Fruit Tart

I made my first fruit tart the other day.  Well, Monday into Tuesday so, perhaps a total of oh... 14 hours?  I started the dough and pastry cream on Monday night and then put it all together with the fruit on Tuesday morning.  I used the dough recipe from Tyler Florence's Blueberry-Lemon Tart recipe and I used the pastry cream from Ina Garten's Strawberry Tart recipe.  Everything was pretty simple to make, actually, and I did learn quite a few things.

The dough was very easy to make in the food processor except, dude, I had to use WAY more than just 2 tablespoons of ice water!  Oh, but I did freeze my dry ingredients mixed up in a bowl together for a couple of hours before I put them into the processor.  Anyway, process it all together, pat it into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

After the refrigeration, roll it out and place into pan, and return to refrigeration.  After the fridge time, prick it with a fork to avoid major puffing during the baking process.  I wonder if this was too many pricks?

I covered the pricked dough with foil and then dried lima beans.  Hey, it was the only dry legume I had in the house!  Still did the job :-)  Tossed it into the oven (on a baking sheet to make transportation easier) and followed instructions on how long to bake.  

While the shell was baking, I made the pastry cream.  Don't have Cognac in the house so I used my good buddy, Bacardi (for my tiramisu), instead :-)  The pastry cream turned out fabulous!

One very valuable lesson I learned: put the tart together AFTER removing it from the pan and transferred onto the designated location.  That picture at the top is the tart in all its glory IN the pan (which has a removable bottom).  Yeah... I dropped my first tart and this is what happened.  Sadness :-(

The show must go on, right?  I finished it with an apricot glaze.  Let me tell you--this tart was phenomenal and I can't wait to make more!

FYI--for all the egg whites that you'll have after this, I highly recommend an egg white omelet :-)

Roman Cucina- 4-27-10

Hooray for Facebook Fan/Lakers discount nights!  Thus, Tuesday night was a Lakers playoffs game in which they SPANKED the Oklahoma City Thunder, whoo-hoo!  Anyway, it was about 5:50pm when I got on my Facebook and saw that Roman Cucina was going to have another 20% off night.  So, yay, I called a few different friends to see if anyone wanted to go have a fun time.  Icah and her boyfriend, Adam, decided to join me at the Roman Cucina in Costa Mesa on Newport Blvd.

Being hungry as we were, it took a bit of time to decide on what to get but we eventually got there!  We had a nice server named Tim in the bar area and the place was hoppin'!  They had the basketball games on which is great when you've got a party where there's only one male and two chatty females :-) 

Adam's calzone... the size of a football.

Icah's Chicken Parmigiana.  Always a great choice!

My Pasta Tombrello... yum!

Today I was mistaken for a...

Today, I had lunch at Lazy Dog Cafe in Westminster.  I love my Tuesdays when I'm done at 10am :-)  Thursdays are even better since I don't have any school at all!  Well, I was discussing the physics quiz I had in the morning with my lunch companion.  It was a good quiz.  Kudos to Dr. Guerra.  Anyway, I talked about net power, absolute temperature, the Stefan-Boltzmann constant, emissivity, etc.  My server, Josh (really cool cat--great memory, remembers my drink--Arnold Palmer with the Passion Fruit Iced Tea and lots of ice--just by seeing me), walked by when I was talking about the temperature in Kelvin.  Later, he comes over and drawing in from my UC Irvine sweatshirt said, "So, I overheard you talking about Kelvins earlier.  Are you an instructor or something?"  I died!  However... I played along for a few minutes!!!!  I proceeded to explain about the problem and what was going on with the water and the ice and latent heat of fusion... it was awesome :-)

I couldn't keep a straight face any longer, even though I was seriously talking about physics.  So, I broke down and told Josh that I'm a bio sci student at UCI.  He was like, "Ohhhhh... you could have fooled me."  AWESOME!  I actually sounded smart enough to be mistaken for a COLLEGE INSTRUCTOR!  Love it ;-)  That also means I look old enough to be a professor... yikes.

On another note, which you'll totally love and those of you who have spoken with me can understand this:

I am probably the only person you know who can start a conversation with physics then move onto a debate about the quarter system vs. the semester system and move onto community colleges in California and then out-of-state colleges to the topic of radiology.  You know what I mean?  I think we actually touched upon football and baseball.  Yeah, we did, because Josh used to go to college at Auburn in Alabama.  Then we got into the "Roll Tide Roll" bit about the University of Alabama.  Oh yeah, and we touched upon the weather, too, during summer school in Alabama (it sucks).  I think I kept us at the table at least 15 minutes longer than we should have, haha.

