my Black Gold from Ground Works, bought a half pound of French Roast there as well before heading home for a very late dinner.
I'd thought I might have a steak sandwich, but the howling winds mandated a hot meal once again--so I scrambled two eggs, heated up the faux caponata from Friday night along with a slice of the minty, garlic/pomegranate infused tri-tip and was as happy as can be.

March 17th. Rainy Day Leftovers. Chicken Soup. Steak sandwich.

Huge storm predicted--didn't quite come through but in anticipation stayed home through drizzle and gray, thinking about doing taxes and eating leftovers.

Sauteed and onion, a stalk of celery and a carrot--when they were soft and brownish, added them to the re-heated chicken broth along with the left-over chicken--not too zippy--so added lime juice, chopped and chile sauce from Albuquerque that I found in fridge.  Perfect--and enough left for tomorrow.

That was lunch.  For dinner, such as it was, a steak sandwich with smoked gouda, horseradish and russian dressing with lettuce on rye.  And a few squares of chocolate for dessert.

No cooking and no photos.  Now at 11 pm, there's some serious rain--perhaps it will continue through the night.  The marathon is tomorrow--last year it was torrential--in my two marathon years (98 and 99) I don't think we even thought about rain possibilities.  Were we just lucky or is the weather turning inside out?

We're so convinced it never rains in southern California, our capacity for weather surprise is unbounded.  And now, two minutes later, as I finish this sentence, the rain has stopped as well.

March 16th. Dinner. Tri-tip revisited

Lisa and Gar came to dinner to help finish off the tri-tip.
Just as I'd hoped, it worked perfectly on day #2.  It had ended up perfectly rare--I didn't really want it to cook any more--but I did want to serve it warm with the sauce.

Resolved the problem by taking the meat out of the fridge several hours before dinner to get it to room temperature.  Just before eating, I heated up the leftover sauce, adding more garlic, mint and pomegranate molasses, and then added slices of the steaks, serving them immediately.

I'd roasted more potatoes to add to the leftovers, and re-cycled the roasted tomatoes.  I hadn't been that thrilled with the eggplant, but very successfully combined it with the mushrooms and onions, adding a bit of sugar, wine vinegar and capers to create a caponata-like vegetable salad.  Also reprised the cucumber and radish salad and roasted up a new batch of asparagus. Lots of excellent little dishes.  We finished off the meal with a salad of romaine with arugula, fennel and orange segments.

Not quite finished.  Lest I forget, Lisa and Gar had brought two delicious cheeses -- a smoked gouda and a triple creme so we had a cheese course and then properly finished the entire meal with sauteed bananas
with sour cream.

March 16th. Mid-mornng snack. Quesadilla.

Still marveling about last night's meal.  Amanda and her daughter-in-law Denora came to clean today. Amanda said she wasn't feeling that well--I think that's why Denora came.   Very happy to have a house full of cleaners and left-overs--both to offer them all sorts of delicious treats--and also because I won't have to re-mess everything cooking for Lisa and Gar tonight.
Decided to go to noon yoga.  As happy as I am to have two cleaners, it means there really isn't much room for me.

I did have to eata  few hours before yoga, so made us all a mid-morning snack of  quesadillas with cheese and the roasted peppers.  Served with a bit of salsa and sour cream, it seemed to satisfy the Salvadoreans and I pleased I could do a little cross-cultural cooking.
That snack lasted me until dinner.

March 15. Tri-tip steak with pomegranate molasses. Eggplant with parsley and garlic. Mushrooms and onions, roasted potatoes, sauteed bananas

Incredibly packed refrigerator.    Un-cooked vegetables, uncooked meat, a quart of chicken broth. Too much.  

Drea is planning to come to dinner next Monday--but my steaks will not work in her vegetarian diet.  Those bargain steaks--with their mandate for instant cooking demanded immediate attention.
I invited Lisa and Gar, (a most serious forager of bargain meats himself) to help me work my way through it.  They couldn't come Thursday, but signed on for Friday meat-eating duties.  Good enough.  With plans to empty my fridge afoot, I could happily head off to meet Linda at Gjelina's for lunch.
Linda and I had scarcely spoken since last spring and had an excellent visit over our lunch of a Smoked Trout with Grapefruit, Avocado, Red Onion & Lemon Salad, followed by the lamb sausage pizza. It wasn't too noisy on the terrace where we also caught -- the one bit of sun that broke through the clouds that day.  
Biking home, I saw Tim outside of his house.  Robin's 94 year old mother who had been seriously ill for years had died the night before.
Although Lisa and Gar had been promised the tri-tip, I figured there'd be enough left-over--so invited bereaved Robin and Tim for dinner tonight.
Trying to figure out what to do with a tri-tip (not taking the path of Santa Maria bar-b-que--the most recommended method in California), I discovered a recipe with pomegranate molasses--a favorite new ingredient.
I'd used up the last drops of my last bottle before going to Vietnam.  I'd been planning to replenish but I needed it immediately.  I biked home (first getting air in my very tired tires at the bike store on Main and San Juan), gathered my shopping bags and got in the car for a quick round of shopping.  
First stop--the 99 cent store to see what left-over produce from Whole Foods I could scoop up--then to the Persian market on Venice and Midvale--which had no pomegranate molasses (though an empty spot on the shelf attested to its usual presence).
It was early enough to head to the Teheran market on Wilshire where I had my choice of three! brands.  Oh the advantages of living in a city of many Persian markets--so much better than paying twice at much to our friends at Amazon.
The cooking began!!  Cooking for at least two dinners, I was a whirlwind.
This is what I made (more or less in the order prepared):

