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!

Something in the air

Spaghetti Squash

By Sierra French Myerson

Ah, Southern Cali.  We might not have the turning of the leaves or a first frost, but I swear, we do have Fall.  The seasonal shift is ever so slight, but it is there.  We get it right at the end of September. 

Just as the days are getting shorter, the magical Santa Ana winds start up.  They bring us that fresh air that the rest of the country so fondly relates to as fall.  The gusts clear out the smog and bring us our version of a pure autumnal smell.  Oh, I love that smell.

Slice Lengthwise.

Then, we, Angelenos, get to babble on as though we are New Englanders…We talk about how stoked we are for fall…How we can’t wait for boots and sweaters...And, winter squash and roaring fires.  The atmospheric aroma changes the days for us.

Scrape the seeds.

And, subsequently, it gets absurdly hot again. Then, Halloween arrives. Every Booby McGee (sorry Ms. Joplin) in the town is ret to go and it, rightfully, becomes “cold” for the night.  Nipples at full mast.  (I'm not going to lie, I’ve been known to do a little cleavage dance on All Hallow’s Eve, but for purely satirical and ironic reasons…I swear.)  Cut to November, and it gets super hot again.  Summer hot.

Brush with oil. S & P.

Perhaps we have a harder time transitioning between the seasons because the fall temperatures still lend themselves to peaches and snap peas, but that smell in the air is beckoning our taste buds towards the gourds and root vegetables that are taking over the farmer's tables at the markets?  We’re trapped in a schizophrenic season / food transitional period.  Stuck in the middle.  While we're still seeing the red of the tomatoes, new shades of crimson, known as apples, are simultaneously resting at the vendor’s stands.  Not quite ready for slow cooked stews and apple pies, we are primed to move on from hot weather produce delights.

Fork out the strands.

Ultimately, the winds return bringing with them that natural air-perfume. Our Southern California hallmark of fall.  Even if it is 80 something degrees outside, when the Santa Ana's blow back in for Thanksgiving, that “smell” always magically arrives just in time. And, we get our season.

Spaghetti Squash in Sage Browned Butter

*This is the perfect transitional winter squash dish for me.  It makes me feel cozy and ready for the colder season, but it is still light enough to weather the heat that actually still exists outside.  You can roast the squash whole, or cut it in half as I do.  There is no right or wrong when making the decision.  It mostly depends on whether you have a knife that is sharp enough to easily slice the spaghetti squash without hurting yourself.

What you’ll need:

• 1 Spaghetti Squash (3-4 lbs)

• Olive oil for brushing (if cooking halved)

• Course salt and freshly ground pepper

• 3 Tbs. unsalted butter

• 3 - 4 sage leaves, roughly chopped

• A good grating of parmesan or pecorino cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400.

Carefully slice spaghetti squash in half lengthwise.  Scrape out the seeds.  Brush with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place squash cut side up on a rimmed baking sheet.  Bake for 45 minutes or until fork tender.  If roasting whole, prick squash in several places.  Allow an extra 15 to 30 minutes cooking time until it is soft to the touch.

Remove squash from oven.  Let cool for about 10 minutes until easy to handle.  Meanwhile, heat a small heavy bottomed sauté pan over medium heat.  Add the butter.  Once butter is melting, add chopped sage leaves.  Allow the butter to cook until it turns a rich brown and has a nutty aroma.  Watch it carefully.  Be sure not to burn the butter.  Once done, set off of heat.

When squash has cooled, scrape the flesh out with a fork into long strands.  Place in a bowl or platter.  Toss with the browned butter.  Season with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle with grated parmesan or pecorino.

Makes 4 - 6 servings as a side dish.  Or, 2 - 3 as a vegetarian main dish.

SSquash7