Just had to share this funny part of my day :-)

Poonam's Vegetarian Dish Non-Vegetarian Style

Currently listening to: The Outlaw Josey Wales starring Clint Eastwood :-)

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of hanging out with my friends, Kathleen and Poonam, at Poonam's house.  I got there just in time for the baking ;-)  Oh... what a baking adventure it was!  Mishaps, snafus, shenanigans = lots of laughter and fun!

Onto the serious stuff--I stayed to watch Poonam cook dinner for her and her father.  I've known ever since either 6th grade or 8th grade that Poonam is a vegetarian.  I cook vegetarian sometimes but most of the time, I'll do cook chicken or fish for my protein because I stay away from red meat.  Anyway, I've never been around her and food, really, so this was a really fascinating experience for me!  Poonam and her family are Indian; to be more specific, they are Gujarati, from a western part of India.   Apparently a large population of Indians are Punjabi?  Suffice it to say, I got a lovely culture lesson last night :-)

Well, Poonam's mother is still in London so I had volunteered to her father when he came home yesterday that his daughter was going to cook him dinner ;-)  She had never actually agreed to it, haha.  Good job, Hester!  So, eventually she did and I stayed and watched.  Their kitchen is just... spices galore!!!!!  I almost sort of felt like I was in a spice shop :-)  Poonam's mother has spices in every nook and cranny in the kitchen but organized very well... except Poonam isn't quite sure where some things are :-)  I watched her put together a pot of mung beans.  We actually eat mung bean in the Vietnamese culture, too.  I smelled them and after she said mung I went, "Oh yeah!  Mung!  My mom uses that in desserts!  And her famous eggrolls, too!"  Since it is a legume, it's very good at the filling-you-up part.  

Poonam is the rotli mistress!  More often than not, you'll probably hear it as "roti."  Anyway, it's an unleavened bread made simply of a flour mixture, hot water, and vegetable oil.  I'd never had it before and forgot how it was made so, watching Poonam fly through it was awesome!  She was rolling and flouring like no other.  When she invited me to roll it out into its circular shape, I would have gotten a total F, haha.  I got mine stuck to the board... it wasn't circular and I managed to make a few tears in it!  Whoops.  I let her return to it since I wasn't very good at it and she just fixed it and put it in the pan just like that.  It's basically like a tortilla, if you think about it.

So far, it's the rotli, mung beans, and then there's the vegetable dish.  She made a mixture of Chinese long beans, diced and peeled red potato, a Roma tomato, a dry red chili, and lots of spices.  I seriously felt like a puppy dog following her to each spice location stop!  First were the brown mustard seeds, then also went in turmeric, curry powder, chili powder, salt, cumin seeds, um... that's all I can remember.  In my spice collection I only had the salt and cumin seeds.  I was like, "Poonam... you seriously have to teach me about spices!"  There's this whole other world that I've not dived into!  The kitchen smelled AMAZING to me.  Everything was coming together very nicely.  By the time it was all finished, I had to get going to my daddy/daughter dinner date but did grab a bite of the roti and veggie mixture.  WOW.  It was very tasty and excellent!  My tastebuds were dancing!  Poonam, you got it going on ;-)

That being said, I was so excited and eager to try something like this myself!  So, today after the farmers market I stopped at Henry's to pick up stuff but also hit up their spice section.  I bought turmeric, curry powder, ground coriander, and brown mustard seeds (they actually look sort of purple). 

Here's my version of her dish:

Poonam's Vegetarian Dish Non-Vegetarian Style

• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tbsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• red chili pepper flakes
• 2 tsp brown mustard seeds
• 3 vine-ripened tomatoes sliced and cut into chunks
• 3 red potatoes, skin on
• extra virgin olive oil
• 2 chicken breasts, sliced up into chunks
• a package of Chinese long beans cut into pieces about 1.5-2 inches
• lots of garlic sliced up very thinly
• water

*I really should have measured out my spices, haha.  I'm not one to measure in COOKING unless it is absolutely necessary.  That being said, those measurements above on the spices are approximations, sorry.  I'm one who's all about the taste and add more if I need it.

