June Cleaver Goes Mediterranean

While we are in L.A. for the summer Nate is working and I am a stay-at-home-wife. I thought that on a few days I could withold from going to the beach or Rodeo Drive and be like June Cleaver - a 1950's housewife who has mastered cooking and cleaning.

Last Tuesday, while Nate was getting ready to go to the office, I lay in bed envisioning a day of cleaning our vintage apartment and making something traditional. When he returned, I could greet him at the door dressed in a pretty shirtwaist dress, a pearl necklace, heels, and a pot roast. While he changed out of his suit, I would offer him a Stepford wife smile and a dry martini for him to enjoy before we sat down to dinner. And after dinner, we could have a homemade cake.

Well, that just did not happen. First of all, I don't own a pearl necklace (but I wouldn't mind receiving one as a gift). Secondly, I don't own a shirtwaist dress. I brought plenty of sundresses and cocktail dresses and go-out-dancing dresses, but nothing from the 1950's. I also don't have in this apartment a martini glass or even have vodka or gin with which to make Nate a martini. I am also lacking a cake pan and a mixer to make a cake from scratch.

And my last obstacle to this 1950's domestic dream? No air conditioning! And last Tuesday was hot enough to warrant a weather warning on weatherchannel.com. While I had awakened with good intentions, I was sweating by the time I had done the breakfast dishes and the last thing I wanted to do was get out the mop bucket or turn on my oven. I admit I roasted a chicken last week, but that morning offered a cool breeze that I wasn't enjoying on Tuesday.

I sweated it out for a bit and then gave up. I put on a sundress and headed to the mall to seek air conditioning in some shops. After I cooled down, I went to the farmers market. Since I had scratched my all-American June Cleaver vision, I was going Mediterranean instead. My thought was that I could make an antipasto dinner - many little dishes that can be served room temperature. This way I could create them ahead of time, set the table, then take a cold shower and cool off. When Nate arrived home, the kitchen had cooled down and dinner was ready.

For dinner I had made a traditional caprese salad using summer heirloom tomatoes. My green salad was some fresh mache and ricotta salata with a light red wine and lemon vinaigrette. I had roasted zucchini and sweet red peppers then sprinkled fresh oregano over the top. We really like cannellini beans so I had simmered a rinsed can of these beans in softened shallots and rosemary and a bit of broth until the beans were soft. I had also picked up a hot Italian sausage and braised that for Nate.

To add to this dinner, at the farmer's market that day, I had bought some meaty cerignola olives and a bottle of Chateau Saint-Pierre, a soft rose that complimented my small dishes And for dessert? Lemon sorbet from the grocery store. Easy on my part and it was a light and perfect end to our antipasto dinner. Take that June!

Dates

Before we arrived in L.A. we stopped at Hadley's Orchard. This is about an hour from L.A. County and I heard about it from my grandparents. My grandma said that my great-grandfather used to stop there when he would pass through on I-10.

I imagined that we would be pulling up to a stand selling only dates that would be by the side of the road, but I was wrong. Instead, it is a large market with so many treats inside. First, in the grocery section there were rows upon rows of sticky sweet dates as well as other dried fruits. You can also find pistachios and several types of nuts. And there was also a wine section that feature local grapes. I wanted to take all these treats home with me, but our car was already very full. I prudently selected only one large container of medjool dates to take with us to our apartment.

As we came up to the cashier we also noticed a cafe section of the market. This was an added bonus because we needed a snack before we got to the ocean. We split an egg salad sandwich and chips. While my favorite egg salad remains to be Abe's Deli in Chicago, which you can read about here, this was a very good sandwich and I wish that we hadn't decided to split our snack!

Hadley's was a great stop and we continued to enjoy it last week by having many of our dates for breakfast. They are so moist and they taste like candy to me. They're perfect by themselves, but some mornings we also paired these with Greek yogurt and slivered almonds. I'm glad that my great-grandpa used to stop here and that my grandma recommended it. I only wish I had been more indulgent and bought more dates...

My Rustic LA Kitchen

Finally! We arrived in Los Angeles and moved in to our little apartment in Westwood Village. We are settled in and enjoying ourselves, but cooking in my new kitchen is definitely more challenging than in my kitchen back in Chicago.

In this vintage apartment, I have the basics: oven, kitchen sink, refrigerator and a few kitchen utensils. What I don't have that I enjoyed back in my condo are: well-stocked cabinets full of kitchen utensils and gadgets, a microwave, a dishwasher, a gas grill on the patio, and an air-conditioner. Perhaps the most challenging of them is the lack of air conditioning, considering that L.A. is on its second week of a heat wave.

Our first evening, Nate wanted spaghetti and I made that and broiled him a chicken breast. It was very hot in this kitchen! After a lengthy discussion with my mom and my best friend's mom about how to cook like you're 'in the olden days', without air ,I have found a way to deal with this. The secret is to cook in the morning while the air is cooler. Also, to cook extra when preparing proteins, etc. Some for now, and some for later.

