Whole30 (#2) for Immunity

By Steph Farrar

Recently I was diagnosed with a common autoimmune disorder called Hashimoto's, chronic inflammation of the thyroid. I know, I rolled my eyes too when I got the news of antibodies present in my blood, antibodies whose levels are gradually going up. After a follow up blood draw, and the news that selenium intake and mild diet changes didn't affect my levels, I decided to go full elimination (well not full, that's just too crazy for someone with the lower levels I'm experiencing.)

In lieu of jumping on a medical train, I'm adjusting diet and limiting stress (is that possible?) and retesting my blood levels in a few weeks. I've read and been told that eliminating gluten and dairy is a great first step, so I figured why not get rid of booze and sugar while I'm at it? I'm crossing my fingers diet helps reduce the inflammation and I can avoid taking drugs to aid my issue. 

I love being in control, hence a Whole30, or my version of it. 

Egg white scramble with turkey sausage, tomato and fresh basil ~ Heat a tbsp olive oil over medium heat and brown sausage, remove from pan. Add cut tomatoes to hot pan and cook for a minute, return sausage to pan, cover in beaten egg whites (or whole eggs) and scramble for about 1-2 minutes. Top with freshly torn basil.

I'm sharing my previous two weeks of recipes and a shopping guide to successfully complete the first half of your Whole30. I'm currently on Day 17, over halfway!! I'll share more recipes at the end as well. I finished a Whole30 last year and felt nothing short of amazing and 11 pounds lighter upon completion - read here about my first experience. Yes you're going to feel tired, you'll feel bloated, and you'll feel like you climbed Mt. Shasta once you're done. But it'll be worth it. Just don't celebrate with a whole bottle of champagne. Start with a glass! And make sure you slowly reintroduce foods. I'm serious. 

Zoodles with Turkey Bolognese ~ with a spiralizer, spin four zucchini into zoodles to whatever width you prefer, add a nice layer of salt and let them sweat in a colander over the sink while you make the sauce. For the sauce, heat a tbsp of olive oil over medium/high heat and brown your turkey (or chicken or beef). Remove from pan and drain excess fat, if any. Add another glug of olive oil and one finely chopped onion along with 3 cloves chopped garlic, cook for about 3 minutes. Add meat back to pan, along with a 28 oz can hand crushed tomatoes. Add salt and pepper and chopped herbs like basil, thyme, oregano, and parsley to pot and simmer for 30 minutes. Heat another pan with a tbsp olive oil and add zoodles, cook briefly to heat. Top noodles with sauce, fresh basil and crushed red pepper flake.

I'm a huge fan of zucchini, especially since I now get a weekly box of fruits, vegetables, and eggs from Out of the Box Collective. Can't suggest their produce enough for Southern Californians. If you struggle to make it to the Sunday farmer's markets while chasing your two insane kids around the neighborhood, this service is for you. 

Chicken Stir Fry ~ (Substitute coconut aminos for soy sauce, or Tamari for gluten free) recipe here.

Malibu Salad ~ Enjoy a light salad with crunchy Romaine lettuce, fresh tomatoes, cut cucumber and celery, shredded carrots, rotisserie chicken, peaches and Whole30 approved prosciutto. Add some salt pepper and use mustard for dipping! And always avocado if you have one.

Summer is a very busy time for us, as I'm sure it is for most peeps, whether you have kids or not. Either you're having way too much fun at the beach sipping on Rose' and balancing when to visit your therapist or pilates class (jerk) or you're managing four schedules, two adult's jobs, nannys, a social life, laundry and feeding humans. I'm the latter, clearly. And sometimes a plate of grab-and-go goodies does the trick. We get to spend time here and there in Malibu with Sam's parents, so Pearly always spoils us with the freshest of ingredients. And blue and white everything. 

Pretty and pretty easy ~ soft scrambled farmer's market eggs with fresh strawberries and blueberries along with a Califia Farms unsweetened almond milk cappuccino. Breakfast doesn't have to be hard, but can be hearty. Heat olive oil on medium / low heat and slowly scramble eggs until softly formed, don't overcook. Season with salt and pepper. Add avocado for a yummy fat.

Roasted sweet potatoes with over-easy egg and avocado ~ YES, you can have sweet and regular potatoes!!!! Cut sweet potato into cubes and combine with a few glugs of olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme. Roast for 30-40 minutes at 400 degrees (I like them crispy). Top sweet potatoes with over-easy egg and fresh avocado. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flake.

This kind of detox really doesn't seem like you're missing much. Once you get into the groove, you forget that grains, gluten, a glass of wine, and cheese (the hardest for me) aren't in your system (kind of). You just feel so damn good, and so full, that it doesn't phase you. I swear. And It isn't forever. It's just 30 days. Don't forget that you're being good to yourself today. Also be reminded you will sleep the way your body is meant to... well, long and heavy. And you won't wake up in the middle of the night. Without sugar... I swear it's the enemy... our bodies are free. 

Whole30 Greek Salad ~ In a bowl, combine Romaine (or leafy greens), cut tomato, red pepper, cucumber, black olives, red onion, cooked chicken, avocado and top with slivered almonds. For your dressing, combine, 3 tbsp olive oil with 1.5 tbsp of balsamic oil, a dollop of mustard, salt and pepper and emulsify until combined. Or you can use a store bought balsamic vinaigrette without sugar added like Tessemea's.

When I have an organizing job (yes, I do that too), I always take my lunch with me so I don't have to stop for a break. The hours fly by when you're helping someone purge, and a quick salad is easy to chomp on while reorganizing a pantry. Grab some almonds and an apple and you're good until dinner. 

Take it easy on the nuts. They are NOT a low calorie food. 

Malibu Salad 2 ~ Another Malibu spread. I'm obsessed with pickles and olives. Don't be afraid to use these as your salt. Crisp romaine lettuce, fresh peaches, cut carrots and pickles, served with smashed avocado with lime, salt and pepper. I make little wraps with the ingredients. A Whole30 taco! And I never forget a La Croix. Why didn't I buy stock?

Baked eggs with leeks, mushrooms and thyme ~ Another oldie but goodie. Don't overcook the egg if you like them runny. Top with fresh thyme, salt and pepper. Recipe here. Make sure your hot sauce is sugar-free.

I forget how much I love mushrooms sometimes. They aren't a go-to for me, like tomatoes or cabbage, carrots or even beets. The earthiness works so well with the fatty, runny egg and one of my favorite onion flavors, leeks. And thyme, all the time (dork). 

Cedar planked salmon with cucumber jalapeño salad ~ Soak your cedar plank for as long as possible, at least 6 hours. Heat your grill. Generously salt and pepper both sides of salmon and place on cedar plank, skin side down. Grill for 13-16 minutes, but don't overcook. Salad recipe here. Make brown rice if you're gluten not grain-free. For tomatoes and asparagus, combine 3 tbsp olive oil with three minced cloves of garlic, salt and pepper. Quickly whisk for about 30 seconds. Combine with both asparagus and tomatoes and place on cooking sheet. Roast for 18 minutes on 400 degrees while salmon cooks on the grill.

It seems like a lot of eggs. It is. They're my favorite. Just take a break when you can. No one ever said you can't have salad for breakfast. 

Spinach frittata with turkey bacon and tomatoes ~ This can last you a few meals, by the way. heat oven to 400 degrees. Bring 1 tbsp olive oil to medium heat and add turkey sausage until cooked through. Remove from pan. Add a little more olive oil, add tomatoes and cook for one minute, add spinach and cook until wilted, another minute. Add sausage back to pan and combine. In a bowl, beat 6-9 eggs (depending on how thick you'd like your frittata) with salt and pepper. Add to pan and coat all ingredients evenly. Cook on medium low until egg sets. Place in oven for 18-25 minutes, until egg is set and cooked through. Remove and let cool slightly. Serve with salsa and / or hot sauce and avocado (of course).

