What to do with too much basil

For Christmas, my husband's brother and his brother's girlfriend gave us an "Aerogarden", which grows plants indoors using dripping water, lights, and packets of "nutrients". Right now we have parsley, mint, purple and green basil, thyme, and dill growing like crazy. Here are some things I've done with the mountains of basil we have:

1) Hand-cut pesto: chop a bunch of basil, a handful of pinenuts, and two garlic cloves together finely on a chopping block. Add to pasta with a generous dash of salt and oil if desired.

2) Basil, eggplant hummus, and cheese sandwich: Take a piece of Milton's whole wheat bread (or another sliced bread around 100 calories) and cut in half. Spread 2 tablespoons of eggplant hummus (from Trader Joe's) onto the bread and throw on 4 basil leaves cut in thin slivers. Also place one piece of reduced fat cheddar (cut in half first, then stack the halves) in the sandwich. Now cut the sandwich in two small halves for a delicious, approx. 220 calorie sandwich.

3) This eggplant "pasta" from Alton Brown is pretty good, and if you cut the oil down to one tbsp and use 1/4 cup half and half instead of 1/2 cup cream, it's not too bad for you: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_17752,00.html

4) I just opened my fridge and found two containers of tofu set to expire this month. One basil dish I am planning is an eggplant, basil, and tofu stirfry--one of my favorite Thai dishes.

The Petite Pantry in Bishop, CA

There is a place where there are always fresh chips and salsa on the table, where the oldies station is on, and where there is plenty of reading material, from today's paper to old Field and Stream magazines to an assortment of books on how to cope with "being surrounded by idiots." Pictures of family hang on the walls and there is a list of six different pies to choose from. The price is right, the portions are huge, the food is good, and the owner takes good care of his customers, from cracking jokes to warning about the habanero hot sauce.

It can sometimes seem like restaurants are just about profit and the customer is just another number. But then I eat somewhere like The Petite Pantry, in Bishop on Route 395, where the generously sized Mexican and American dishes are made with pride and one truly feels like she is in the owner's home.

Ocean Park Cafe

Sometimes, for all its people, Los Angeles can be a lonely place. People in line at the supermarket don't chat with each other, but instead get in fights over who was first. Cars jammed on the street honk at each other and refuse to yield. Some are afraid to shake your hand because they don't want to get sick.

But I've managed to find some friendly places. On the trails in the hills, about 75% of walkers and runners will reply to a greeting. Most patrons at the farmers markets are usually smiling and not frowning. And there are a handful of restaurants with friendly servers, and where everyone seems to know each other. One of these is the Ocean Park Cafe in Santa Monica. Aside from the relaxing morning you are guaranteed have here, even when it's crowded, the food is pretty good as well. Before 9am, they have a handful of specials for around $3, including french toast, egg whites, and pancakes+eggs. But I eschew the specials for the "regular" breakfast fare--delicious breakfast tacos with fresh tasting corn tortillas and delicate avocado slices, eggs florentine with runny poached eggs and a rich, tangy hollandaise, and crispy, savory breakfast potatoes. I never feel rushed, and the waitress bakes the frosted cupcakes in the glass case.

Cauliflower au gratin

Last night, I made a cauliflower gratin, with some multicolored (yellow, white, purple) cauliflower from the farmer's market, low-fat sour cream, and milk, and shredded reduced-fat cheddar sprinked on top, baked at 375 degrees for half an hour. It was unexpectedly delicious and comforting.

Oregon Truffles at Ferry Farmers Market

The weekend when Jack and I visited my parents in San Francisco was cold and clear. We went to the Ferry Farmer's market where I became overwhelmed by the number of stands and had a breakfast's worth of free samples. In the Ferry building, we stopped at the Far West Fungi store and gave into temptation, buying a couple of Oregon truffles. In retrospect, I don't remember if they were white or black. With all the truffle oil we've been using, plus my discovery of Cypress Grove's "Truffle Tremor" cheese (all the goodness of Humboldt Fog cheese with flecks of black truffle), we were blindsided. That night, we made a feast, with breaded mustard and rosemary lamb chops, steak in a red wine sauce, and mushroom risotto. We placed thinly sliced pieces of truffle on top of the risotto.