Roasted Cauliflower and Roasted tomatoes Very easy--cauliflower as I learned at Lisa's the other night always takes longer than I think (maybe closer to 40 minutes).  You just have to remember to keep checking -- and of course, it depends on how crispy you want it (I myself love those almost-burnt crumbs).

The eggplant somehow escaped my photographic efforts--so you will just have to imagine its loveliness.  Here's what I did, as I can best re-call.
EGGPLANT:
INGREDIENTS
1 Eggplant
1 Zucchini
Olive Oil
Few cloves of garlic
1/2 cup Tomatoes
Few Tablespoons of parsley and/or basil
Salt
Pepper
(quantities can of course vary widely--this is just what I had on hand)
Dice the  eggplant into smallish cubes, sprinkled it with salt--and put it in a colander to drain.  I was not quite sure what I was going to do with it--but it had been in the refrigerator for days--it's time had come.   Also cut the one remaining zucchini--and threw it into the colander--though I don't believe it needs that particular procedure. 
While the eggplant rested, I chopped parsley and garlic to add later--also --although I'd been planning to toss in some of the roasted tomatoes (that would have been fine)--I decided I wanted to let them shine on their own--so opened a big can of whole plum tomatoes--chopped a few--for their union with the other vegetables.  
After about a half hour, put a small amount of olive oil in a large heavy frying pan (always easier for browning to have one layer--otherwise just stir more).  
When the eggplant is soft and nicely browned--toss in the tomatoes--they should turn into a bit of a sauce--add garlic--cook a minute or so--throw in herbs and serve.

Also roasted peppers--orange bell peppers and pasilla chiles.
I usually use red peppers, but the red peppers in the market were looking a bit dreary (this was, after all, the 99cent store), so went with the yellow and green. 


Despite being a standard for decades, roasted potatoes never made it to the other blog--so here's the recipe--simple as can be:
ROASTED POTATOES.
INGREDIENTS:
Potatoes--any size and variety.
Olive Oil
Parsley
Garlic
Salt and Pepper
Preheat oven to 450.
Coat a jelly roll pan with olive oil (I've had potatoes roasted in  quite a bit of oil--very delicious--but over the years have decided the smaller amount is just fine.

If the potatoes are tiny--no need to cut them--otherwise cut them into whatever size makes you happy--larger will take longer to cook--but it will all be delicious.  I promise.


When the begin to brown, stir them around.  You want them as 
as crispy brown on as many sides as you have patience for--timing will depend on type of potatoes and size you cut them.  Be alert!!  Remove from oven--add salt--eat immediately or later at room temperature.  I use to make  a salad with these roasted potatoes--but they are completely delicious naked with salt. This batch which included white, yellow and purple potatoes as well as sweet potatoes and yams was particularly successful.  
This was already plenty, unable to stop, it seemed a perfect moment to make
SAUTEED MUSHROOMS WITH CARAMElIZED ONIONS, PARSLEY, GARLIC AND RED WINE
INGREDIENTS
One sliced onion.
One pound of crimini mushrooms
Olive Oil
Butter
A few cloves garlic
Splashes of wine
Parsley
Salt and pepper.

Saute the onions in olive oil over low heat in a covered heavy cast iron pan for ten to fifteen minutes until they are very soft and slightly brown.  Remove the cover, raise the heat and keep cooking, stirring frequently until they are quite brown.  If time is short, no worries, as long as they're not raw, they will be quite fine.  Push the onions to the side (you could remove them and set them aside if you want), add a tablespoon or so of butter to the pan.  When the foam subsides, add the sliced mushrooms.  When they're brown, toss in the finely chopped (or crushed) garlic.  Stir for about thirty seconds.  You can add wine here if you want.  Throw in the parsley.  Season with salt and pepper.

The salad was straightforward--romaine lettuce, arugala, fennel, some herbs with a simple vinaigrette.


I waited til Tim and Robin arrived before beginning the steak.  I'd found a recipe that seemed perfect--tri-tip with pomegranate molasses cooked in a cast iron pan (my favorite steak making method).  It is   ridiculous that I don't grill here in my Southern California home by the beach, but so be it.

The chunk of meat, covered in an unattractive layer of fat was intimidating--but after a few fumbles, it did turn out splendidly. 