I love any combination of frittata as you can grab it from the fridge, heat it up quickly and run out the door with your robe on, hair wet, and no bra. If you want to know what most mornings look like around here, there you go. 

Turkey Chili (with or without white beans) ~ Skip the shredded cheddar, sour cream and corn chips and you're Whole30 compliant. And then cry. Turkey chili recipe here, but leave out the white beans. And cry again.

Let's not forget soups. You can have soup for almost every meal here if you want. The next few weeks I'm going to play around with some new soup ideas. It's been a stretch to go there, since it's been 110 freaking degrees this week. And without a baguette to dip, my heart breaks a little. But this turkey chili is extremely filling and can last a few meals, like the frittata. 

I hope these recipes inspire you to give the Whole30 a try. Or at least give hope that this kind of detox is possible. In the meantime, while you're deciding whether or not to commit, eat that chili with beans and cheese, sour cream and a beer. Do it for me. 

Below is a shopping list to get you started. Beware of Whole30 snacks like nuts, dried fruit, Larabars, and Power Snacks. These calories will creep up on you and aid in bloating. 

See you in two weeks, with a glass of wine. 

2 week Whole30 Shopping List

Proteins:

• 2 dozen organic brown eggs

• 2 lbs. ground turkey / beef / chicken (or combination)

• 1 cooked rotisserie chicken

• 1 lb. turkey sausage

• 1.5 lbs. boneless skinless chicken

• 1.5 lbs. wild salmon

• prosciutto

• 1 lb. sliced deli chicken (no sugar)

Vegetables / Fruits:

• tomatoes

• 4-6 zucchini

• 2 large onions

• head garlic

• head green cabbage

• shredded carrots

• 3 red peppers

• scallions

• 2 sweet potatoes

• spinach

• mushrooms - large cremini or button

• 2 leeks

• romaine lettuce

• 2 cucumbers

• celery

• avocado (at least 3)

• bunch asparagus

• jalapeno

• lemons / limes

• strawberries / blueberries

• 3-4 peaches

• cantaloupe

Spices / Herbs / Pantry

• basil

• cilantro

• thyme

• cedar planks

• coconut aminos

• almond milk

• almonds / variety of nuts

• olives

EAT UP!!!!

And let me know how it's going please. I LOVE COMMENTS!!!!

Noodles and a Marathon

By Steph Farrar

(Marathon length post, so SPOILER)

It all started Alumni Weekend, last October 2015, 20 years after high school. I stayed with one of my oldest and dearest friends on Lookout Mountain, TN, where I was raised well, even after all the middle-of-the-night sneak outs and kissing boys, smoking cigarettes unwell. I drove into town from Atlanta with another high-school sister, my senior roommate, the only year I boarded away from home. When driving North to Chattanooga, you round a corner directly under Missionary Ridge and just beyond the bend, a great looming, vast city, bordered by mountains, hills, and ridges announces itself to you.

And when we came upon that reveal, we hurrayed. It was actually quite comforting that we were happy to be back. Nearing the end of our thirties, it's basically an even playing ground now. We're almost (if not) mid-life, searching for answers, for purpose and meaning. And it's just now getting a little easier to accept that I'm not 25 anymore.

But it still hurts.

However, not quite as much as a half-marathon. So I have Kathleen of Lookout Mtn. to blame for the pain. As well as the achievement. After our athletic years in high school, both runners, and after the reunion, she signed me up for the Vancouver Seawheeze half-marathon in August of 2016.

Signing your friend up for a half marathon is kind of like giving someone a fish for their birthday. Like, ugh... I have to deal with this now. I have to train, book a ticket and inevitably run 13.1 miles?  But damn if it didn't pay off (not that a fish really pays off; it's a pain in the ass actually.) But finishing 22k? That's some will power, Jedi mind shit. And I'll never regret a single step.

Bucket List

I don't care if you worked out today. One of my favorite lines is, "I don't want to hear about your workout unless you fell on the treadmill and broke your face." But I'm sorry to report I am here to brag. One bucket list item checked off, completing a half-marathon before 40. Because I'm an idiot. And I like any kind of adrenaline rush, like a runner's high. Ask me about bungee-jumping off a freestanding gondola in Interlocken over turf, or paragliding off a low Lake Tahoe ravine. Good move dummy.

So...this is our Before.

The Starting Line is nearing and the pressure and excitement is everywhere. It's infectious. There is no way I'm not gonna finish this race.

I love the marooned lady in the forefront, hands on her friends shoulders. A lovely, human moment.

I can say one thing about Vancouver.

Canada.

God I love Canada. It's so clean. Calm. Generous. Warm. Even though it's usually freezing. They're all just SO NICE.

If you're going to run 22 kilometers on a Saturday morning, it might as well be somewhere breathtakingly beautiful. It's difficult to shoot good photos while jogging, but I tried. I met Vancouver downtown at the impending Starting Line. I greeted this city one mile at a time; throughout the riverwalk, over and back along an extra long bridge with elevation on both ends, mermaids, surf sirens, a guy manning one of those water hover suits holding a sign of encouragement, pumper-uppers on stationary bikes, inching us 1k closer, a sign which read "Ryan Gosling is waiting with a puppy and a beer in 5K. You can do it!" and most importantly, a GREAT playlist.

There are some people who crave camera time. And some who'd prefer to remain behind, masked, private. (I tend to shift but in this case...) you would have to pay me to dress up like a mermaid, paddle board on a melted glacier in a Grecian robe, or sky rocket in a hover-water IronMan suit... with the goal of encouraging half-marathoners to finish strong. I would just rather run the marathon.

I must admit, their presence was passionate; the demonstration of art as a means to support and encourage was invigorating. And I believe I finished because of that support. My legs were little fried chickens.

But the end was near.

I took pictures of two meals from my time in Vancouver. After 13.1 miles of running, we walked four miles around the city, landing at The Noodle Bar, chowing on the BEST spicy Kung Pao Chicken and reminiscing how brave and successful we were. It's not even noon and we already made 30k Steps. So we ate whatever we wanted. And had Oysters, Beef Carpaccio and (I had a) Cabernet from Miku for dinner.

It looked like this:

then this...

then this...

then these amazing kung pao noodles and a cold beer:

Kung Pao Vancouver

then dinner at Miku... after a four mile site-seeing journey.

In my life, I've had some very proud moments... times when I've surprised myself with some level of success. Winning our Region Pentathlon as a junior, summiting Mt. Shasta summer before my senior year, shaking David Letterman's hand after performing with Weezer, Marrying the love of my life, birthing two watermelons, finishing a Whole30... and completing a half marathon.

Celebrating these moments, these successes has been paramount. I want to run the Malibu half marathon in November so I can power shove a huge bowl of carbonara into my mouth, from the local Italian eatery Tra Di Noi. Sign me up.

And keep these moments coming.

Kung Pao Chicken

stolen 1000%  from Feasting at Home

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken (or sub roasted cauliflower, see notes below)

• ½ tsp salt

• ½ tsp sugar

• 1 ½ tbsp corn starch

• 1-3 tbsp peanut oil or vegetable oil for frying - optional, see notes.

• 1 red bell pepper - or handful dry red Chinese chilies (see notes)

Kung Pao Sauce:

• 1 ½ tsp chopped ginger

• 1 ½ tbsp chopped garlic

• 2 tbsp water

• 2 tsp fish sauce

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tbsp oyster sauce

• 1 tbsp vinegar (black vinegar if you have it, or use rice or white)

• 1 tbsp sugar

• 1 tbsp garlic chili paste (Sambal chili paste)

Garnish: roasted peanuts, green onion (sliced at a diagonal), lime, raw bean sprouts

Cooked noodles (2-3 servings), rice noodle or rice

Directions:

If making noodles or rice, get them cooking.

Cut chicken into ¾ inch cubes and place in a bowl. Add the salt, pepper, sugar and cornstarch to the chicken and toss.

(Alternately -- if using cauliflower, roast cauliflower florets in a 450 F oven for 25-30 minutes, with olive oil, salt and pepper)

Chop ginger, garlic and thinly slice red bell pepper into thin strips.