Mix the spices all together in a bowl and set aside.  Coat the bottom of a pot (that has a lid) with extra virgin olive oil.  Add the mustard seeds and heat the pot up on medium but with the lid on; the mustard seeds have a tendency to pop.  Once the seeds start dancing around, add the chunked up potatoes, some water, and half of the spice mixture.  Stir it around and cover to let the potatoes cook on low heat.  *I leave the skin on because I feel like I'm getting more nutrition out of them.*  In the meantime, take the rest of your spice mixture and mix it with the chicken; I use my hands... the best tools a cook has.  Don't forget to wash your hands with soap after you've touched raw poultry!!!

After about oh, eight minutes, add in the sliced garlic, stir, and cover.  About four minutes later, add the tomatoes, stir, and cover.  Let everyone get to know each other in the pot.  I add a little salt at this point to see how the flavors are melding together.  When it's looking like it's a total party in the pot, add in the spice-rubbed chicken pieces and make sure they get covered by the sauce/liquid.  Once the chicken is cooked on the outside, add in the beans, stir everything around, cover, and wait (on a medium heat)... till everything is cooked... I'd say at least another 10 minutes or until your beans are the texture that you want them to be at.  I like mine a little al dente and not totally shriveled up and soft.  Poonam--this was a one-pot wonder for me!  Not too much cleanup ;-)  

This dish was spectacular!  I thoroughly enjoyed it soooooo very much.  The broth that ends up being made is just out of this world.  The flavors all mixed together in such a happy way that ooh, your eyes just bug out from happiness :-)  If you didn't know it was chicken, the picture might mislead you to think it's tofu that I've got in there, hahaha.  This dish would go very well over rice if you'd like.  I did make rice but didn't have any.  I'm not one who likes to do two carbs at once... unless it's Italian because well, that's when I'll usually do more than one carb thing ;-)

Anyway, this dish can definitely be made vegetarian, though, by not using any meat.  You could use tofu if you're into tofu; I love it.  I'd recommend a medium-softness tofu.  Use firm tofu if you like it firmer.  Also, I highly recommend tasting the broth every now and then.  Remember, the potatoes and green beans are absorbing the flavor of the broth.  Therefore, it's pretty crucial for it to be tasty :-)  Salt is your friend, people!  Yeah, I know salt has a bad rap but really, it has a bad rap in processed foods and stuff that YOU didn't cook; there's WAY TOO MUCH sodium in that stuff.  In your kitchen, in your hands, you are the controller.  YOU HAVE THE POWER!  It feels great ;-)  So don't skimp on it!  Also, this is a gluten-free dish, too.

This dish definitely leaves you feeling happy and satisfied.  Because of the different hearty spices and chili pepper flakes, you feel really warm inside.  But just a creeping heat that make you go, "Ooohh..." not anything to the point of burning or making you sweat.  My thanks to Poonam for inspiring me to make this lovely dish which I actually feel like eating right now... and the time is after midnight :-)

Farmers Market- 4-24-10

Currently listening to: "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen.

Today's farmers market visit was productive.  What do I see first thing after I get out of my car?  An In-N-Out truck delivering the goodies to the In-N-Out at the University Town Center.  And then when I finished shopping and walked back to my car with my goods, it was around 10:30am and there were already a lot of cars going through the drive-thru.  That's EARLY for eating In-N-Out, at least in my opinion.

Anyway, I got my grapefruits again at Tilden Farms.  Perhaps they DID make me smarter in that I rocked the physics test... although, after looking at the solutions this afternoon, I got extremely depressed due to STUPID MISTAKES!  Grrrrr... major sadness :-(

Juicy honkin' lemons at Tilden Farms.

The fava beans looked great today at EVERY booth I visited but I declined in purchasing some today.

Got some more English Peas!!!!

Golden beets!

Bought these tomatoes and they are DELICIOUS!  Smells like tomatoes, too :-)  You know what I'm talking about!  The tomatoes you buy at the store with their waxy outer layer do NOT smell like fresh-picked tomatoes.

They're ugly but man, did they taste great!

These Autumn Golds were lovely, too :-)  Got Vitamin C?

Berumen Boyz Farms had the sweetest strawberries today!  And yes, I did go around sampling strawberries from different vendors to see who had the sweetest since they were all selling for the same price: $5 per flat.