You can check out the link above, but here's how I did it:  


One Tri-tip steak--2-3 pounds
4-6 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
four cloves garlic
four tablespoons mint.
A few hours before serving, remove meat from fridge.  Rinse it, dry it thoroughly--if there's a huge amount of fat, you can trim some of it--but you'll get rid of it eventually, so no matter. Rub it with salt and pepper, and let it sit for a couple of hours.
Heat a cast iron pan on top of the stove for about five minutes--it should be really hot.  And big enough to hold the steak.  Put the tri-tip--fattiest side first--into the pan.  Let it brown, untouched--for maybe eight minutes--turn it over for another eight minutes or so.  (I initially just extended the internet instructions from four-five minutes per side--to six or seven--not nearly enough--so with the big tri-tip you'll have to figure it out yourselves--I didn't burn it--the exterior was perfectly browned with a good crust--but it was initially bloody rare--we wanted regular rare--not even medium--which I did get--but it took a little extra work).  If you have a meat thermometer--something I've never managed to use--it should read about 125.


While it is cooking chop the garlic and mint (which praise be, grows in my own garden)  and mix with the pomegranate molasses.  


Remember the steak will keep cooking once removed from the pan
When you think it's close to what you want--I'd say maybe six-eight minutes per side, put it on a cutting board, brush the molasses mixture on--using it all up--wrap in aluminum foil and let it sit another ten minutes.  In a perfect world, it will be perfectly cooked--and the glaze will seep into the steak.
If it's too rare (this is what happened to me)--return it to the pan--and cook a bit longer, paying close attention--you don't want to overcook.  Slice against the grain, spoon the sauce over the meat and serve.
Despite the errors in calculation, my first tri-tip was a triumph--with plenty left-over.  

And there was even dessert!!  As Tim and Robin helped clean up, I sliced and sauteed two almost ripe bananas with a bit of brown sugar--and served them with sour cream. Not too heavy and sweet enough to fill the bill. 

March 14. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. Another day of leftovers and a grilled cheese sandwich too.

A basic truth of living alone and cooking for multitudes is that there are times when I am eating meal after meal of leftovers and refrigerator snackings.

Coffee this morning.

Lunch--leftovers with a bit of flair.  Heated up some caramelized onions that I hadn't put in the frittata with the leftover roasted tomatoes with garlic--throwing in some ribbons of basil as well.

Sliced some sharp cheddar cheese and made a grilled cheese sandwich.   For many years I did the lo-fat variation--but now I almost always just fry up the sandwich in the cast-iron skillet--just means a little more butter--and since I don't like all that much cheese, it seems like a fine compromise.  I often slip in a slice or two of onion or tomato--but today just had the cooked onions and tomato brew on the side.

I ate this lunch quite properly at table, but here's sandwich and tomato mixture snuggled in cast iron pan.

John, intrepid hair-cutter called at 2pm.  He's been cutting my hair since Sam and I discovered him at Super-Cuts well over a decade ago--he gave Sam his first proper middle school haircuts as we zipped from school bus to soccer practice.  (Oh long store there, of course).

He now has his own tiny spot in Santa Monica---where he excels in quick inexpensive haircuts and conversation.  The basic rule for John is you have to make a reservation about six weeks in advance.  Due to my wanderings, I often fail at this--and when I do he does try to find a cancellation.  And indeed just as my hair was crossing the line into unbearable--he had an appointment for me at 3.  I zipped right over.  I had already signed up for a yoga class at 5:30--just around the corner from John--which meant I had an hour and a half to while away in Santa Monica.  

There I was in the Von's parking lot so what could I do but take a whirl through through the store--not one of my regular haunts--but you never know where you might be surprised by a sale or sample taste.

My refrigerator has been stuffed all-too-full of late--but somehow, lured into the meat department I bought two steaks--ridiculously reduced (manager's special of items about to go bad, bad, bad).

I came home with two steaks--a little organic New YOrk strip steak and immense tri-tip--I'd thought the tri-tip was stew meat, but have since learned it's a steak--a very big steak indeed. 

The steaks sat in the car (it was gray and cool--I had no fears it would get closer to complete expiration), while I had a cup of coffee and read the Times at the Funnel Mill Cafe--with its cult of most superior coffee and dark brown leather couches, and elegant cups-it felt a million miles from the Von's just across the street.  Of course, in one of those accidents that could happen to anyone, anywhere, the server, delivering my lovely tray of coffee with its adorable milk pitcher, somehow slipped, spilling milk (but not coffee) all over my paper.  Many apologies ensued--and no harm was done--but it did undercut the luxury/indulgence factor.

And so the afternoon zipped by.  Returned home with my steaks after the yoga class.  I was famished--no time to think about those steaks.  I heated  up the left-over chicken with roast potatoes and carrots.  Threw in the little bit of broccoli that had escaped being prepared earlier in the week.  It was the last possible moment for that particular green but a few squeezes of lemon brought it back to life.

I righteously had an apple for dessert--and then not quite so nobly had a few hits of peanut butter and jelly from their respective jars as I was cleaned the kitchen.  And, to add to the theme of noble user of all left-overs, transformed the last week's  the vegetable broth into a chicken broth with the bones from the now almost completely eaten chicken.