Last Friday, I roasted a whole chicken serve for lunch with corn on the cob, rice pilaf salad and sliced tomatoes. On Saturday we hiked Solstice Canyon and when we found the waterfalls, we sat for a picnic and Nate had the leftover chicken in a baguette. On Sunday he, again, had the chicken on top of homemade Caesar salad when we went to the beach for a picnic dinnner. I froze the rest for later - I had bought a five pound chicken overestimating my husband's appetite!

In cooking or baking in my L.A. apartment, I have also found that I may need to get a little creative. Toasting and reheating take much longer without a toaster or a microwave! I only have one pan so croutons, then vegetables, then shrimp each take their turn in the same pan in my oven - this works out because I only then have one pan to wash! I've also used a skillet as a serving dish for a salad (I had no bowls the first two nights) and a wine bottle as a rolling pin, as I did here when I was making a blackberry galette.

It has been an adventure so far and I'm excited to see what my second week here brings!

Arizona

After New Mexico, we decided to spend a few relaxing days in Arizona. Our first stop was in Rio Rico, which is about 10 minutes north of the Mexican border city, Nogales. We carefully drove through a heavy monsoon to get there. Once we arrived, the weather thankfully cleared for us. After our travels, we were thrilled to stop at a resort, take a dip, and have a long dinner while watching the sun set behind the mountains on the Santa Cruz River Valley.

The next morning we headed north a few miles. I dropped Nate off in the Coronado Mountains National Park. I did not join him on his hike due to the rumors that bears were to be found in this park. I did, however, appreciate the gorgeous drive up through the park and have shared a photo with you here.

While he dealt with the bears and the incline on his hike, I headed down to Tubac, an artist colony founded in 1752. I wish I had spent more time here. There were so many studios and shops and I found it charming that there are still mainly dirt roads in the center of town. Because of the many recommendations I received, I headed up to the country club for lunch. I wished I had stayed in the center of town! If you are ever in this neck of Arizona's desert, I would recommend that you have lunch at Sheila's, whose menu was more approachable than the club's and also you would be able to dine in the atmosphere of the art studios rather than a tourist's golf course.

After lunch, we headed north to Tucson, stopping for a beer and a snack near the University of Arizona. Our next stop was further north, Peoria, Arizona which is just outside Phoenix. Nate's aunt and uncle live there and for two nights we relaxed, swam, drank beers and tried to stay cool in the desert heat.

Those few days in Arizona were a nice break from travelling and left us refreshed for our final destination: California!

Las Cruces, NM

After leaving Texas, we went to Carlsbad Caverns National State Park which is just across the New Mexico and Texas border. The caverns were amazing and the size and beauty, all underground, were impressive. Once we emerged from the cave, we went on a quick and very hot hike in the desert. Then, we jumped in the car to head west to Las Cruces, New Mexico.

My father-in-law had recommended that we stop in this city, located in the middle of the state on the southern border, because he had heard it was beautiful. It took us 4 hours to get there and, often, we would not see a town for an hour. Much of the drive is through the Lincoln National Park, which is a lush and green landscape between two long stretches of desert.

Happily, we arrived in Las Cruces in the evening, checked into our hotel, and set out to the Old Mesilla area for dinner. Old Mesilla is the 'old town' of Las Cruces, with buildings dating back to the late 1800's. This square is notorious for holding Billy the Kid in jail prior to his being shot by the town sherriff, Pat Garrett. We wandered around the town square inspecting the buildings and delighted in the mellow pink sunset. I particularly liked the crossed Mexico and US Flags on the gazebo in the middle of the square. I've posted a picture of them above. After a bit, we discovered a gorgeous bar at the Double Eagle Restaurant and decided to eat there. We were wooed by it's original turquoise and gold tin ceiling, the beautiful original wood, and the pretty chandelier. The picture here is from this bar.

I decided on the appetizer portion of the chili relleno and grilled shrimp. When the meal came, I tasted my selections cautiously, having been let down in Texas. I was happy to find that both items were delicious. My chili relleno's sauce had a deep smoky flavor and the pepper was still firm enough to give against my teeth. When I bit into it, the cheese exploded out of the pepper into my mouth. I was truly happy!

After polishing off my relleno, I turned to the shrimp. They were beautifully prepared, but I still wanted something spicy. I asked the bartender if they had anything and was told nothing but mild salsa. I was tired of this response by now so I requested that he ask the kitchen staff if they kept anything secret back there and shortly thereafter he returned with some very spicy marinated peppers. Finally! Something that made me sweat a little. They were delicious and played well with the grilled shrimp.

Having had a perfect dinner, we headed back to the hotel for a deep sleep, waking early to go hiking in the beautiful Organ Mountains, pictured below, before heading further west.

Some Like It Hot

The Lone Star State, Texas, is known for its size and its spicy food and we were excited to experience both of these for ourselves. Texas is a massive state and I was overwhelmed by how long it took to get to the western edge of Texas. I did enjoy the drive since there are no interstate troopers to monitor my speed and I liked seeing the ranches, mountains, and fields upon fields of tumbleweed. I didn't enjoy the food as much - I was so looking forward to trying authentic Tex-Mex and spicy salsas.