These are the aforementioned sweets :-)

I also bought two different kinds of lettuce from Cal Poly Pomona's Kellogg Ranch--romaine and red leaf.  I don't know how they do it, but to me, it seems like CPP's lettuces are on steroids!  Look at them!

Yes, this head of red leaf lettuce took up my entire sink (the small side).  DUDE!

I washed both lettuces, tore up the leaves, and gave them lots of spins in the salad spinner.  Whoever invented the salad spinner is a genius; I LOVE THIS THING!

And why did I spend all this time tearing lettuces and drying them through the spinner???  So I could make my own salad mix!  Each head of lettuce was $1.  Therefore, I have these two big baggies of mix made for just $2!  I'm a broke college student so, I don't have money, but I do have time :-)  Well, depending on who you talk to ;-)

I bought these hazelnuts at Henry's.  I love hazelnuts... my favoritest nut!

Well, favoritest nut of mine... you are a PAIN IN THE YOU-KNOW-WHAT to peel!!!  I had to boil water and add sodium bicarbonate (aka baking soda) to it and then add the nuts.  Then, the peel should come right off when you add a little friction from your fingers.  HECK NO.  Such a pain.  I seriously stood in the same spot for over an hour just trying to rub off the skin on these hazelnuts.  Then, I put them in a single layer on a baking sheet and popped into a 350F oven for 10 minutes so that they were toastedIt might be worth it to just pay the extra money to have it already peeled :-(  My first time doing this... and perhaps my last time.

Update

Currently listening to: "Under Pressure" by Queen.  LOVE THIS SONG!

Alright... the title's got to go.  I find it very unfitting because of the latter half of it--"medicine."  The reason mainly because I'm doing absolutely nothing with it right now in my life.  So, I've changed the title of this blog to "Comida y mi vida."  For those of you who don't speak Spanish, besides knowing that it rhymes, it means "Food and my life."  And I think that is extremely befitting of me.  This way, I think perhaps I can cut down the length of some of my posts since now I'll also write about my thoughts, news I've got, etc.  I'll still be writing about my food, though, that's for sure!  I've got at least three writings I want to do based on some culinary adventures I had this past week!

Now, onto this picture at the top.  Yesterday I went to Schooner or Later for breakfast, as you can see from reading below.  I often enjoy going to the beach for a walk afterwards since 1) I'm driving south on PCH to head home and 2) it's nice to walk off breakfast on a BEAUTIFUL Southern Californian morning.  Anyway, there's always a bag of almonds in the car and well, squirrels seem to like almonds... A LOT.  I got a picture of this little guy munching away.  Yes, there is an almond in his hands.  It reminds me of perhaps the way a football would fit together in our two hands.  I believe almonds are the equivalent of filet mignon to squirrels.  It's so fun to watch them scramble around for the almonds that are being tossed out.  I swear, though, they're eyesight is terrible!  If an almond lands behind them, they don't get the clue!  Oy.  Last May I was in Morro Bay by MORRO ROCK and fed the squirrels there.  Now, there they even followed us back to the car when we were all out of almonds!  The cars are all parked about six inches above where the squirrels are hanging out.  Well, the one that tried to get over that ledge actually smacked himself against someone's front bumper!  Oh my... he was a little woozy but got right back up and was wanting more almonds!  I died of laughter at how cute the darn thing was... until it really starts to follow you everywhere.

PS--I totally rocked my physics midterm!  And how did that happen?  I think the picture says it all :-)  One day of straight studying and problem-solving.  My physics book, my pencil/eraser, and my calculator were all working as one and I think all of it paid off on the midterm!!!!  I'm way stoked and can't wait to see that A!

PSS--Althought it was a GORGEOUS morning... I seriously couldn't believe I saw surfers in the water.  It didn't rain super hard the night before but, all the runoff from the streets into the storm drains heads to the ocean...  I mean, as I looked to my right as I was driving on PCH, the water was a nasty green/brown color, ick.  Yeah, they wore wetsuits because I'm sure the water would have been uncomfortable without the suits but still... that's disgusting and way unhealthy!  Blech!  You can even see the color differentiation of the water in the picture yourself!

Schooner or Later

Currently listening to: "Bright Lights" by Matchbox 20.

