Cooked: MIA2LAX

So my friend Danny... whom I see EVERY Blue moon, & I go back almost 16 years. He moved out to LA a year after I did & we recently reconnected on Facebook. I always post what I've had for dinner on there & we got to chit chatting & he's like make me dinner next Thursday I miss home cooking I was like HELL YEAH! 

Oh did I mention he's a Producer & has a gaggle of shows on MTV. That's it, I had to get to cracking. After my fun field trip to the Argentinian market I couldn't decide what to make as an appetizer. 

It was between Lamb & Drunken Cranberry Empanadas, Salt Cod Fish Balls or Lobster, Shrimp, Pineapple & Avocado Salad with a lime vinaigrette & Shredded Fried Yucca.. couldn't pick one & hell... I don't do small so I made all three!

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Star Studded Cast: Lamb & Drunken Cranberry Empanadas 

Getting the cranberries drunk in Haiti's finest!

Browning with the real "mojito"

the rest of the cast get to join

mashing the garlic, salt & peppercorns (Pink & Black)

The #1 selling empanada dough in Argentina in LA, so cool!

One of the best things I have ever purchased at The 99 Cent Only Store
So light & flaky & Frankie did such a good job on his first night... YAY!
Egg wash substitute... FAB!
Boiling the potato & salt cod

Mashed the cod & the potato, ready for seasoning

breading station, panko & flour
YUM! They were just dancing in my new Sammy Davis, Jr ... I ♥ my Rat Pack!!!
Lime Vinaigrette with Australian Paw Paw Olive Oil
Vinaigrette & salad basics

Grating the Yucca

Frying them

Drying them out

Lobster, Shrimp, lettuce, red onions, cilantro & avocado
The crispy Yucca & Flake Salt

Even though he was looking forward to classic Cuban faire I felt it was important to show my range & add a different take on each dish. I thought Lamb & Cranberries would be an exciting alternative to the common ground beef & raisin ones you find all over Miami, I also felt having something from Argentina would make him feel he was more at home in the streets of Miami than having just all Cuban food. Salt Cod Fish Balls aka Boulette Poisson or Bolinho de Bacalao are a very popular Haitian & Brazilian dish. 

The salad was my take on Nuevo Latino cuisine which is all the rage on South Beach. I used my Stepmom's vinaigrette recipe, had some leftover shellfish in the freezer & thought I can kick up the texture a bit & honestly didn't think about it until I saw the frozen Yucca at the store. I've never had it or made it before & there are absolutely NO words to describe how sensational it was. Every bite had a different surprise, the red onions, pineapple, avocado, lettuce, lobster & crispy yucca I salted with Pink Australian Flake Salt was so refreshing & so satisfying, I can't WAIT to make it again!  ♥

Appetizers... DONE!

He wanted Black Beans & rice so I decided to make it Haitian style & added bacon, dumplings & a habanero. The Palomilla steak I made, I originally wanted to use an Argentine cut they use to make Churrasco but they sold out so the butcher convinced me to use Flap Meat instead & so I had no choice but to settle for the flap... sounds so unsexy, right? 

Yes it was much cheaper but honestly fattier than a skirt or flank steak but I still appreciated the texture & the cut of the meat. For dessert I made Coconut Black Rice Pudding. 

I have to admit this is my very first time I have ever cooked with coconut milk, the consistency is very similar to condensed milk so to thin it out I added fat free evaporated milk. I did make this Caribbean style & not like the Thai Black sticky rice so I should have avoided adding a full cup of sugar to the party. 

Hey, you live & you learn. I loved experimenting with this dish though. I added some Cardamom & almond essence I bought at an Indian market & pie spices, which I have never done before. 

I must have gained 10 lbs from the smell alone in my apartment... heavenly. It tasted fantastic warm, but once I chilled it it just was way too sweet, it wasn't a complete bust... just needs a little tweaking. 

Look, I have a sweet tooth but this was just headache inducing sweet like Paula Deen's Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding... shame on that woman trying to kill everyone!

Star Studded Cast: Palomilla Steak

Marinated overnight

Onion, cilantro, salt & lime to add on top of the Steak, my fave  ♥

Star Studded Cast: Black Beans, Bacon & Dumplings

Plantains♥

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Star Studded Cast: Coconut Black Rice Pudding

Star Anise, lemon rind, cinnamon sticks & black rice

added evaporated milk to thin out the coconut milk
Yummy tie dye  ♥
Cuban Malta & Arroz Con Leche

Who's Your Mama?: So many men so little time! Yes I am a whore

A shopping whore & apparently have appeased my Pink obsession (until I find my Pink Loewy) & become a Perriwinkle whore!  I just bought these today... for $30!!! My Rat Pack came in 2 days early & I got to cook with them last night... SO HAPPY! Now... look, I know I said earlier I need only 2 more pieces, Brando & Princess Grace & then "I'm DONE"... right!