Measure all the condiments and place in a small bowl (water, soy, fish sauce, oyster, vinegar, sugar and garlic chili paste) and give a quick stir.

Heat oil in a wok over medium high heat, and when its hot, brown the chicken, turning, tossing and cooking through about 5 minutes.

Turn heat off and place crispy chicken on a plate lined with paper towels, blot.

Wipe out wok, add 1 tablespoon oil and heat over medium heat.

Add the red bell pepper and sear over medium heat until tender and just slightly charred in places, about 3-4 minutes. Make a well in the center of the bell peppers, add the ginger and garlic and sear (keeping them in the center), cooking and stirring 2 minutes until they are fragrant and golden. You may need to add a few more drops of oil.

Add the small bowl of mixed sauces to the wok and bring to a simmer, lower heat, then place the cooked chicken (or roasted cauliflower) back into the sauce and toss well, coating it and heating it back up. Serve over rice, noodles, or add the cooked noodles directly into the wok and sear them for a minute or two. Serve immediately.

Garnish with roasted peanuts, sliced scallions, lime and raw bean sprouts.

Notes:

If subbing with crispy tofu, prepare it in the same way as the chicken, blot, cut into small cubes, coat with salt, pepper, sugar and cornstarch (you may want to use a little more cornstarch) , and fry in the wok until crispy. Then set aside. (Alternatively, you could use "baked tofu" and not fry it, adding it at the end into to the sauce.)

*For a lighter version, use roasted cauliflower instead of chicken and add it to the wok with the sauce (at the very end). You, of course, can also add other cooked veggies, tossing with the flavorful sauce. You can sub another sweetener for the sugar, like agave, maple or honey, but flavors won't be balanced if you leave it out altogether.

*If you use the whole head of cauliflower, you may want to increase the Kung Pao sauce by half so make 1 ½ times the recipe). 

*Traditional Kung Pao also includes a handful of red, dried Chinese chilies (Thai red chilies are too spicy) . I usually toss these in at the end with the garlic and ginger, but in this recipe you don't really don't need to because of the chili garlic paste. If you do choose to use the dried chilies, add them in right after the the ginger and garlic, and decrease the garlic chili sauce in the recipe.

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Everyday Whole Grains; Part 1

By Steph Farrar

One half of French and Farrar, me ... Steph ... is 5 days into an elimination diet called the Whole30. Two days ago, day 3, I was feeling strangely hungover and sluggish after wiping all traces of sugar, grains, dairy and alcohol from my system. My first thought upon waking up that day was, "what the hell am I doing?" and "I didn't drink last night, did I?" and "isn't this cleanse supposed to make me feel better?" Then I channeled an incredible Sunday, two weeks ago, where I indulged in delicious, healthy whole grains, drank Rose' and played in the kitchen with friends. Only 25 more days to go, and until then, I'll reminisce.

Sierra and I had the pleasure of hanging in my kitchen with the lovely Ann Taylor Pittman, executive editor of Cooking Light Magazine. She visited to cook a few recipes with us from her excellent, beautifully composed, and informative new cookbook Everyday Whole Grains.

Savory and Sweet Buckwheat Cereal

Ann, Sierra and I immediately jumped into getting to know each other while sharing knives and swapping stories. You can never really tell how well you might or might not get along with someone you've never met, but after mere minutes in the kitchen together, a friendship was born. Born over delicious, clean food. The first recipe is a simple Hot Buckwheat Cereal. In Ann's book she points to the savory option. We decided to throw in a sweet version, which makes for a great brunch bar, when adding fresh berries, honey and/or maple syrup. You could even add brown sugar and a little cream if you wanted to get crazy (that sounds so good to me right now).

He chose sweet - big surprise

Flynn liked it too. He literally ate the entire bowl.

Next we got really excited to stink up my house with the smell of roasted cauliflower. Tip: if you're ever having company, I suggest baking something like brownies or cookies... or even sautéing onions and garlic for that "wow, it smells so good in here" entrance. With the cauliflower, folks will enter to the sweet smell of dirty socks. Or feet. Or simply the smell of cauliflower.

This is almost the exact moment I cracked open a bottle of Rioja Rose'. We didn't even need an icebreaker, but for an afternoon hanging in the kitchen, without the stress of serving anyone, Rose' was the perfect complement.

The cauliflower is roasted, the berries are cooked and pat dry and now covered in a bit of tahini dressing. It all comes together beautifully. This is one of the easiest and tastiest salads I've ever eaten. One I will make often. Once I can eat damn grains again. So May it is!

Serve it up and chill

Thanks to sweet Ann for joining us in the kitchen and teaching us such yummy recipes. And to Zoe and Harry for helping out with photos and chasing Flynn around while we dined, dished and drank!

Savory and Sweet Buckwheat Hot Cereal

Recipes from Ann Taylor Pittman's Everyday Whole Grains

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup cooked creamy buckwheat hot cereal

• 1 center-but bacon slice, cooked and crumbled

• 2 tbsp. reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese

• 2 tbsp chopped tomato

• slivered jalapeno pepper

• 1/2 cup mixed strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries

• 1 tbsp honey

• 1 tbsp maple syrup

Recipe:

Savory - Top cooked cereal with bacon, tomatoes, cheese, and jalapeños... add a pinch of salt and pepper if needed.

Sweet - Top cooked cereal with berries and honey or syrup.

Each serves 1

Kamut Salad with Roasted Cauliflower and Avocado

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup uncooked Kamut berries

• 4 cups cauliflower florets

• 2 tbsp evoo, divided

• Cooking spray

• 2 tbsp tahini

• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

• 2 tbsp warm water

• 3/4 tsp Kosher salt

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 1 garlic clove, grated

• 2 1/2 ounces baby arugula

• 1 ripe, peeled avocado, thinly sliced

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

Cook Kamut according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain again and spread evenly on paper towels to dry.

While Kamut cooks, combine cauliflower florets and 1 tbsp of oil on a foil-lined jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Toss well to coat. Roast at 475 degrees for 15 minutes or until browned and crisp-tender.

Combine 1 tbsp oil, tahini, lemon juice, the warm water, 1/2 tsp salt, pepper, and garlic in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Toss cauliflower with 1 tbsp of dressing. Add Kamut and arugula to bowl with remaining dressing, toss gently to coat.

Arrange 1 cup of Kamut mixture onto each of 4 plates; divide cauliflower and avocado evenly over servings. Sprinkle avocado with 1/4 tsp salt.

Serves 4

IMG_8681

One Pot.

By Steph Farrar

One of something. One of anything. One of one thing! Let's keep it simple. That's my motto. A one-pot meal always works. For everyONE.

So here are two pretty pictures of the same thing.

I've been inspired by my girlfriends lately, which is not unusual. Most recently, by their strength and wisdom, and fearlessness. By the way life is treating them, and how they are acting and then reacting to curveballs, which seem to come on all forms and from all directions.  This is a lady clan of rare weaknesses. And said lady clan deserves a break.

Yesterday was International Women's Day and Sierra and I celebrated by working for several hours, then finished off a successful Wednesday over a bottle of chilled Sauvignon Blanc. Because we deserved it. Sipping a crisp white to the soundtrack of three screaming children jumping on a trampoline is my idea of winding down. Maybe not Sierra's, but we both carried our smiles as long as the great joy of jumping lasted.

Here I find myself a day late in celebrating the other women in my life. The moms, the old friends, the new friends, the acquaintances, the school buddies... the pounding wonder of how any of us do this thing called life is beyond me. No one really tells you (or more likely, you don't listen) when you're young to fully embrace it. Wear sunscreen to avoid the brown spots, use moisturizer to avoid those lines, eat well and move to keep trim and healthy... Don't be a jerk, work hard and play harder, but sleep as much as you can. Marriage is tough, kids are really tough, save your money but splurge when you must... on and on and on.