I went to Schooner or Later today for breakfast.  It's probably in my list of top ten places to go to for breakfast in Orange County.  I always get the same thing--Spanish Omelette w/hash browns and wheat toast.  It's got ground beef, Swiss cheese, cilantro, and a "Spanish" sauce inside and out.  Although I've not tried everything they have, I'm fine with that.  

The restaurant was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, hosted by Guy Fieri.  I... don't know what to say.  I mean, it seemed sooooo contrived!  Denny and Denise own the place; they are brother and sister.  And well, I can say it's not entirely like it is on TV.  They do not constantly check and see how you're doing.  If anything, no one does.  Which, in some cases, can be fine if you don't want to be bothered/interrupted every five minutes.  But anyway, I don't think they're that friendly.

There is indoor and outdoor seating, as well as a heated patio.  It's a great place to have a meal with friends and drink all morning and early afternoon.  Schooner, right?  Man, that's a BIG glass of beer!  Their Bloody Marys are supposed to be really good, too.  Yes, there is a bar and on the weekends, they have the little coffee shack on the side open to make fresh coffee drinks for all the people WAITING.  Yes, this place is a waiting place on the weekends but, if you've got friends, a newspaper, or a drink in hand, it should be fine.  However, I have waited over an hour before just to get a table.  That's why I don't go on the weekends anymore.

Schooner or Later is located down by the Los Alamitos Marina... lots of boats docked there.  It's off Studebaker/PCH in Long Beach.  Hmm, I guess since it's technically in Long Beach then it is technically LA County.  Oh well, formalities :-)  I'd say come here and have a good time.  At least try it once.  You'll see a mixed bag of people.  All they have are waitresses... a bevy of women; I guess they like their women there.  And you know what happens when you're in an establishment with mainly female employees?  Chatter... lots of chatting.  I've had days where I've gone and been frustrated at all the chatting going on while my food has been ready for over 10 minutes and just... sitting there getting cold.  And I know since they cook it right there in front of me, so I'm not exaggerating.

The restaurant is right next to the Seal Beach Yacht Club.

Outdoor seating.

The Mess, one of the most-ordered dishes there.  And yes, it does look like a mess.  Not my personal favorite but a lot of people sure like it.

My Spanish Omelette.  Yeah, they aren't big on presentation here.  But the food is alright.

I don't drink coffee but I was befuddled by these creamers.  NON-DAIRY creamer?  So, first ingredients says water and second is partially hydrogenated vegetable oil.  I stopped reading there but well, went further on and man, there's so much stuff in there that isn't natural!  Yuck.

My Favorite Italian Restaurant in OC- ROMAN CUCINA!

Being a major foodie and traveler of the world, I've eaten at a lot of places.  So, naturally, a lot of my friends ask me about places to eat at.  One thing I frequently hear is that a good Italian restaurant in Orange County is hard to find!  "I've not found anywhere that's really good Italian food.  Do you know of any place, Hester?"  Yeah, I totally hear ya and I always say the same thing, "Oh my gosh, you've got to go to Roman Cucina!" 

Roman Cucina is my favorite Italian restaurant in Orange County!  And yes, I have been to quite a few so, I know my stuff.  I think their Italian food is simple, classic, and delicious.  They're reasonably priced, too, and you get a honkin' portion which is great for taking home for dinner the next night!  Honestly, complex with a bajillion ingredients doesn't always equate to fabulous.  There are four locations: Fullerton, Sunset Beach, Costa Mesa, and Laguna Hills.  I've been to three out of the four: Costa Mesa, Sunset Beach, and Laguna Hills.  Haha, I was just actually at the Costa Mesa location tonight for their Lakers Special--15% off your meal. 

All the locations are pretty much the same in that they have the same decor going on--lots of framed family pictures, flags and maps of Italy, Sinatra, Elvis....  Sunset Beach is probably my favorite just because I can inhale deeply when I'm outside and smell the salty ocean air :-)  For some reason, I like the sea air.  However, it's also the location that I went to first so there's a bit of nostalgia there.  The Laguna Hills and Costa Mesa locations are located in little strip areas but you wouldn't even know it when you enter the restaurant. 

I'm not going to write about the food here because you can read about all my food comments and descriptions in my TWO reviews for Roman Cucina here.

