Time to Give Thanks

November marks the beginning of the holiday season and it’s when my thoughts turn to home, friends, family and of course…turkey! This Thanksgiving, we wanted a bird raised somewhere that was close to NY (in efforts to support “local”) and found Applecheek Farm, in Hyde Park, Vermont (with a name like “Applecheek” how could we resist?). Our 21 lb. heritage turkey arrived fresh and right on schedule: slaughtered on Monday and delivered on Tuesday. It arrived with a copy of the recipe from LocalHarvest (which we followed for the most part) and worked out well for us. We made a slight modification by skipping the maple butter and instead, seasoning the turkey with olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper. We also used an electric thermometer so we could capture an accurate temperature read. We looked online and couldn’t find any estimates on exactly how long it would take to finish–all we knew was that the cook time is shorter for heritage turkeys than conventional birds and that we were to roast it until the thigh temperature reached 140F-150F.

And so we set the thermometer and waited by the oven. Sure enough, the temperature started to rise, and the number ticked up at an amazing pace. Turns out, the average roasting time for a 21 lb. turkey is 5 hours. We could hardly believe it, but our turkey was fully cooked in a mere 1.5 hours. As LocalHarvest explains:

Heritage Turkeys are also much more leaner and smaller than sedentary commercial birds. This means that fast cooking at high temperatures is a better method than slow roasting.

The result was a beautiful, moist, delicious bird with crisp golden skin. The best way I can describe the flavor of a heritage turkey is that it tastes…more like turkey. So basically, a little goes a long way in satisfying the taste buds. No gravy needed. The turkey was great by itself. So if you’ve ever considered trying a heritage turkey, I say, go for it. For me, there’s no going back.

Before

After

Our Thanksgiving feast ended on a high note with five fine homemade desserts (as is the annual tradition, they are made completely from scratch). Our selection included a cherry pie and apple, pear, apricot and kiwi/berry tarts. Though I admit I had nothing to do with the dessert preparation, I include these images which bring back happy memories of the time spent with my family and us sharing a fantastic meals together.

Kiwi and Berry Tart

Pear Tart

Happy Holidays to you and yours! Gobble, gobble.

Why We Go to Ojai

One thing I love about LA is not even about LA per se, but its proximity to so many great options for places to take a day trip. One of our favorite places to go on a Sunday is Ojai, located 1.5 hr. north of LA, east of Santa Barbara. We’ve been going there about once a year for the past six years and we always find it to be a relaxing getaway for us and the dog. Ojai’s main street is Ojai Avenue, and it has plenty of places to eat, a few cute shops and Libbey Park.

Every time we go we always seem to stop by Azu, a Mediterranean restaurant that serves tapas. We had a few bites there, and enjoyed their beet salad.

We also spotted a welcomed new addition to the neighborhood. Knead is a cozy, bright bakery with a nice, enclosed outdoor seating area. Apparently, Knead used to sell its baked goods at the Ojai farmer’s market, but since has opened a permanent location earlier this year. We ordered a delicious slice of a cheesy galette and paired with a light wine grape soda, it was a phenomenal snack.

After a nice walk through the neighborhood, we always spend a few hours in Libbey Park, which is dog-friendly and also features tennis courts and a theater too. It’s a perfect place to take a nap under a tree after filling your stomachs with good food.

Finally, we headed to Bart’s Books, the “world’s greatest outdoor bookstore.” You may be starting to worry at this point, asking the same thing I did, which was, “Doesn’t the outdoors absolutely destroy the books?” Luckily, amidst the shaded outdoor stalls, there are several enclosed areas with temperature controls that protect the art books and special editions. And again, dog lovers, this place lets you bring your pooch in with you, so no need to tie her up outside in the hot sun. It’s a pleasure walking around the grounds and certainly on a rainy day, this would be an ideal place to come and snuggle up with a favorite read.

See you next year, Ojai!

Root Beer Refreshment

It’s summer, and you’ve spent the afternoon out in the sun. And of course, now you’re a little thristy. Recently, we found ourselves in this very position and rediscovered the refreshing, satisfying bubbly drink of good ol’ root beer. Truth be told, when I was younger, I was not  huge fan of root beer, as the taste was a little too strong for my young palette. But this summer, we picked up some root beer at Whole Foods, and we’ve been hooked since. The rich flavor and carbonation, matches well with the heat and pairs well with a lot of foods. This past weekend we discovered a new brand which we quite liked for several reasons.

Maine Root caught my eye in the store because the box told me that it is gluten free, caffeine free and is made with simple ingredients: carbonated pure water, organic fair trade certified cane juice and spices. Yes, that’s it. And on a warm LA day, it also hit the spot. It’s not too sweet, and I also appreciate the fact that it is free trade.

Maine Root tastes good (while doing good at the same time), and I’d buy it again.

My Day in Court

I’ll admit it, I sort of like jury duty. The last time I was called upon was about three years ago and it was to the downtown Los Angeles courthouse. It was at the height of my Law & Order obsession phase, so I actually enjoyed the entire day, especially interacting with my fellow LA residents in this shared experience. This time around, I had to report to the Airport Courthouse, located directly south of LAX. I hadn’t been there before, but was surprised as I drove up that it was this spectacular modern facility I’ve passed a few times, but never identified. So I had high hopes for food options, but beware jurors! You might wanna brown bag it.