Make your life easier in any way you can. Make dinner and only use one pot. Please listen to this one.

Tomatoes this time of year are not great. See above.

But damn they taste good, mixed down in a creamy onion garlic sauce, peppered with fresh basil and tender al dente spaghetti. Let's eat out of season if we must. And not worry about it too much. Let's not be too perfect. Or precious. This is food. This is basic. This is simple subsistence.

Since the hubby is out of town on tour, I've already made this twice in ten days. This recipe makes enough for four very hungry people, so needless to say, it lasted me and the kids three days.

Seems like there is an International something Day, every day. Women share it with pancakes. I love pancakes, don't get me wrong. But seems like we at least deserve a day of our own. Or a week. Even a month. A long month.

Shout out to all my ladies. My lovely lovely ladies. I'd be lost without you.

One Pot Tomato Pasta

Martha Stewart's vintage recipe

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces linguine, spaghetti or bucatini

• 12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered if large

• 1 onion, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)

• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

• 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

• 2 sprigs basil, plus torn leaves for garnish

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

• 4 1/2 cups water Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions: 

Combine pasta, tomatoes, onion, garlic, red-pepper flakes, basil, oil, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and water in a large skillet. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil mixture, stirring and turning pasta frequently with tongs, until pasta is al dente and water has nearly evaporated, about 9-10 minutes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper, divide among 4 bowls, and garnish with basil. Serve with shaved Parmesan.

Chicken Lettuce Cups

By Steph Farrar

This week, my post was going to be ... a glass of wine. How to open it, pour it, and drink it.

And then I remembered, most people reading this already know how to do that. And do it well.  So I decided not to waste your or my time.

I've been to an Urgent Care or doctor's office 6 times in the last two weeks with one or both kids. So I've gotten VERY good at opening and drinking wine. I thought I could share my expertise, but again, unnecessary.

Lay it all out there

Lately, I've noticed a common theme among friends regarding the kitchen, cooking, hosting, prepping, serving. More often than not, folks are genuinely scared of cooking. I think more appropriately stated, they're scared of failing at cooking. The stakes are high when you make the decision to invite people over and serve them, or whip up dinner for your best friend, or even to spend the afternoon recipe-testing on your own. It can be expensive, it's definitely time consuming, and it will absolutely destroy a clean kitchen. Unless you're Type A or have a live-in housekeeper.

Red Onion or Shallots - your choice

And then I started thinking about this blog and our input and impact. Truthfully, I should make all of my pictures look as terrible as my kitchen looks while cooking up these recipes before, during and after. Clearly these are staged food photos to help you understand the process, break down the ingredients, see how I chopped, minced, or diced etc. But am I giving off the wrong impression? Am I making it too staged, too set up, too perfect? (which is kind of a joke anyway, as I'm no photographer)

It's anything less than perfect. It's a process. And it's really not scary.

Shrooms

So, new mission. Make cooking less scary. For instance, this recipe is literally nothing more than adding a few things to a bowl and combining, cutting up some protein and vegetables, and throwing it all in a hot pan. Then spooning it all into a piece of crunchy lettuce. That's it.  Not. So. Scary.

Get it all in a pan. Watch it work for you.

There's so much that fills me with fear.

Bringing up two little ones in a world that's getting hotter and heavier with time? Anxiety inducing. Driving through a canyon in the rain at night, alone? Terrifying.

But cooking? Especially home cooking? Nah. I'm not trying to be Anthony Bourdain, Nigella, Bobby... I won't pretend I belong in a professional kitchen.

But I try every day. And if you can afford the time and groceries, you should try as often as you can as well. Even if it fails, who knows? You might enjoy it!

Chicken Lettuce Cups

stolen from Epicurious

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

• 2 tablespoons clear rice vinegar

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced

• 1/3 cup red onion,minced

• 1 cup chopped button mushrooms

• 1/2 cup water chestnuts, minced

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, minced

• 8 to 10 inner leaves iceberg or butter lettuce

• Handful of fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

Directions:

Combine the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, salt, and sugar in a small bowl and mix together until the sugar dissolves.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok or deep pan over high heat. Stir-fry the garlic and ginger for 20-30 seconds. Add the onion, mushrooms, and water chestnuts and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Remove the contents of the wok.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the wok. Swish the oil around, add the chicken, and brown for 2 minutes, or until no longer pink. Add the cooked vegetable mixture back to the wok, decrease the heat, and stir in the sauce mixture. Stir for 1 minute, or until the sauce is heated and the chicken is cooked through.

Spoon the filling in equal amounts into the lettuce cups. Top each lettuce cup with cilantro and sprinkle with chopped cashews. Serve warm.

White Bean and Ham Soup

By Steph Farrar

What a perfectly dark and rainy day here in Los Angeles. Perfect for my moodiness, my anxiety to accomplish much in the New Year, and for the bowl of warmth sitting in front of me.

So first of all, Happy New Year! I truly hope anyone reading this enjoyed a happy and healthy 2015. It came, it went, and now it's time to move forward. The first work week of the year seems to be dragging, along the three-foot-deep flooding stream down Laurel Canyon near our home. Dragging toward lofty yet attainable goals, a restructure of commitments and desires.

What is it about a new year that gets everyone up and running a few days a week? What is it other than just, in this year's case, a Thursday come Friday? Even Oprah, the Oprah, is finally joining the Weight Watchers team (granted she also bought 10% of the company) with her tag "if not now, when?"

And I kind of love it.

Heavenly leftovers

More easily said than done, but to me, we should always feel pushed toward greatness, toward our goals, our dreams. I know it sounds stereotypical (even hokey), but when did I somehow forget to listen to the dreams I have at night, or truly acknowledge the ambitions and wonderment of ideas that come to me regularly? Maybe it was having kids, or listening to other people's opinions before my own, or even a complete fear of success. Of course now, all that matters is this very day. I can worry about tomorrow, tomorrow.

Prettiest Parsley

Don't get me wrong, I'm a planner. All I do is plan. Plan the family schedule with school and playdates and classes, plan parties, plan what to feed four people at least five times a week, plan our social life, plan our vacations (if we can ever take one), plan how to get my career up and running again.

Plan. Plan. Plan.

I remember in my early twenties all I had to worry about was me and my dog, and getting to work on time. And that was enough. And it was great. I was broke but happy. I was happy but very curious. I was curious but afraid. Afraid, but not too scared to try.

Mirepoix

So dammit, 2016 is the year of pretending I'm still that 22-year-old, who thought she would be Taylor Swift by now. Of course, at this point, I'd much rather be Sia. Or more suitable, Nigella Lawson. So that's my plan.

What's your plan? Float down Laurel Canyon or run up Runyon Canyon?

A collection of beauty

I've been thinking on this post since New Year's day. And like some of you, I'm swearing off bad food and drink, welcoming health and wealth into my circle of energy... committed to it. I must gloat, last night I have never slept better. Maybe that's because after watching episodes 5-7 of the insanely riveting Making a Murderer, I'm feelingblessed to not be Steven Avery.

But that's besides an enormous point.

But seriously, I won't go pointing fingers on how you should embrace your new year. Just sharing my personal goals. And feeling damn lucky with what I do have, not focused on what I don't. Sure, I'm not on a yacht floating in the French West Indies, but I'm not under a cardboard box either.

White Bean and Ham Soup

adapted from Simply Recipes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of white beans—Cannellini or Great Northern—about 2 cups

• 2-3 (I used 2 1/2) quarts of water

• 2-3 lbs of smoked ham hocks or shanks

• 2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence - or a nice dash each of dried oregano, parsley, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, and sage

• 1 Tbsp olive oil

• 1 cup of diced onions

• 1 cup chopped celery

• 1 cup chopped carrots

• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced

• Tabasco sauce

• Freshly ground pepper

• Fresh Italian parsley

Directions:

I like to quick soak dried beans if I haven't soaked them overnight. After picking through and rinsing the beans, fill a pot large enough to hold the beans and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, then remove from heat, cover for about 1 hour. Drain the beans.