Here are some recommendations I'll make:

Appetizer: Caprese Salad--tomatoes, basil, and buffalo mozzarella with cheese sprinkled on top, as well, and a lovely little oil sauce at the bottom to dip your bread in.  YUM!  It's so tasty to have with the fresh-out-of-the-oven bread that they give you.  Their bread is SUPER good.  With the butter, too.  I'm going ga-ga over bread and butter but like Jacques Pepin said, "If you have good bread, good butter, and good cheese... what else is better in the world?"  Jacques, I couldn't agree more with you :-)

Other recommendations are the pasta tombrello, chicken strappato, chicken parmigiana, sausage and peppers, Tuesday special--creamy pesto with pine nuts (and you can add a protein, if you'd like), gnocchi (when it's a special), the primavera with either the red sauce or the aglio olio sauce.  Their martinis are supposed to be really good and that's great for Martini Mondays--1/2 off martinis when you get any entree.  And if you're a wino, Wednesdays are Wine Wednesdays.  It's like, 1/2 off some bottles and free corkage if you bring your own. 

The service at Roman Cucina is just IMPECCABLE.  They all work as a team.  If your drink is low and your own server is not around, someone will definitely come over and get you a refill.  However, if you get Arnold Palmers like I do, make sure to blurt that out before the dude with the pitcher of iced tea pours you a refill of just tea.  By the way, THE BEST ARNOLD PALMERS IN ORANGE COUNTY!  They do it with 3/4 lemonade and 1/4 iced tea and I always ask for lots of ice in mine.  This drink is always a winner :-)  Perfect drink aside, they are really friendly and nice people here, too.  They definitely care about your experience and hope that it's a good one!

Oh, and ladies--hot and attractive servers at all the locations.  Men, I totally understand the gag reflex if you just had one, haha.  It's a great place to go out with friends, have drinks, eat great food, and have a good time.  I actually have each location's phone number in my phone to call to see if there is a long wait.  If there is a wait at one place, I'll dial another and etc.  Yeah, I just need my weekly Roman Cucina fix that bad ;-)

Sooooo... what are you waiting for?  Roman Cucina is great for parties (I had my 19th birthday here with my fellow OCC Pirate throwers) and it's also great for an intimate, cozy dinner for two ;-)  Tonight was the first time that I went there alone... EVER.  Crazy, right?  But it was a fantastic experience, just the same.  When I've brought people here for their first time, they always LOVE IT!  And I love that, too, because I think it's great to expose people to great food.

Anyway, this post is a true testament to my love for them since I've been going for over, golly.... six years?  Dude, that's a long time.  I've been going for so long that I know a lot of the guys by their first names and some of them know my name but I think most definitely know me as the "Arnold Palmer with lots of ice, please" girl :-)  I've reviewed them twice, actually, on Yelp (the link is above).  You'll also be able to see the pictures I've taken on my reviews.

The OC Register did a "Best...of OC" survey a couple of years ago.  There were so many categories.  And what won for Best Italian Restaurant?  Geez, Olive Garden.  I'm sorry, but I'm not a fan of the Olive Garden because I've found everything to be extremely heavy there and the flavors aren't all that great!  Those salads are pre-made bagged stuff, too, ick (Roman Cucina's salads are way better).  When I saw it as the winner I knew that the majority of the people who live in Orange County are 1) morons and 2) have terrible taste buds.

PS- Their tiramisu is pretty good.  It comes out really cold from their chiller in a frosted glass.  I'd even say perhaps second best to mine.  Of course, I think mine's better because well, have you had my tiramisu???  If not, you must, and then you'll know the truth ;-)  But if I'm not around, drop by Roman Cucina, have a great dinner, and then finish it off with some tiramisu and coffee :-)

PSS- For my peeps with gluten allergies, there are quite a few dishes that you can order that don't have any gluten in them.  I know going to an Italian restaurant can be a bit of a challenge to people with gluten allergies because practically everything is made from wheat flour and has gluten in it.  So, do come and try some of their gluten-free (I don't believe they do it on purpose, but it just turns out like that) dishes.  However, always err on the side of caution and ask them about it.  I can definitely tell you this place doesn't put croutons on their salads, though, so that's a major plus!  And if you've got a dairy issue, make sure to ask if there's cheese in a dish or if they even sprinkle cheese on top.  Ask questions--they're more than happy to answer :-)

Farmers Market- 4-17-10

I find that most of the time I'm writing a blog I've got music on... perhaps it gets my thoughts flowing.  Thus, I'll share with you what song is playing to get my brain cells going :-)

Currently: "It's A Hard Life" by Queen... courtesy of my Queen Station on Pandora Radio.


