Chicken and Pork Afritada

Is what I cooked for dinner.  The ingredients:  a pound pork shoulder, a pound chicken thighs, garlic, onion, green and red bell pepper, potatoes, UFC tomato sauce guisado recipe, salt and pepper.

Mediterranean Street Food

It’s döner kabob, a Turkish street food cooked on a vertical rotisserie for lunch.  We ordered two Berlin Döner and shared with the Little Guy. 

Berlin Döner is made of cabbage slaw, feta, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, tzatziki, spicy berlin sauce, sumac and combination meat (beef, lamb and chicken).

At Travel Town

All aboard!  Here comes our choo choo train, our choo choo train, coming down the track.  

We took the miniature train which circles the perimeter of the museum, we checked the wooden train cars and wandered around for a couple of hours.  It’s a great place for kids who love trains.

The Best Shish Kabob in Town

When it comes to shish kabob, for me, no other restaurant does it better than Raffi’s Place in Glendale.

On the table:  marinated chunks of filet mignon, skewered and charbroiled to perfection on a bed of basmati rice with grilled tomato and Anaheim pepper

Mouthwatering deliciousness!!!

  

Greek Dinner

A fun Friday night dinner with traditional Greek music and dancing while enjoying delicious Greek food at The Great Greek in Sherman Oaks.

On the table: tarama, pita, char-broiled octopus, pastitsio, moussaka, dolmathes, spanakopita, lamb shanks, rice pilaf, roasted potato and carrots

P.F. Chang’s

It’s my Summer Friday.  Took the morning off to see the dentist then met-up with hubby for lunch at P.F. Chang’s.

On the table:  wonton soup, my favorite shrimp with lobster sauce and Cantonese-style lemon chicken

Lemon Orzo with Grape Tomatoes and Chicken

The orzo was cooked in chicken broth with lemon zest and then drizzled with juice of one lemon.  When plated I topped it with sautéed grape tomatoes and chicken pan-fried in smoked paprika with artisan salt.

The Little Guy finished all the tomatoes.

Pork Chops, Okra and Corn

A package of frozen organic okra,  a package of frozen organic corn sautéed in Cajun seasoning then topped with fried pork chops.

Summer Salad

Taking advantage of the bounty of summer before temperature starts to fall.

For this salad I used cucumber, corn, edamame, cherry tomatoes, avocado and fresh basil from the windowsill.  The dressing was homemade… extra virgin olive oil, lemon, mustard, chopped shallots and artisan sea salt.

Eaten with salmon.

Cast Iron Skillet Seared Coho Salmon

I try to incorporate seafood in our weekly dinner menu and for this week we have coho salmon.  First, I rubbed the fish with miso seasoning and let it stand for about an hour so the flavors could penetrate.  Then, I seared it on a very hot cast-iron skillet. 

It was eaten with summer salad.

A Taste of Cuba

Dinner tonight was at  Versailles, arguably one of the best Cuban restaurants in SFV. 

On the table..

Arroz Con Pollo - a classic Cuban dish made of Valencia rice and seasoned chicken garnished with peas and pimientos.

Rabo Encendido - a Creole-based oxtail stew cooked with traditional Cuban herbs & spices, olive oil and bell peppers.

Chicken Tinola

A filipino-style of cooking chicken soup.  It has crushed garlic, chopped onion, sliced ginger, a handful peppercorns, chayote,  chili leaves and whole chicken cut into small pieces.

A Platter of Crabs

Cooked on half a cup water and half a cup vinegar, a handful sea salt and sliced ginger.

I forgot to put a cover on the pot,  so when the liquid started to warm up, two crabs climbed up and fell off the pot.  I heard squeals from the Little Guy... scary crabs, mommy, mommy, scary crabs!

Dim Sum at Lunasia

To celebrate grammy's birthday we had dim sum at Lunasia.

On the table...