Make the ham broth while the beans are soaking. Put the ham shanks or hocks in a separate large pot and cover them with 2 quarts of water (I actually added 2 1/2 quarts of water or 10 cups). Add the Herbes de Provence or other herb mixture. Heat on high until the water comes to a simmer, then lower the heat, partially cover and maintain the simmer for about an hour.

Heat olive oil in a small sauté pan on medium high heat. Add the chopped onions and cook until translucent, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook a minute more. I actually add the carrots and celery in this step as well, and cook all four ingredients together, but you can choose to add the carrots and celery to the broth along with the beans.

Once the ham shanks or hocks have been simmering for an hour, add the drained soaked beans, the onions, garlic, celery and carrots. Cook for another 40 minutes or so, uncovered, until the vegetables are soft and the ham meat easily pulls away from the bone. Remove the ham bones from the soup and pull off any meat and return it to the soup. Discard the bones.

In this case, I actually had tons of extra ham on the bone before making the broth, so I removed it first and chopped into small cubes. I then added that chopped ham when I added the beans and vegetables. Your call... but my version turned out perfectly.

Add several drops of Tabasco. Add pepper to taste. This soup never needs salt!

Serve with a nice large pinch of chopped fresh parsley.

Get up, get ready, and go!

Skip the Mashed, go with Scalloped

By Steph Farrar

You might be thinking, well this is a little late. Wasn't Thanksgiving last week? Why didn't I know about this recipe like 10 days ago? That way I could've skipped mashing all those damn potatoes. Don't fret. I'm cooking Christmas dinner for our entire family this year, and this scalloped potato dish will reign. I still have three weeks to plan the menu, but there is no way I'd leave this recipe out.

My herbs of choice

For as long as I've lived in Los Angeles, my outrageously talented and gorgeous girlfriends have gotten together for an annual potluck Holiday party and gift exchange. Two years ago I brought this dish which was literally destroyed within minutes of counter touch-down. It is not light; it is not vegan; it is not anything other than savory perfection. And I challenge you to either complement your mashed potatoes with this recipe, or completely substitute.

Cut before thinly sliced

This year, I am hosting the gal party at our new(ish) house for Sunday brunch. It's a first; in lieu of a debaucherous, wine guzzling white elephant evening, we'll be taking down mimosas and lining up at an over-the-top Bloody Mary bar, while indulging in Joan's on Third ham and dauphinoise ficeles. My kids will be at their grandparents house for the afternoon, and I will be toasty by 3 pm. Let's get into the Holiday spirit as a team, guys.

This potato casserole always reminds me of my girlfriends and the comical memory of them stuffing their faces around a glorious Christmas tree at Meghan's then new house. I hope this memory stays with me forever and reminds me of a time when everything felt right in my world. One of those excellent, and thankfully not rare, moments where it's all good.

I'm in denial it's already December. Still trying to backtrack to the distant memory of Thanksgiving, and birthdays, and babies born, and date nights without early mornings to follow. Still trying to hold on to the past and all it brings to the present table. Still looking ahead at things to come and people to meet and grow with, new memories to make. All while staring at my wrinkling, dry hands typing at a vacant coffee shop, getting older with each sip of my cappuccino.

This is how we do

I never announced this year what I'm thankful for around our hectic Thanksgiving table. As you might expect, second to family, I am insanely grateful for my girlfriends. For how they enrich my life, and more importantly, how each of us is making a difference in the world. Making and taking steps to help our daughters and sons (and ourselves) grow up in a time and place where they completely and totally have a voice. A world where we are teaching them to look up (from their phones), pay attention, and speak up. A world that will one day, hopefully, not be quite so scary.

I do what I do for one reason. To gather around a table and share a meal with people I love and respect is truly all I need to feel fulfilled, joyful, and content.

Let's take care of each other. And gather.

Herb Scalloped Potatoes

100% stolen from Epicurious

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds medium Yukon Gold potatoes

• 1 1/2 pounds medium red-skinned sweet potatoes

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, or just use the whole damn thing

• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tbsp minced fresh Italian parsley

• 1 tbsp minced fresh rosemary

• 1 tbsp minced fresh sage

• 1 tbsp minced fresh thyme

• 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

• 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

• 1 1/4 cups (packed) coarsely grated Gruyére cheese (about 5 ounces)

Directions:

Fill large bowl with cold water. Working with 1 Yukon Gold potato at a time, peel, then cut or mandolin slice into 1/8-inch-thick rounds and place in bowl with water. Repeat with sweet potatoes. Combine cream, butter, and garlic in medium saucepan; bring to simmer. Remove from heat. Mix all herbs in small bowl. Mix sea salt and black pepper in another small bowl.

Butter a medium to large baking dish (glass is best). Drain potatoes, then pat dry with kitchen towels. Transfer half of potatoes to prepared baking dish. Use hands to distribute and spread evenly. Sprinkle with half of salt-pepper mixture, then half of herb mixture. Sprinkle with half of cheese. Repeat with remaining potatoes, salt-pepper mixture, herb mixture, and cheese. Pour cream mixture over gratin, pressing lightly to submerge potato mixture as much as possible. DO AHEAD: Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and chill. Remove plastic wrap before baking.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cover gratin tightly with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover; bake until top of gratin is golden and most of liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes; serve.

Complete!

A Simple Stir Fry

By Steph Farrar

I can't seem to say goodbye to summer. It's certainly having difficulty leaving us, based on the current temperature in late October. But I won't complain. Instead of zucchini, I'll have apples and persimmons. And those will do just fine by me.

I'd like to endlessly agree with my partner, Sierra, on the great anticipation of things to come. There's an urgency present as the year begins to wind down into the Holidays; there's a magic pulse pushing its impatience on me. There's the yoga I should be doing to relax, yet I tend to pour that third cup of coffee instead. And often, in lieu of sitting down to write, I look around our beautiful home and realize I will always want to update, change or buy something to improve it. I'm dying to plant a million new flowers and trees in the backyard, and elevate Sam's studio into a botanist's dreamscape. There will always being something to distract me. Always. So take it easy girl. One day at a time. Rome wasn't... yada yada yada.

Shredding.

A few weeks back, Sierra and I visited a dear friend at her newly renovated home, brought three bottles of wine and some groceries for this simple stir fry. Needless to say, three bottles wasn't enough.

I'm serious. And this was on a Monday. (cut to: the reason I no longer imbibe during the week, unless on vacation, a special occasion or a wrecked day deserves a kick back).

All the ingredients you need!

The early evening quickly took a turn for a late night hang and three girls devouring not only the stir fry, but each other's presence and conversation. This is, literally, besides my family, what I live for. Bringing friends together in a comfortable atmosphere, kicking off our shoes, sipping on something delicious and letting our mouths and minds wander free. To gather, to converse, to share, to let it all out. This is everything to me.

Which is the basis for our collective anticipation of such amazing things to come for French and Farrar. This is what we do... and what we should all do more often. Get together. Cook. Drink. Chat. Repeat.

This is the exact kind of "one grocery bag" meal that makes dinner so much more than just about the food.

Simple Stir Fry

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. chicken, sliced into either thin strips or small cubes, or you can cook the breasts and cut after

• 1 red pepper, thinly sliced

• 3 carrots, peeled and cut 1/4 inch, or shredded (my preference)

• 1/2 head of green cabbage, thinly sliced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/4 cup soy sauce

• 1/3 cup teriyaki sauce (optional)

• 1/4 tsp ground or dried ginger

• 1/4 cup chopped scallions

• olive oil (or canola)

Directions:

Combine soy and teriyaki sauces in a bowl, add garlic and ginger. Add the chicken to the bowl and let marinate for at least ten minutes in the fridge. The longer the better.

Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Add chicken and let cook through, about 3-4 minutes, stirring. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

Add carrots and red pepper to the pan and let soak up the juices. Cook, stirring for about 5 minutes. Add cabbage, and any remaining sauce unused from the marinade bowl.