Most Saturday mornings you can find me back in the UCI area.  Yes, I head back there voluntarily after a full week of being there!  There is the UCI Farmers Market on Saturday mornings from 8-12pm.  I have found it to be a suitable farmers market to attend down here in Orange County.  One of my favorite farmers markets, though, is the Thursday night Street Fair up in Downtown SLO (San Luis Obispo) :-)

So, I was there at the University Town Center this morning.  The market is on the In-N-Out side of the center.  I started off with trying out some awesome grapefruits!  There was the Oro Blanco which is sweet but has a bitter after-note.  Then there's the Star Ruby!  Apparently, they're not entirely at their peak for sweetness but it tasted great, nonetheless.  Grapefruits are great for your brain!  Maybe it'll help me absorb all this molecular biology I've been trying to diffuse into my brain just a little better ;-)  So, I did buy one of each and am excited to have them for breakfast in the next couple of days!

I passed by some AWESOME mushrooms that I just had to photograph.  Don't they look so inviting?

I finally found squash blossoms!!!!  For those of you who don't know what squash blossoms are, they are the flower of a squash, you know, zucchini?  And I thought the only place I could get them was up in SLO!  So you know that I definitely bought some!  They are fabulous stuffed with sausage and given a little fry in the pan!  I had this amazing stuffed squash blossom dish at Giuseppe's in SLO.  It was stuffed with a Merguez sausage which had a little melted cheese nugget in the center and then you dipped the whole thing in some marinara sauce.  I ate this two years ago and yet I can still remember it vividly :-)  This Giuseppe's in SLO is a fancier one than the one in Pismo that I mentioned in my asparagus blog but they are both owned by the same people.  So, I'm definitely going to try to recreate that squash blossom dish soon!  They're so beautiful!  And pretty cute, too, if you ask me, because of the little squash it's attached to!

Some pretty gigantic leeks.

Parsley parsley galore!

I think it's great to see people selling ginger that is in a suitable state to be sold in.  You want to get FIRM and HARD roots.  Actually, I take that back--ginger are a type of rhizome.  Yup, more botany and Bio185 knowledge!  Anyway, NONE of that wrinkly stuff; that means it is old.  You want firm ginger that aren't bruised, shedding/shredding apart, and I especially hate when someone has broken off a part of it :-(

These beets really called out to me.  I'm a fan of beets so when they look as lovely as these, well, how can I say no?  And the price of $2 for one bunch of three HUGE beets is great, too :-)  One beet was enough for me to make a big batch of beet chips later in the afternoon!

Have you ever had a spring onion?  I've not had one yet, that I know of.  I know I've not cooked with them before.  Perhaps I'll buy some in the future and figure something out.

I also got some fresh English peas... in their pods!  They taste so excellent after you pop them out of the pod!  I put these in my salad tonight, too.  I couldn't help but think of Gregor Mendel, though, as I was opening up pod after pod and remembering what he did with peas.  Do you remember?  The man behind Mendelian genetics, people!

I had stopped by at this European lady's booth in the middle of my stroll throughout the market.  What caught my attention was the different olive oils she was selling.  I even tasted her unfiltered olive oil; it's different.  She went on to tell me about the difference between olive oils being sold in the stores and hers.  To be straightforward- she was saying that most of the stuff in the stores is not pure, that they add other things to it.  I'm sure this is true, too.  I'll do a post on oils another time.  As good as it tasted, it wasn't as fabulous as its $15 pricetag!  Well, not for me the broke college student.  However, I did buy this EXCELLENT fresh cheese that she made!  It's a Feta cheese!  However, it's not like most Fetas because it is SUPER creamy!  It's not hard, dry, and crumbly which made my world!  I instantly knew what I was going to do with it ;-)  It was going to go with the freshly-pulled romaine lettuce I got at Kellogg Ranch across the way for an excellent salad.  Kellogg Ranch belongs to Cal Poly Pomona.  They grow all the produce that is sold there.  I seriously am thinking about stepping up and doing the same for UCI!  The market's right across the street!  We should totally grow our own produce and sell it to the masses who want fresh and locally grown products :-)