Weeeeeeellllllllllllll these were such a FANTASTIC deal I couldn't pass up. So gone is my original wish of a vintage chicken fryer or skillet/saucepan combo & hello lovers to 2 of my favorite men of all time... Marlon Brando & James Dean. 

These are made by Cousances which is a French Enamelware Company that Le Creuset acquired some years back & most LC pieces are made in the Cousances factory anyway.  I ♥reading on messageboards the battles between people on what's better LC or Cousances?

So far Cousances has a slight lead so I said screw it I need one to try for myself & I scored 2. My favorite part is they are Perriwinkle & match my Rat Pack perfectly so instead of getting the one skillet/saucepan combo... I get 2 combos! 

My Rat Pack skillets can double as lids to my Debonaire Duo *swoon* my Vegas boys work so hard & I can't WAIT to put Brando & James to work as well, oh the double boiling madness to be had... hahahaha. I might never leave the house again! Why does great deals & loading my house with more crap I can't afford nor have the room for make me so happy? ♥

I bid $80 on this & didn't win! Thank 6lb 10oz Baby Jesus! I got 5 whole pieces for $90 instead!♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Ab Work/ Brain Food: Pole Position

My peeps Leigh Ann Orsi, Lisa Wilhoit & Bad Azz KILLING it in their new video... my goodness I ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ this VIDEO!!! They killed me in class on Tuesday, can't wait to get my old tricks & body back ♥

Field Trippin': I cried for Argentina

I've got a Cuban friend from back home who's coming over for dinner tomorrow night, he happens to be a Producer from MTV & wants the 411 on the show. Granted there are a couple spots you can buy great Cuban food in LA, El Cochinito in Silverlake is the BEST! 3508 W Sunset Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90026 (323) 668-0737, but nothing beats home cooking. I knew I wanted to make a Palomilla Steak & possibly some Empanadas. 

My favorite Cuban grocery store El Cubano suffered the cruel, cruel back hand of the recession & shut down I called my Cuban brother from another mother Carlos to find another option. He hipped me to this Argentinian Market called Catalina's Market. 

I know you're thinking I just stocked up on latin spices in Koreatown last month, but when it comes to meat especially the cut I think Latin butchers at a Latin market do it the best & HELLO what's better than Argentine BBQ? Que Rico! 

Once again the ipod & I cruised up & down the aisles, actually tangoed, & I loved seeing all of the relics from my childhood & my travels. I did stock up on all things Guava & so excited to see what else I can come up with & I bought Oxtails for $5.31... unreal!!! 

I loved the empanada dough in the freezer section, usually when I make empanadas I use wonton skins, ready made chimichurri and salt cod... I can't wait to cook ♥

If ever in LA check this place out, once again I was greeted by employees wanting to show off all their goodies, the butcher was fab & even the owner escorted me around... it was FAB, that was a first. I will definitely go back, what a great experience. 

Check them out for yourself http://www.miseta.com/catalinas.htm

Field Trippin': Why I ♥ Tuesday Morning on a Wednesday afternoon

I know I'm in my pink phase but I have a feeling I will someday soon regret not owning these lovely Burgundy pieces exclusive for Tuesday Morning. I got my Pink one here♥, last year they were rocking the Chocolate Brown & Satin Blue that were only available in the UK.

I don't know how they keep scoring these beautiful colors! $175 for the large one, $117 for the smaller & $75 for the skillet... FAR OUT! This is EXACTLY why I haven't had a credit card in 11 years.. I would be in so much trouble *snort*♥

Who's Your Mama?: The Rat Pack

Just bought these last night & I'm SO stoked ♥! In 4-5 business days, to be exact, I will be welcoming to my collection my new "Rat Pack" of skillets... Frankie, Dean & Sammy. I got all three for 60 SMACKEROOS!!! Dear God I'm really good at this. Looks like my boy's line of Le Creuset is quickly catching up with my Dames.

I'm still looking for my elusive 4.5 Pink Loewy I will name Princess Grace & either a fryer or double skillet/sauce pan combo in blue that I am naming Brando & that's IT!!! I'm done... unless those Supremes come back.. .damn.

My neighbor Leyna moved & gave me her display rack, so as soon as my boys get here I will take another photo of my whole star studded cast including my blue Staub Tagine Valentino (inspired by his role in The Sheik *swoon*) I have yet to show them all off on their new display. ♥

Brain Food/ AB Work: Viva La Baker!