After spending a fun night in Frisco, outside Dallas, with recently relocated Chicago friends, we headed west on Interstate 20. Six hours later, a roadside sign welcomed us to Midland, Texas, former home to George W. and Laura Bush. The friendly representatives at the Welcome Center suggested we head to La Mision for spicy Tex-Mex. We eagerly ordered tacos and enchiladas, which ended up being a cheesy and greasy disappointment. I thought I might be able to improve the flavor with spicy hot sauce, but was told that the mild salsa on the table was their only hot sauce. I pushed my plate away and sipped my margarita (I deserved it - I drove over 4 hours that day!), plotting to try for a spicy meal again at dinner.

After another stretch of I-20, we arrived in Van Horn, which is about two hours east of El Paso and an hour and a half south of New Mexico. Very hungry, we drove through the small little town and settled on Chuy's, where John Madden stops every year. Nate ordered the John Madden special -diced grilled chicken, peppers and onion and I ordered the catfish version of it. I liked the tortillas which were a combination of rice and corn, but was disappointed when I discovered they weren't homemade, but from a distributor like most of their food items. There is a restaurant chain out of Houston with the same name so I was expecting Van Horn's Chuy's to distinguish themselves by being unique and homemade. I was also let down when I asked for hotter salsa for my tacos. For the second time that day, I was told the mild salsa on the table was as hot as it gets.

I have a feeling that I have not tried the true Texas-style heat. I will need to return to this state and maybe head south instead of west to get authentic spicy Tex-Mex. Some like it hot, including me, and western Texas wasn't turning it up enough.....good thing I was headed to New Mexico in the morning!

Miami, Oklahoma

On our way to Dallas, Texas we stopped in Miami, Oklahoma. Usually when I hear Miami, I think of palm trees, well-known restaurants, bikinis, and Horatio from CSI: Miami.

Now that I've been through Miami, Oklahoma, when I hear Miami, I will think of dive restaurants, dust, friendly people and good catfish!

When we passed over the Missouri border, we stopped at the Oklahoma Welcome Center and asked for a recommendation from the woman at the desk. We cautiously took her advice and pulled into a little dive connected to the Best Western.

The restaurant looked like a movie set from Thelma & Louise, a dingy little diner that had seen better days. I requested the salad bar and Nate ordered the catfish, hoping for the best.

The catfish was a surprising treat. I would have expected a greasy, fried fillet, but this restaurant served it with a cornmeal crust. It was dry and crumbly and tasty on the outside, while the inside remained moist and salty. Needless to say, we were surprised to find such a flavorful treat!

If you're going through Miami, Oklahoma, head on over to this little dive with excellent catfish...

4th of July On The Lake

With our car loaded and the gas tank full, Nate and I headed out of Chicago for our road trip to L.A. Our first stop was in central Illinois to visit my family then on to the Ozark Mountains for the 4th of July. Nate's family has a lake house on the Niangua River in the Lake of the Ozarks and it is one of my favorite places to visit. It is relaxing, the scenes are breathtaking, and it is fun to spend time with family.

Going to the lake for the 4th of July means fireworks and summer grilling. My father-in-law is known for his excellent pork ribs, with the meat literally falling off the bone. First, he boils them and then, when the meat is very tender, he throws it on the grill and bastes the ribs while they are receiving a slight char from the fire. These were served with pretty grilled vegetable skewers made by my sister-in-law.


The next day, my father-in-law began cutting up a watermelon into small pieces. I requested for mine to be left in a big slice and I took it out on the porch to watch the boats go by. Watermelon is my favorite summer dessert. It is simple and refreshing and biting into a big slice reminds me of childhood summers with juice dribbling down my chin.


The weekend was fun and with our bellies full, we left for our next destination: Dallas, Texas to visit our friends and try Texas-style BBQ!

Kaze Sushi.....Last supper

I'm looking forward to an exciting summer. Nate's client is in L.A. so we are going to relocate there for the summer and stay in Westwood Village.

We love Chicago and the summer is a time of year that we are sorry to miss. I'm going to miss the festivals, my friends and my neighbors. But, the lack of humidity gives L.A. its edge so westward we will head.

For our last Chicago supper with friends, we chose to go to Kaze Sushi in Roscoe Village. I had been there in the winter and since Tsunami has closed (boo-hoo) this is my new favorite sushi house. It is not a flashy address and you might even pass it if you were not specifically seeking it. The interior decor is also unassuming, which helps you focus on the creativity and the quality of the dinner.

We ordered appetizers, nigiri, sashimi, hot entrees, soup, and dessert. Every dish is interesting and flavorful. The big-eyed tuna appetizer simply melts in your mouth. My asparagus soup was delicious and creamy and the addition of goose liver made it intense and deep. I had to share with my fellow diners.

I know that I will have excellent sushi in L.A. but right now Kaze Sushi is my standard and the west coast sushi restaurants will have to try hard to meet this standard!