If you want more sauce, just add soy and teriyaki in small amounts, testing it along the way. Throw the chicken in and let it all mold together, stirring often. until soft, but still painting a light crunch.

Remove from heat and serve with chopped scallions. Serve over rice if you desire or with a dash of red pepper flakes, but it certainly doesn't need it.

I can eat this five nights a week.

Tomato Cream Sauce with Orecchiette

By Steph Farrar

After a few months away from here (embarrassingly enough) I figured no better re-entry than a staple amongst tape. Tomato cream sauce with pasta, for literally everyone and everything. Welcome back to you as well.

After years working at home, while being a full-time mom, I recently landed a new job. I literally have no idea how I fit a blog post into my life, besides the fact that it's a priority.

The only two negatives of new job-ness are time away from this very site...and my family of course. Even at this very moment, while my 8-month old is crying himself to sleep, I'm still grateful for time to myself. Time to focus on progress, being a better mother, having something else to discuss at cocktail parties other than vomit, diaper changes, and milestones. So let's get to the sauce.

Simple ingredients never fail.

It's seasonally the end of summer, with the swift passing of Labor Day and a goodbye to white jeans (never in Cali), yet tomatoes are still delicious. While I used my favorite San Marzanos and a large handful of fresh cherubs, I wish I had a filling of those gorgeous heirlooms. Getting to the market lately is a privilege. However, this sauce never fails, in or out of season.

Grew that basil myself.

I'm not a big fan of sweet tomato sauce, see the Batali added carrot or Nigella added vidalia. I prefer salty, vodka-ish, closer to Ina's favorite sauce than any other. If I have to use a store-bought, I never buy anything other than Roa's Vodka Sauce, so my goal... replicate, minus vodka.

Get it in the pot and wait.

For this late summer dinner, Vesper and I had orecchiette pasta, one of my favorites... where the pasta scoops up the sauce in its little hat-ear, eats the parmesan alive and leaves it all for your buds. I wish I could say when I'm cooking I'm solely focused on the task at hand. In these brief moments of quiet calm, I steal away whatever time I have to catch up on my beloved game.

What was really happening while chopping

Tennis.

I shouldn't mention my extreme jealousy of anyone who attended the U.S. Open this year, especially because I'm married to one such person. My weeknight was so different from his.

Fave new appliance

And now for...without-shame-appliance-plug: The Baby Bullet.

It's not just for baby food, it's just cuter than the Magic Bullet. Same thing, with a smiley face. If only Flynn could have some of this sauce. He's so close to the joys of full-flavored food, yet seemingly so far. Maybe he'll be the first kid in our family to crave sushi, avocado and zucchini? Working on it with the bullet.

Pretty and pretty yummy

But maybe ground-up sushi is a no-no?

You'd think I'd have this down by now.

Tomato Cream Sauce with Orecchiette

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 onion, diced (not sweet, any but vidalia)

• 1 24 oz can San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes

• large handful fresh cut cherry tomatoes, any variety

• pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

• 1 tsp freshly chopped thyme

• 1 tsp freshly chopped basil

• 2 pats butter (2 tbsp)

• either 1/4 cup cream or fresh / prepared ricotta

• 1 package orecchiette pasta

• salt and pepper to taste

 Directions:

Heat oil at medium high heat in a Dutch / French oven or heavy bottom pan.

Add onions and garlic and cook before browning, 4-5 minutes.

Hand crush San Marzanos over heated pan. Add additional sauce and fresh tomatoes. Add red pepper flake if using.

Simmer over medium low heat for about 30 minutes.

While sauce simmers, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add a large pinch of salt, just as it begins to boil. Add pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes. Drain, set aside.

Add thyme and basil to sauce about halfway through simmering process. Once tomatoes are cooked down, add butter, and either cream or ricotta, cook an additional 5-10 minutes.

Add a healthy pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper.

In a blender, Magic Baby Bullet or any other blending appliance, add sauce in batches until slightly blended... keep some chunks!

Reheat sauce in a shallow saute pan until barley simmering. Add drained pasta to incorporate sauce, making sure every little "hat" is full of that flavor.

Top with freshly grated parmesan and a pinch more of salt. Garnish with freshly torn basil leaves.

Braised Artichokes

Artichokes

By Sierra French Myerson

I heart-a-chockes.  Yep, nothing like one of my favorite vegetables to bring out my really good “dad jokes”.  No shame here.  “What did the green bean say to the eggplant?”…ok, no, not really.

But, seriously, artichokes make me happy.  Some people don’t get them.  “Too much work with not enough payoff.”  I suppose I could understand that, what with the teeth scraping and inner beard cleaning.  Eww that sounded inappropriately dirty.  But, I dare these haters to try artichokes again in the height of their season; and, the braised way.

Trim and Halve

It was during a conversation with one of these artichoke bigots that it dawned on me…to braise.  He kept saying that except for the heart the scoured bits from the leaves tasted like nothing more than the mayonnaise in which they were dipped.  I clearly disagreed, but it got me to thinking about how to infuse flavor into the hearty veg pre-creamy sauce dunk.

Clean Out the "Beard"

This last winter, I officially became a braised chicken bitch.  At least twice a week,  I was browning and drowning my chicken thighs in lemon, wine, and aromatics, and it never got tired.  Every last bit had exceptional flavor.  Not a bland bite on the bone.  Ok, then why not mimic this with my robust friend, the artichoke?

Braising Flavor

Well, a bright idea it was!  (I know I wasn’t the first to think of it, but I’m darn pleased with myself nevertheless.)  Every drag and pull on the leaves equalled an especially flavorful morsel.  Though, I used the braising liquid to make a simple sauce to accompany the artichokes, I vote to try them first as is.  Embrace thy Mediterranean vegetable flavor bomb.

First Face-Down

Braised Artichokes

What you’ll need:

• 2 - 4 good sized artichokes, trimmed and halved lengthwise*

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1/2 cup dry white wine

• 2 cloves of garlic, smashed

• 3 lemons, juiced and halves

• Reserved 6 - 8 cups of water

• 4 - 6 Tb of butter, cold and cubed Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Heat oil in a large 8-10 quart pot over medium-high heat.  Add garlic;  cook until fragrant.  Add artichokes cut side down.  Cook for 2-3 minutes until heart is slightly browned. 

Flip over artichokes.  Add wine, lemon juice, reserved squeezed lemon halves, water to cover, and a good sprinkling of salt.  Bring to a boil.  Lower heat to a steady simmer. 

Cook artichokes until tender, about 45 minutes.  Pull off an outside leaf and test for tenderness.  Remove artichokes to a platter; cover to keep warm. 

Reserve 2 cups of the braising liquid.  Discard the rest.  Return reserved liquid to pot.  Cook at medium heat until reduced, about 15-20 minutes.  Remove from heat. 

Add butter; whisk until combined.  Season with salt and pepper.  Spoon sauce over the artichokes, or serve on the side as dipping sauce.

*Be sure to pull off all of the tough outer leaves.  They won’t soften up unless you overcook the rest of the artichoke.  I also like to remove the artichoke “beard” with a pairing knife before I cook them.  It makes for a neater eating experience.

Artichoke7

Makes 2-6 servings. I always like to make extras.  They are so good as a chilled leftover snack.

Beets and Their Greens

By Steph Farrar

I eat beets. I order beets. I generally really love beets. But I never buy them. So when they showed up on my doorstep in my Summerland box I got super excited. Especially since they're good for your liver. And my liver needs love.

We have had houseguests for almost two weeks, sadly ending a few days ago when our dear friend Kelly, in town for her baby shower, left Los Angeles for her new home in Atlanta. And before her lovely visit, my folks were here for nearly a week, spoiling us with love, groceries, and a culinary tour of L.A., also helping with an Easter party at my in-laws home in Malibu. We literally ate and drank our way around town; spoiled at Sotto, The Ivy, Tra Di Noi,Girasol, Bloom Cafe, and Paper or Plastik. I now need a girdle, a juice cleanse, and a wine break.