I ♥ a little Josephine in the morning. I don't know where I would be without her strength, courage & beauty. I named my dijon Doufeu after her in honor of her mind blowing banana dance. I shall draw on her strength this week as I move into more meetings & negotiations for Single Serving... enjoy! ♥♥♥♥

STOKED: A kiss is just a kiss

I am a MASSIVE Disney fan always have been & my ♥ has always belonged to the 2D kind, that's why the intro to my show is animated. Now several times a week I get random little flashes of realization that we have a Black President a feat I have never thought possible the other is a Black Disney Princess ♥. 

Every time I think of it my eyes start to well up. The idea of seeing someone that looks like me as a fairy tale heroine is overwhelming & I honestly it's something I thought I would NEVER see happen in my lifetime! 

So this year is a fantastic year for me as far as believing that dreams really do come true. I have a leader that I LOVE *swoon*, a Disney Princess that I can really relate to, I not only have an animated heroine that looks like me... I actually have one that is me embarking on my adventures in the kitchen, a new love "Single Serving" & I will be exiting my "Jesus Year" on 09/09/09. The possibilities are endless. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Cooked: Pistachio Crusted Tilapia with Angel Hair Pasta & Herbs

If there is a great advantage to being a Single chick is that your time is your own baby... work! A lot of my time is spent with my friends, friends that aren't that big into cooking or are recently inspired. I love the challenge when I'm over & they complain they have nothing to eat. I open the cupboards, freezer & fridge & voila a home cooked meal in 30 minutes! Fierce. 

The shock never gets old I ♥ it, but what I ♥ even more than impromptu entertaining is the fact I predominately get to use ingredients I wouldn't normally buy. I can't tell you how much money I have saved over the years by testing out recipes using ingredients & spices I have literally discovered at a friend's home, free test kitchens... cha-ching. 

This is such a great culinary secret of mine & I can't express enough how cool it is. My Philly girl Andrea is dating my best friend Kenny, who is Korean, loves food & is a sucker for home cooked Korean meals. Andrea prior to dating him was grilled cheese sandwiches, fettucine alfredo from a box & pizza delivery (she's still a size 3/4!!! grrrrrrrrr, I must cut her!) 

When she fell in ♥ she really stepped up her culinary game, she even has a VAT of Kimchee in the fridge... awesome. So now she has all these cool spices & always has chicken & fish in the freezer. She went off to school & let me hang at her house to catch up on all the Food Network show's I missed, damn you Bush for making me cut off my cable! I got to finally check out 5 Ingredient Fix with Claire Robinson. 

I like her, she's super approachable, her food is simple yet flirty, she looks healthy & not emaciated like the skinny chefs & her personality is fun & fresh & not frighteningly loud or big to cover the fact the heavier chefs are, well heavy! Ooh & I ♥ that her set has a real fridge. 

So, I wanted to say thank you to Andrea & seriously... I wanted to raid all those cool spices I decided to make Ange dinner to come home to after school.

I'm a crunch girl, but I didn't want to fry anything. She had a bag of these super cool salt & pepper seasoned Pistachios. Honestly I've only had Pistachios in Baklava or as a garnish to a dessert so when I thought about breading some fish with it I swear I thought I was brilliant! She had Salmon, Tilapia & Chicken breast in the freezer. 

I decided to go with the really delicate & juicy Tilapia I wanted the flavors of the Pistachios & spices to pop. I added lime juice, soy sauce, butter, garlic, sesame oil, oregano & Korean vinegared red pepper paste. I didn't need any salt & pepper because the Pistachios were already beautifully seasoned with them, the black pepper was really spicy I loved that! 

She didn't have a food processor so I got to chopping, thank God the bag was from Costco because I ate so many as I chopped them. For the pasta I used some white American cheese she had (the only cheese that was available) butter, oregano & lemon zest... YUM! 16 minutes later dinner was ready. 

I almost did a back flip it was so good & now is in my repertoire. I really thought I invented this, couldn't believe I have never had this before. I try to come up with a name for it. I always google potential names because I don't want to have the same name of a dish as another cook.

Lo & behold on my search I find that I just reinvented the wheel... bummer. I'm not the first to rock the Pistachios with fish BUT mine was the only one with a Korean feel, I feel good about that. Now to come up with a name... "the pressure of coming up with a name" QUICK what movie is that from?

I decided to pass on the Lemon Pepper seasoning after I crushed the peppery pistachios & swapped for garlic instead

Brain Food/Ab Work: I ♥ a little bit of Marilyn in the morning

Maybe I'll make some thing in Marilyn tonight ♥