Jan15

Weekend trips and visiting friends

Posted on by
Standard

There have been some great deals on domestic airfare lately, so I have been trying to take advantage!  One of my resolutions when I moved to Los Angeles was to make a point of keeping in touch with friends. It is far too easy to put off visits, I mean, it’s a hassle to fly anywhere, it costs money, and it’s so easy to stay in L.A. with my boys (Paco and the doggies). Plus, we generally use our travel time to take bigger/longer vacations.

Last year, we had several weddings (including our own) to attend, plus the accompanying bachelor/bachelorette parties. There were lots of built-in excuses to have mini-reunions. This year, I have a few trips planned already for the first few months. Next month I’m visiting San Francisco, then next month Washington, D.C., then in April, Santa Barbara. It’s going to be a busy spring!

Jan14

LASIK impressions

Posted on by
Standard

After years of saying I’d consider it “one day,” last year at my annual eye exam, I asked the optometrist if she thought I would be eligible for LASIK.  I was pleased when she told me that she thought I’d be an excellent candidate, based on my age and vision.  She recommended a few different places in the area. My prescription hadn’t really changed in 4 years, so I made an appointment for a consult at UCLA.

Six months later (yesterday), I had the actual procedure.  So far, I’m really excited by the results.

Reasons why I chose to do it:
* Contacts are fine for me on a day-to-day basis, but I have a tough time with them while traveling. I do not wear contact lenses on planes, and I have suffered from extreme light sensitivity and irritation in areas with a lot of air pollution (think Mexico City).
* I have read recommendations from other patients and from doctors, advising that if it’s something that you want to do, you shouldn’t put it off. Since most people will probably need reading glasses after middle age, you’ll enjoy the greatest benefit (i.e., glasses-free time) if you get the surgery in your 20s or early 30s.
* I use Clear Care solution, which I highly recommend for sensitive eyes. However, if you take out your contacts, they must sit in the solution for 4-6 hours until the solution becomes neutralized. This means it’s really inconvenient to take them out to nap or for any short period of time.
* I have two friends who had LASIK in the last year or two, both about my age with similar eyesight to mine. Both highly recommended it and had excellent results.

What I thought of the process:
* Everyone at UCLA was incredibly nice and very professional. All of the tests beforehand seemed very thorough, and I felt comfortable throughout the procedure. The surgeon spoke through the entire process, which was very helpful to me, as it’s disconcerting to be lying on a table with something in your eye and your vision obstructed. There are a lot of less expensive options out there, but this is not something that I would choose to skimp on.

As of this morning, I was able to read most of the letters on the 20/20 line, which I have not been able to do since I was 8 years old!  My vision should change/stabilize over the next few weeks, and I’ll go back next month for a follow-up visit.

Jan13

Portobello mushroom sandwiches

Posted on by
Standard

These are so tasty, and I get to eat something (practically) vegetarian, while Paco gets to fire up the grill.  Win-win.

I use this recipe from The Pioneer Woman, and follow it to a T.  The first time that I made it, I thought that two mushrooms per sandwich would be excessive, but it turns out, it’s perfect!  I also add a clove or two of minced garlic to the basil-mayo spread. (I usually hate mayo, but in this case, it makes the sandwich.)

Here are the mushrooms on the grill.

Here’s the finished product.

See the little slice of prosciutto in the background?  I asked the lady at the deli counter for an extra slice. Guess who it’s for. . .

Mom!  More prosciutto, please!

Jan12

Slow-roasted tomato soup

Posted on by
Standard

I never liked tomato soup until this past year, and it is all thanks to this recipe.  The roasting of the tomatoes makes a huge difference to me!  This soup is light, savory, and perfect for dipping either toasted, buttered slices of baguette, or a grilled cheese sandwich.

Roasted Tomato Soup
Adapted from Melissa D’Arabian

8 roma tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise, or quarters if they are really big
3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
2 T olive oil
1 T butter
1/2 onion, diced
2 c. chicken or vegetable stock
1 tsp. dried herbs de provence
1 T fresh tarragon

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, then drizzle a little bit of olive oil on the foil.
2. Place the tomatoes cut side down on the cookie sheet. Drizzle a little bit more olive oil over them, and toss the tomatoes around in the oil. Add the cloves of garlic to the cookie sheet, and season the entire sheet liberally with salt and pepper.


3. After an hour, take the tomatoes out of the oven and flip them over. The skins should be blistering, so that you can easily peel them. (If not you can peel the skins later.)


4. Put the tomatoes back in the oven for another 30 minutes.
5. While the tomatoes finish roasting, saute the onion in butter over medium low heat. When they are soft, add the herbs de provence and tarragon, and saute for another minute. Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes.
6. Allow both the tomatoes and the stock to cook a little bit before handling. Peel the roasted garlic. Puree the stock, tomatoes, and garlic in a blender. When blending hot liquids, remember to remove the plastic stopper in the middle of the blender top, and cover with a dish towel instead. (If you close the blender normally, the steam will build up in the blender the top will pop off.)
7. Pour the soup back into the pot, and heat over medium low heat.

Serve with buttered bread or toast.

Jan10

Carnitas

Posted on by
Standard

I had the itch to make carnitas in November, after reading this, but sadly, the itch got lost due to the holidays, etc. I had made carnitas before using lard, but I was very intrigued by the idea of braising them and browning them in the fat that renders. I basically stuck to the recipe, but added beer for fun, and chili powder for kick.

I would say that 3 lbs. of pork shoulder serves four people, depending if you have some big eaters around to help you. A lot of the pork fat will be rendered, so the amount of meat will shrink considerably.

Carnitas
(Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, where it was adapted from The Homesick Texan Cookbook)

3 lbs. pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 lime
4 cloves garlic
1 Mexican beer, like Pacifico
water
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder

1. Place the pork shoulder fat side down in a single layer in a Dutch oven, along with the lime juice, garlic, beer, salt, cumin, and chili powder. Add enough water to just cover the meat. Simmer over medium heat, uncovered, for two hours.

2. After two hours, increase the heat to medium-high, and allow the braising liquid to cook off. When just the rendered fat is left in the pot, the pork should begin to brown.

Cook for 30-40 minutes, turning the pieces over occasionally, until the pork pieces are nicely browned all around.

3. Remove the pork from the pan, and break the bigger pieces apart.

Served with tortillas, pinto beans, and slaw.