Enter beets.

Mama beet and baby beets

And their greens.

Greens!

Much less expensive than said juice cleanse, and in my opinion, just as good-for-you.

In my new kitchen...well new by six months... I'm fascinated by the light that comes in these windows. Even more, I'm shamefully accustomed to our warm, freakishly warm weather, when I'm able to open my side kitchen door, let the light and warmth in, and capture something as beautiful as this crimson earthy veggie; a veggie that tastes like candy.

I've said I love spinach. I love beet greens more.

Beets

It's super easy to write about beets. It's really no big deal.

My quest for a cleanse is the bigger deal. The heavier deal.

As I've aged, as I've matured and grown (I think) wiser... I've also settled into some habits I'm somewhat weary of, even scared of. Beets have brought me to my knees, on the heels of seeing many folks at the mercy of addiction, enslaved by the numbness that feels so good. I find myself, after ten months of sobriety due to pregnancy, save a glass of wine here and there, right back to my old ways. Able to drink wine like water.

And I have to wonder, is it in me? Is it a part of my genetics that makes it so easy to be superfluous? Or is it stored up thirst, after months of discipline and abstinence? Can I control it?

I don't mean to claim serious addiction, and don't want anyone to worry about me! I just ask these questions as a girl in her late thirties, getting used to bad habits, growing more and more aware of the hold these rituals have on me. And paying attention to the grip. So relax.

Beets, Greens, Garlic, Goat cheese, salt

I just added a picture to relieve some intensity.

It's truly no laughing matter, and no place for me to make light of such a heavy issue. But beets are beating me up.

If you have a friend or family member who struggles with addiction, or you yourself are struggling, check outAl-Anon or AA, or reach out to a friend, mentor, elder, church member, or anyone you can confide in.

And enjoy roasting some super healthy beets.

Roasted Beets and Greens

Ingredients:

• 3-4 beets, varying sizes

• Beet greens, clipped, leaves torn from stalks

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 2 cloves minced garlic (or 3, I'm heavy-handed with garlic)

• 1 tbsp sunflower seeds

• 1 tbsp goat cheese

• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt

• Freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Heat oven to 375.

Remove beet stems, leaving 2 inches of stem in tact, to prevent bleeding. Wash beets thoroughly and toss with 2 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt. Cover. Roast beets for 45-60 minutes or until knife-tender.

Just before beets are done, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a hot pan. Add garlic and cook for about a minute. Tear greens in 2-3 inch pieces and add to pan, sautéing until wilted, a minute or two. Season with salt and pepper.

Once beets are cool enough to handle, peel (your hands will be beautiful bright colors!) and cut into large pieces. Toss beets with a pinch of salt and sunflower seeds. Dollop with goat cheese and serve with wilted greens.

How I Love Pasta

By Steph Farrar

I'm sure I'm not the only one, but if I could eat pasta for every single meal, I would. Even brown rice pasta, millet, farro, barley, couscous, quinoa, whatever. As long as it's a carbohydrate that I can combine with a sauce or fresh ingredients, I want it.

So when I began my hunt for waistline-reducing-carb-free meals, zucchini noodles appeared to be all the rage. And now I know why! I'm even embarrassed to admit I want to buy this spiralizer but instead settled onthis new little gadget. I'm happy with my multi-use mandolin / grater, but I am envious of the lovely zucchini curls created by the spiralizer. Who am I kidding? I'm totally gonna buy one.

Not too much needed here

Sierra's incredible Spaghetti Squash is another mind-blowing carb-free option by the way. I'm going to post a few of my favorite alternatives as well, like rosemary-caper tuna salad in red peppers, paleo lettuce wraps, my favorite meatballs, and a Mustard Seed Cafe rip-off turkey burger salad. All to come.

Little shoestrings

So as you can see, my mandolin makes straight noodles vs. the curly pasta-like ones. They still taste and look great, but it's just not the same. It'll never be the same. Either way, zucchini is a very wet vegetable, so you need to let them sweat. I like to put the cut veggies into a colander over the sink, add a little salt and let them sweat for about 30 minutes. Don't add too much salt though. They really soak it up.

Go ahead and chop your other ingredients

While the sweating is happening, chop everything else. You can make this dish vegetarian, add rotisserie chicken during the stir-fry step, or add a pulled pork like I did. I can't claim the pork though. It was a gift from my friend Sarah. It was so good, I must to attempt to remake it. You truly could add any vegetable or protein to the noodles and sauce. This is a great basic recipe to start from.

If you're skinny, don't give a sh*t, or didn't have a baby this year, eat pasta instead.

Jerk.

The colors of Spring!

Zucchini Noodles with Pulled Pork and Lime

Ingredients:

• 3 zucchinis, sliced on a julienne mandolin, or spiralized into noodles

• 2-3 carrots, sliced in 1/4 inch pieces

• 1 red pepper, medium dice

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tbsp thyme, cilantro, and/or parley - I would use all three if if you have them

• 2 tbsp chopped scallions

• 1 tsp fish sauce

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• juice of half a lime, plus wedges for serving

• fresh ground pepper and Kosher salt

optional: 1 heaping cup of pulled pork, chopped rotisserie chicken,  or any cooked protein

Directions:

Heat oil over medium heat in large skillet or wok.

Add garlic and cook briefly without browning.

Add red pepper and sauté for 3-4 minutes.

Add carrot and cook for additional 2 minutes.

Add pulled pork, cooked chicken, or protein and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.

Add spices and scallions, cook for a minute.

Finally add zucchini noodles, lime, fish sauce and pepper and cook for a few additional minutes.

Salt to taste and serve with lime wedges.

Try it. You Might Like it.

By Steph Farrar

A few things about my dad: he grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, attended Oklahoma State University, and still proudly wears black and orange on game days in support (in the privacy of his own home of course; dreadful color combination any day other than Hallow's Eve). Oh, and he hates asparagus.

Truly, truly hates asparagus.

I have absolutely no intention of persuading him to try it after all these years of evasion and resentment, even though I believe I have mastered roasted asparagus with crunchy garlic. Even though he's probably never tasted something this green and this delicious, I will forego any attempt at conversion. I will, however, make him read this post.

And I'll make him stare at the beauty in this spring vegetable.

I believe the story goes like this: dad was force-fed asparagus quite often as a young boy, to the point of actually making him sick. It makes perfect sense why, as an independent man, really by age 14, he chose to refute the stalks. I would do the same thing. Neither of my parents ever force-fed their kids, which is why I crave things like spinach, sushi, and farro. I'm grateful for my lack of aversion to pretty much everything sans eggplant and blue cheese. But that's my palette's fault, not my parent's.

Oil, garlic, salt, pepper. Easy.

If you too have a distaste for asparagus, I beg you try this easy recipe, just once.

Drizzle the snapped stalks with the oil mixture

Up until about five years ago, I always just cut the stems evenly. I would blame it on my OCD but actually I just didn't know you could snap the end off; the asparagus knows what part of its stalk is tasty, and what part is bitter. Impressive vegetable.

Speaking of impressive things, these eggs.

Eggs from my secret Egg Man (thanks Sarah Jane)

If you have an Egg man, then you are lucky. If you have this Egg man, you are blessed. He already runs out every Sunday morning at our tiny local farmer's market, so until I know he has enough stock, I'll keep his location to myself. I must thank my dear friend Sarah Morris Brower for sending me to the Egg man so many months ago when we moved to Wilshire Vista. I have not been able to enjoy an Egg from anywhere else since. I have, however, joined a weekly subscription delivery from Summerland, and next week I'll receive a dozen of their farm-fresh eggs. We will see how they compare and compete. And by the way, Summerland is changing my life. Check it out.

Slow cooked sunny-side up egg

I could eat this for breakfast, lunch, or dinner nearly every day if I didn't need variety. I wish I could say the same for my dad. With all my heart I can honestly say, he would hate it.