• beef chow-fun
• roasted pork belly
• shrimp rice noodles
• spare ribs with black bean sauce
• chicken feet
• pan-fried string beans
• juicy pork dumplings
• pan-fried rice noodle with chili oil
• yang chow shrimp fried rice

Lunch Date at Parkway Grill

"One of America's Top Tables" Gourmet Magazine"

"One of Top 40 Most Popular Restaurants in Southern California" Zagat Survey

A fine dining restaurant in Pasadena “specializing in a seasonal, market-driven approach to cooking that incorporates diverse influences and classic French technique.  The stunning, expansive bar is an original from 1920's Chicago that was transported to Pasadena in the early 1980's - a handsome representation of the Rose City's Midwestern roots. Comprised of upwards of three thousand bottles, Parkway's award-winning wine cellar has been recognized by Wine Spectator since 1999."  (excerpt from the restaurant’s website).

On the table:

- ahi tuna tartare, hass avocado, charred scallion vinaigrette, housemade black rice crackers

- american wagyu “mishima reserve” burger, maytag blue cheese, tomato aioli, sweet potato fries

- braised short rib, parmesan mashed potatoes, pesto, toasted pine nuts, pan juices

Shrimp Gumbo

On a heavy pot I cooked the sliced sausage on vegetable oil for a few minutes then spooned them out.  I added more vegetable oil.  about a third of a cup butter and  half a cup all-purpose flour.    Stirred constantly with a wooden spoon until roux became smooth and dark brown.  Then I turned the heat off. 

When the roux has completely cooled, I turned the heat back on to medium.  Then I added more butter, chopped onion, chopped celery, diced green pepper, a can of whole peeled plum tomatoes and dried thyme.  Ten minutes later I added old bay seasoning, 2 cups frozen Okra from Whole Foods, a tablespoon salt and a good cracking of black pepper.  Simmered for about an hour then added a pound of shrimp and sausage and cooked for another five minutes.

Homemade Bison Sliders

A juicy grilled burger ranks high on my list of favorites for a lazy summer evening.

For this sliders,  I used all-natural ground bison,  freshly cracked peppercorns and artisan salt.  On the pan-grill for about five minutes each side then topped on a bowl of romaine hearts salad.

Cherry Tomato Spaghetti

A simple spaghetti recipe made with organic cherry tomatoes, all-natural ham cut into cubes, chopped onions, lots and lots of garlic and then topped with basil from the garden.

Baked Beans and Kale

This recipe was pulled from Food Network magazine but I made some tweaks. I used different kinds of beans and greens.

I started off sautéing chopped onions and garlic in vegetable oil.  Then I added a pound of smoked sausage cut into small cubes, two stalks of celery chopped and a can of whole peeled plum tomatoes.  Five minutes later I added a can of cannellini beans, a can of black eyed peas and a bunch of  kale torn into bite-size pieces.  Then I moved the whole pot into a 350-degree pre-heated oven and baked for forty-five minutes.

This is a super delicious, comforting, fiber-filled meal.  I will surely cook this again in a couple of months when temperature starts to fall.

Dunkin’ Donuts

Stopped by at Dunkin’ Donuts for another box of assorted munchkins.

Svādiṣṭa!

It means delicious in Hindi. 

Below, snapshots of our delicious dinner at Anarbagh, our favorite Indian restaurant.

Midsummer Stroll in Santa Barbara

Friday afternoon while I was juggling a thousand reports without blinking an eye, husband called to ask if I wanted to go on a weekend getaway.  Of course, of course! I knew I had to finish some work stuff over the weekend, but who cares? I can do it at the hotel when they are both asleep.

The moment the Little Guy and I got home I started searching for hotels.   Forecast for the weekend was in the three digits so I narrowed down my search to towns/cities along the coast. Unfortunately, most of them were either fully booked or require a two-day stay.

Saturday morning we decided to just drive to Santa Barbara, dubbed ‘The American Riviera.’  First stop was at Stella Mares in Montecito for brunch, then we proceeded to Old Mission Santa Barbara,  strolled at the rose garden, then hopped on the car, drove to State Street all the way to Stearns Wharf, then on to Cabrillo Blvd to US-101 S.  