The night before I had to show up, I took a peek to see what was available in the area and found a Yelp page, but it was as I had feared–no great options. I had to arrive pretty early (8 am) so I had skipped on breakfast and was starving. So I sucked it up and looked at options in the cafeteria. The safest things I could find were home fries and scrambled eggs. It was palatable and at $3.98, certainly affordable, but not really enjoyable. At lunch I was determined to take a walk around the neighborhood and see what I could find. I walked for an hour. Nothing. In fact, I ran into a couple of culs de sac, a school, a motorcycle shop, but no good food options within walking distance. So back to the cafeteria. Me and a grilled American cheese sandwich.

So, I guess I want to say to all of you budding restauranteurs in Los Angeles, looking for a good investment: Airport Courthouse can use a nice little organic sandwich shop or taco truck or anything! You can totally corner the market. Do us law-loving jurors a favor and feed us well.

A Taste of Julia

As I anxiously await watching Meryl Streep play Julia Child in the upcoming movie, PBS offers a nice selection of videos of this master chef who changed cooking to what we now know it to be. I grew up watching vintage Julia on rainy Saturday afternoons, so in a way Child was one of my early babysitters. It’ll be a a great treat to see such an exciting, adventurous and inspiring life brought to film.

Russian Kit Kat

While in Santa Barbara, we came across the Grapevine Fine Food Market, a new shop that opened up next to the upcoming site of the new Chinatown Museum on Canon Perdido. It’s a nice addition to the neighborhood, filling a food gap in the area. We found a wide selection of soft drinks and specialty foods, and a surprising assortment of Polish and Russian proucts and confections.

I picked up a few of these sweets, beautifully wrapped in vibrant retro packaging. My trusty companion recalled days of yore upon feasting his eyes on the bright wrappers, decorated with an illustration of a bear family (sharing a pot of honey together,). Bears, to no surprise are quite a common motif in many things Russian. Peel open the paper jacket and you’ll find a light version of a Kit Kat, a chocolate covered wafer bar. It’s just a tad fatter and nubbier than its counterpart. Still, it’s a nice little pick-me-up on your journeys. Stop into Grapevine and pick out your own treat.

Grapevine Fine Food Market
126 E. Canon Perdido Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Santa Barbara Food Must #1: D’Angelo

I have two places that I have to go to whenever I visit Santa Barbara. First up is my breakfast pick. We’ve tried the rest and truly, the best a.m. place for us is D’Angelo Bread. It’s as much about the food as it is location. It’s off State Street (on the far west end of it, right as it begins) which means that it is an escape from the heavily-trafficked main thoroughfare. It has ample outdoor seating options, and is dog-friendly, a perfect place to sit in the shade and enjoy a fresh, peaceful morning. It’s a bit of a splurge, with pastries going for $5.50 a pop, but the variety of baked goods and breads is extensive and are homemade. Our favorites orders are the multigrain scones and the sandwiches, which are served all day. On this particular day we went for the turkey and fontina sandwich with a side salad and some organic poached eggs.

D’Angelo
25 W. Gutierrez St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93190

Santa Barbara Food Must #2: SB Shellfish Co.

You’ve spent the morning strolling along the beach, shopping, visiting the museum, and before you know it, it’s 4pm and time for a late lunch. We’ve grown accustomed to saving our appetites all day in SB and then hitting our #2 Food Must: The Santa Barbara Shellfish Co., located at the end of Stearns Wharf. Put your name on the clipboard out front and for a table outside. The wait can vary up to about 20 minutes. Once you’ve reached the top of the queue and are lead to your table, tuck yourself into your booth and watch as golden hour creeps up around you as you dig into your chowder on a brisk afternoon.

Our top pick is the rock crab special, which, for $23 includes chowder, salad and 3 lbs of crab, which can be shared, but one of us has eaten a whole order themselves (no names shall be mentioned here).

Santa Barbara Shellfish Co.
230 Stearns Wharf
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

R. Steves is My Guide

For any other travelers who enjoy venturing out for a long day on foot when visiting a new city, you’ll appreciate the importance of the perfect daypack. A bad bag can burden your back, and weigh down the experience–figiting with an uncomfortable bag is the last thing you want to do when you’re trying to relax and take in the surroundings.

A few years ago, while visiting San Francisco, we randomly walked into a luggage store to grab a new backpack to replace the one we brought with us (it was turning out to be such a pain that neither one of us could bear to carry it any longer). After testing half a dozen bags, there was one clear winner: the Rick Steves backpack. It was lightweight, expandable, thin yet strong and the price was an unbeatable $20, making it worth the risk to buy and try. Three years and four countries later, the bag is still as good as new, and it’s one of our essentials when we go abroad. In general, we enjoy and are in agreement with Rick’s Europe recommendations, and now we are glad to say that we trust the products he puts his name on as well.

The latest models Rick offers on his online store are different than our model, but the construction is very similar.

Happy Travels!

Shellfish Police

Or, should we say, “clams?”

Couldn’t help but snap this pic in Prague. Perhaps there’s a clam-shaped mussel that exists in the Czech Republic, but I don’t think so. Correct me if I’m wrong.