Roasted Garlic Asparagus with Sunny Side Up Egg

Ingredients:

• Large handful of asparagus, stalks snapped at base

• 3 cloves minced garlic

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter

• 2 eggs shaved parmesan or pecorino

Directions:

Heat convection roasting oven to 400

In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper until cloudy.

Place asparagus on roasting pan or cookie sheet and cover with garlic / olive oil mixture. Combine on the sheet so all stalks are covered with as much garlic as you can pinch, resting atop the asparagus.

Roast for 16-18 minutes.

In last five minutes of roasting, heat butter in a cast iron skillet on medium low heat. Crack eggs and fry slowly until the white part of the egg is just cooked, never flipping.

Plate asparagus, top with egg and roasted garlic pieces, sprinkle with cheese.

Might as well bake some bacon too

Barefoot and Very Pregnant

By Steph Farrar

It's New Year's Eve and instead of prepping for a night out with my husband after playing a sold-out show in Vegas, I'm home talking about soup. 37 weeks pregnant and not allowed to fly, talking about soup.

I am trying my hardest not to complain, but I've already done so in the first sentence of this post. So instead of sulking through this gorgeous day in L.A. I'm going to host a few friends and kids at our new house, pretend to get drunk and eat as much as I can stuff into my already full torso. The main benefit of pregnancy is the absolute lack of calorie-counting (not that I've ever been into calorie-counting) coupled with that whole, "growing a human" thing. But I must admit, at this point in my ten-month commitment of hosting an adorable parasite, it's extremely difficult to get comfortable… with anything.

But I can get down with this:

Warm up that cranky soul

The great thing about soup is ease. I can't stay on my feet too long at this point, so throwing things in a pot and allowing heat to do the work is exactly the kind of cooking I've been into. I've yet to post from my new kitchen and all its perfect light, but that's what 2014 is for! So enjoy this last post from Pearlie's Malibu kitchen.

I recently made this Minestrone for my friend Linda's blog Urban Harvestand can't wait to see the edit of a day we spent together in my kitchen around the new house with the family, barefoot and very pregnant. I couldn't wait to share this recipe with you first though. Since it's so cold in Los Angeles, I know you must be craving soup, to accompany your evening, cuddled up by the fire with a hot-toddy and wool blanket while watching Groundhog Day. This Minestrone will get you through those 75 degree winter days in the grueling West Coast city.

You can easily make this soup vegetarian by eliminating the pancetta and throwing in some additional salt. Or substitute the pancetta for an alternate protein, if somehow you don't like pancetta, or like Linda, you're allergic to pork. The weight of the white beans provides a depth that can handle this massive blend of vegetables and broth. As noted in the recipe, I suggest blending half the white beans to thicken the soup and keep the remaining beans for texture. You can overnight soak dry beans, quick soak them, or use canned beans as well. I prefer the overnight soak, because I like making things more difficult for myself.

Whatever you do, make sure you toast some bread, spread soft butter on said bread, and shave parmesan over this bowl of winter heaven.

And most importantly have a safe, super fun, mind-alterting, hangover-inducing HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

White Bean and Pancetta Minestrone

adapted from Epicurious

Makes about 10 cups, serving 6-8

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb (1 1/4 cups) dried white beans like Great Northern, picked over, rinsed

• 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 - 1/2 lb pancetta or lean sliced bacon, chopped

• 1/3 - 1/2 cup olive oil 3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 1 onion, finely diced

• 2 carrots, 1/2 inch dice

• 2 ribs celery, 1/2 inch dice

• 2 medium zucchini, 1/2 inch dice

• 1/4 lb green beans, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

• 1/2 lb boiling potatoes

• 4 cups shredded Savoy cabbage

• 6 cups kale, rinsed, drained, stems discarded, leaves chopped

• 1 28 oz. can San Marzano peeled whole tomatoes

• 4 1/2 cups low salt chicken broth

• 1-2 bay leaves

Freshly grated parmesan, lightly toasted baguette or loaf

Directions:

Place white beans in large bowl and cover with water by two inches, let soak overnight, or quick soak, or use two cans beans.

Skip this step with canned beans. Drain and rinse white beans. In a saucepan, cover beans with water by two inches, adding more if necessary and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, uncovered and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, until soft. Add salt and simmer for another five minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, uncovered.

In a large pot or heavy kettle cook the pancetta in oil over medium heat until crisp and golden. Add the onion, stir, cook until softened. Add the carrots, celery and garlic and cook, stirring for 4-5 minutes. Add the zucchini, green beans and potatoes, peeled and cut into a 3/4 inch dice, cook, stirring for 4-5 minutes. Add cabbage and kale, cook, stirring until cabbage has wilted. Add the broth and hand crush tomatoes over the mixture directly into the kettle. Be careful, they will explode! Do not add additional tomato sauce from can. The crushed tomatoes should be enough acid, flavor and color. Add bay leaves. Simmer the soup, covered, for at least 1 hour.

Drain the beans, but reserve the liquid. In a food processor or blender puree half the beans with 1 cup of the reserved liquid, and add puree to soup, along with remaining white beans. Simmer the soup for another 15-20 minutes uncovered. Add a little renaming liquid or broth if it needs to be thinned out. Season with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaves.

Serve soup with parmesan, toast and cut dried sausages if desired.

Soup can be made 3 days in advanced, covered and chilled. Will also freeze for 3 months.

Cold Weather Cravings

Good Food

Heirlooms.

By Sierra French Myerson

I have a standing date with Evan Kleiman on Saturday mornings at 11am.  I imagine, so do most of you?  For the hour that Good Food on KCRW airs, I'm completely in my comfort zone.  Farmer's market profiles, recipes, food historians, the weekly anticipated Jonathan Gold review, I'm always enthralled.

As a native of L.A., Evan Kleiman also means Angeli Caffe, which means childhood comfort food to me.  It opened in 1984 just a few blocks from my elementary school.  The ever-popular modern trattoria on Melrose Avenue was a mainstay of my best friend's family.  I remember many a night, pre sleepover, post long pool days, and definitely after school plays (we may have still been in our 4th grade "Fiddler on the Roof" make-up), devouring the Spaghetti alla Checca , and that bread…oh that bread.

Many years later and still close friends with her and her brother, we all rented a house together just down the street from Angeli.  We regularly went together and with other friends.  And, those many years later, the Checca was just as good.  The elegant simplicity of both the restaurant and the food never failed to deliver.  Though, in January of 2012, Evan Kleiman sadly decided to close Angeli's doors for good.  I may never have that pizza dough bread again, but I'd be damned if I couldn't somehow replicate the Checca.

A rough chop.

The true beauty of a checca is the ease of it.  It's a raw sauce generally consisting of ripe summer tomatoes, garlic and basil.  Chop, let macerate, and pour over perfectly al dente spaghetti.  Still to this day, when I eat this dish, I can feel my 8 year old hot pink post pool/bike riding cheeks slurping up the spaghetti and searching for more of the melty mozzarella.

Fresh mozzarella.

Spaghetti alla Checca

Influenced and adapted from Evan Kleiman's Angeli Caffe

What you'll need:

• Lots of ripe tomatoes, chopped (about 2 pints cherry or 5-6 large)

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1/2 -1 cup of good extra virgin olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 8 fresh basil leaves, gently torn

• 6-8 oz. fresh mozzarella, chopped and brought to room temperature

• 1 lb dried spaghetti

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix tomatoes, garlic, basil, salt, and pepper.  Add enough olive oil to cover the tomato mixture.  Let the sauce sit at room temperature for 2-3 hours. 

Cook the pasta in a large pot of heavily salted boiling water.  Trust the pasta experts here, take the pasta out 1 minute before the suggested time on the back of the package.  You definitely want that al dente bite with this fresh sauce. 

Pour pasta into a serving bowl.  Top with mozzarella and tomato mixture, and quickly mix well to coat.

Makes 4-6 servings.