The sun was setting as we drive back home.

Brunch at a French Bistro Stella Mares

Ruffled curtains, distressed woodwork, floral quilts and  decorative wrought iron.  Elegant, relaxed, rustic  and charming. We ate escargot, poulet, salade niçoise and eggs benedict.   It felt like we were transported to the countryside of France for a couple of hours.

Ginger Noodles with Tofu

This is a vegetarian dish.  The ingredients are  medium tofu, linguine pasta, broccoli slaw, mushroom,  thinly sliced red onion, thinly sliced garlic,  chicken broth and soy sauce.

Sliced Steak, Barley, Mushroom & Kale

A cup of pearl barley was cooked on a pot of salted water with bay leaf and onion for half an hour. Then water was drained off.

 

The steak was rubbed with chopped rosemary, chopped garlic, artisan salt and freshly cracked peppercorns and then grilled on high heat for about 10 – 15 minutes on each side.  After letting it rest on a plate for ten minutes, it was sliced and drizzled with lemon and chopped parsley.

 

For the salad, a box of cremini mushroom was sautéed in sliced garlic, chopped shallot and deglazed with a quarter of a cup marsala wine.  Next, the beef broth was poured in, then the cooked barley and the baby kale.  Seasoned with salt & pepper and then cooked until kale is wilted.

Lunch at P.F. Chang’s

Catching up with a good friend during lunch at P.F. Chang’s in Burbank. 

Bitter Melon and Eggs

Bitter melon, as the name suggests, is very better.  It is widely used in Asian cuisine, particularly in China and India.  In the Philippines, we usually cook bitter melon “ampalaya” with beef (ampalaya con carne) or with eggs either omelet or stir-fried. Tonight’s dinner was bitter melon with eggs. 

First, I cut two bitter melon in half lengthwise, removed the seeds and sliced each half crosswise in thin pieces.   Then, I sautéed sliced onion, garlic and chopped tomatoes on a tablespoon canola oil.  Five minutes later I added the sliced bitter melon on to the pan.  Stir, stir, stir.  Next, were two cups of chicken broth.  Last to join the party on the pan were three eggs cracked on top.

Eaten with steamed rice and Filipino-style pork sausage.

Tuscan Kale and Fideo Soup

A hearty meal on a hot Summer day.

The ingredients:  diced carrots, sliced celery, diced tomatoes, a can of cannellini beans, diced chicken breast, mushroom, Tuscan kale, bay leaf, five garlic cloves, sliced onion,  four cups chicken broth and fideo cut spaghetti toasted on a pan with olive oil and butter.

Eaten with French baguette.

Cheesecake Factory

Lunch was at Cheesecake Factory in Topanga Mall.

On the table: 

- Southern fried catfish served with mashed potatoes, green beans, buttered corn and remoulade sauce

- Shrimp and chicken gumbo simmered in a spicy Cajun-style broth with cream and topped with steamed white rice

Dunkin’ Donuts

Finally, a Dunkin’ Donuts in San Fernando Valley.  This place opened in early June to 150 hungry fans. It has been two months since, the line is way shorter now,  so time to swing by.

Skaf’s Lebanese Cuisine

Dinner was at Skaf’s with Grammy.

On the table:  grape leaves stuffed with rice & vegetables and three plates of shish kebab

Always great food and friendly service. 

Old Spaghetti Factory

A few years ago, a good ole neighbor brought us to Old Spaghetti Factory in Duarte. Since we were in the neighborhood, we decided to revisit the place which is housed in an old school house that first opened in 1909.  In the middle of the main dining room is a train trolley where we asked to be seated.  The Little Guy was in awe since he loves trains.  We ordered minestrone soup, spaghetti & spumoni and salad, lasagna & spumoni.  Then we ate family-style.