The verdict: the truffles were very subtle in the risotto, almost indiscernable. I had to constantly sniff to catch a whiff of truffle. We left one truffle in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, the whole refrigerator reeked of truffles, and when I opened the container, my mother, standing three feet away, made a face and waved the air around. After poking around on the internet, it appears the truffle had ripened overnight. It's unfortunate that we didn't cook with the ripened truffle that day, as we fled down I-5 that afternoon. But now we know that truffles may be best when ripened, and know where to find them for a relatively reasonable price.

Black truffle oil

It's the end of the week and raining today--just another excuse to use the $12 black truffle oil from Surfa's, a local restaurant supply/gourmet food store. I've used it so far over homemade macaroni and cheese, oyster mushroom risotto, Humboldt Fog cheese, and a great Eric Ripert cod and white beans recipe I found online at www.chowhound.com. The trick is using a small amount so the odor of truffles is enticing, not overwhelming. I'm thinking about using it in one of the following items: scrambled eggs, homemade white pizza with whole wheat crust, or a crostini with fresh ricotta cheese and a baked tomato (a snack I ripped off from 'Ino in Manhattan).

On a similar note, I'm looking forward to visiting Northern California next month. Among all the great food (eg The Cheese Board, my mom's pho, and Zachary's pizza), I love the San Francisco Ferry Farmer's Market and want to investigate the price of domestic truffles there.

Sabor a Mexico

Too much rice, too many beans, too much cheese "product" (that slab of melted orange stuff). These are some of the faults of some inexpensive Mexican places nearby, where the food comes
overcooked, obscured by sauces, out of proportion and shining with grease with nary a vegetable to be seen. On the other hand, many sit-down Mexican restaurants in West Los Angeles have overly long waits for $10 mediocre burritos and crowds of hipsters.
Faced with this problem, and wanting something new, I went to www.chowhound.com. Various posters extolled the virtues of Sabor a Mexico, at 8940 National near the intersection with Venice, so I decided to give it a try.
While walking into this small and very clean restaurant, I saw a woman making fresh tortillas. The large menu, written in neat, colored chalk, overwhelmed me as my mind swam with decisions. Forget the diet, I thought, as I ordered a quesadilla "en estilo DF" (distrito federal or Mexico City-style) with zucchini flowers ($2.75) and a tostada with beef picadillo ($3.50). We asked for water, and the cashier apologized for the different sized cups of water she gave us. The next stop was the salsa bar, which contained the following salsas: tomato, tomatillo, chipotle cream, avocado, pico de gallo, and hot (red), along with cilantro, onions, cucumber, and pickled carrots and jalapenos. With a few chips, I felt like that could be a meal alone. Sitting in the comfortable wicker seats outside on the fairly quiet street near the 10 freeway, I almost forgot I was in Los Angeles.
The cashier brought the food out on blue ceramic plates. My quesadilla was folded and about the size of a hard taco shell, with shredded iceberg lettuce piled on top with a smattering of queso fresco. The tortilla was fresh and lightly fried, but the best part was the flavor and the perfectly cooked texture of the zucchini blossoms inside. The tostada had a shell with a light spread of black beans, followed by juicy, lightly spiced ground beef, a lot of lettuce, some fresh cream, and a few small slices of avocado. Jack got a carne asada burrito (around $5), which had tender and flavorful beef with a reasonable--but not excessive--amount of rice and beans.
I felt that the cook had high standards for her cooking, since none of the food was too salty or spicy, but was seasoned enough and her presentation was picture worthy--something I may capture with a camera at a repeat visit.

Frozen banana

Today I had a half a banana for a snack and froze the other half, not knowing what to expect. Just a few minutes ago I took it out of the freezer and discovered a sweet, cold, and creamy treat, reminiscent of banana-flavored frozen yogurt. Now I know what to do with over-ripe bananas (besides throw them away)...

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