Salad daze

I've been having lots of salads lately. Although I can't quite give up my crouton addiction, I've learned how to make salads taste decent without adding too much oil--something my mother has been trying to get me to do for years. First, I've added to my vinegar collection, adding red wine vinegar to my balsamic, rice wine and white vinegars. Perhaps I'll try champagne or apple cider vinegar next. Trader Joe's seems to be a good place to buy these.

Another thing I've been doing to my salads is adding finely chopped garlic or herbs like oregano or cilantro. These seasonings really add flavor. I've also been putting in lots of fresh, crunchy vegetables like red bell peppers and little cucumbers, along with using mixed lettuces and ripe tomatoes from the farmer's market. Finally, when all else failed, the addition of lemon juice has improved my salads.

This Week's Menu

What I plan to make this week for dinner, after visiting the Santa Monica Farmer's Market on Pico yesterday and going to Trader Joe's...
Sun: Whole wheat pizza with low fat mozzarella and various toppings
Mesclun with heirloom tomatoes, balsamic vinegar with a touch of olive oil
Mon: Ground turkey spiced with cumin, garlic, and ancho chili powder
Served with small corn tortillas, cilantro, onion, and avocado
"Spicy mix" salad with tomato and yellow pepper, red wine vinegar and garlic dressing
Tues or Weds:Baked ginger scallion salmon
Fingerling potatoes and zucchini
Avocado, cucumber, and red pepper salad with lemon garlic dressing
Weds or Thu: Ginger chicken
Jasmine rice
Broccoli, zucchini, red pepper and onion saute

Update

After a short hiatus, I am back. While I was away from the blog, I went on vacation to Cozumel and Tulum, Mexico, and started a new job in a field somewhat related to gourmet food, specifically nutritional clinical trials. So far, I have learned that I need to eat many more servings of fruits and vegetables than I do now, and that I am eating too many starchy foods. I am making an effort to incorporate more lean protein in my meals, whether it be chicken breast or egg whites or non-fat Greek yogurt, to wear a pedometer, and to eat more frequent, small meals. I will keep you updated on my progress, along with bringing the regular features of "The Gourmet Gazette."

Local places to try, and a couple to return to: a list

To try:
Tender Greens in Culver City, because they might (key word) have decent salads.
Kiriko on Sawtelle-the appetizers look intriguing, especially the Ume Shisho Shirazu pasta salad.
The Calabasas farmer's market, and the Tuesday Culver City farmer's market.
Guelaguetza on Sepulveda and Palms, since it's right around the corner and word of mouth says they have really good Oaxacan food.
El Tarasco in Manhattan Beach-hole in the wall Mexican.
Indo Cafe on National; I can't remember the last time I had Indonesian food.
Musha in Santa Monica, because I love small plates.

To go back:
Sushi Zo on National, because I never thought I would crave uni or monkfish liver, and I can't stop thinking about the blue crab handroll.
To be honest, the only reason why I included this "to go back" category is my daily desire to go back to Sushi Zo. Every sad piece of fish I've had since hasn't held a candle to this place.

Sunday afternoon project-Creme Brulee

What I've been eating--Homemade pho...

A tortilla trick courtesy of Jack

While I used to warm flour tortillas in the microwave, yielding gummy tortillas that fell apart when I added fillings, I've since learned a new trick from Jack, who is full of tricks. Heating flour tortillas directly on the gas stove toasts the tortilla so that it is warm, slightly burnt, and delicious. Today I heated a flour tortilla using this method and ate it with hummus and some carrots on the side for lunch. Note that this technique doesn't work as well for corn tortillas, and that it is important to turn the tortilla over for even heating. I recommend using tongs to avoid toasted fingers.

From the Archives: 8/23/02

Since I have come across the archives of The Gourmet Gazette, back when it was an emailed newletter and before it became a blog, I will occasionally re-post archived editions. Below is the inaugural Gourmet Gazette.

The Gourmet Gazette Friday, August 23, 2002

Note from Editor:
This is the first issue of a weekly newsletter about food. I love cooking and eating, and I wanted to share some of my recipes with you. I’ll try to focus on quick, easy recipes that are healthy and use easy-to-find ingredients, and add occasional interviews or restaurant reviews. Tell me what you think about this premier issue at [old email address], and send me your recipes, comments, or suggestions.
Regards,
Christine T. Nguyen
***
Food of the Week
Honeydew melon is a perfect fruit for late summer. The cool, sweet, tangy fruit satisfies the hunger and thirst of late August afternoons, with its buttery and moist texture. Perfect with piquant goat cheese or prosciutto for a snack, or toss it with purple grapes, a chopped apple, a chopped orange, and lime juice for a refreshing fruit salad.
***
Recipes

Tomato Garlic Angel Hair
Boil a pot of water, then add desired amount of angel hair pasta. When cooked, add 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 clove of finely chopped garlic, two finely chopped small-to-medium tomatoes, a handful of finely chopped spinach, and 2 tbsp dried or 4 tbsp fresh parsley to pot. Toss well, salt and pepper to taste. If you prefer a more mellow garlic flavor, cook on stove for 5 more minutes on medium heat. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Spicy Basmati Rice
Sauté cumin seeds with 1 tbsp olive oil in pot until lightly toasted, stirring constantly. Add 1 cup basmati rice (brown or white), sauté for 2 more minutes, then add ½ red bell pepper, chopped, and enough water so that ½ inch of water lies over the rice. Bring to a boil, then simmer and cover for twenty minutes or until cooked. Add more water if necessary. Toss, season with salt and dash of cayenne pepper, and 1 tsp light margarine if desired. Variation: Add frozen peas instead of bell pepper.

Fast Chicken (or Tofu) Salad
Wash desired amount romaine or butter lettuce, tear pieces and drain well. Add 2 chopped Roma tomatoes and ½ chopped bell pepper. Toss with small amount of oil-vinegar or Ranch dressing. Top with sliced pre-grilled chicken (available in most supermarkets in the frozen section) or sliced marinated or Age tofu. Throw desired amount of crunchy croutons on top, or serve with toasted baguette or wheat toast.

A quick note

Although I had planned to write a series on the "best burger in LA", I haven't been eating burgers lately, but instead have opted for truly excellent green mango salad and duck curry from Thai Boom in Culver City. Thus the burger post may come eventually, should I run across an appropriately delicious burger. I will also write about cha gio at a future moment, when all my thoughts about cha gio have been collected and I throw out vitriolic comments about non-rice paper wrappers. In the meantime, I write about strawberries in the springtime, below, and about other enjoyable morsels that come my way...

Spring strawberries

If I had to pick a favorite fruit, it would have to be strawberries. I love their sweetness, fragrance, the beautiful red color, and the tiny, crunchy seeds. My mother used to slice strawberries, making sure to carefully remove the stem at the top, place a little sugar over them, and stir, creating a sweet and juicy mix of strawberries that she would place in a bowl with flowers along the edge. Now that it's spring again, I'm starting to see strawberries in the produce section of markets, and have an inkling to drive up to a fruit stand I saw a few months ago in Calabasas, right up the ridge from the ocean in Malibu, or go to the Santa Monica Sunday Farmer's Market. According to this link, strawberries fall under "What's Fresh", along with tangerines, asparagus, artichokes, cherries, fava beans, blueberries, green garlic, avocados, fresh herbs, radishes, and cherimoyas. Such are the sweet rewards of California in the springtime.