Blog Name Change

As most of you know, I recently relocated back to Los Angeles permanently. And so...with a change of venue also comes a change of name. I have imported all of my blog posts onto my new blog website called MADAME MUNCHIES. Please swing by and visit me at www.madamemunchies.blogspot.com! Thanks for all your continued support and feedback!

Mango Mama.

Last night my dad and I went grocery shopping at two of my favorite grocery stores- Whole Foods and Trader Joes (Sorry Ft. Wayners, neither exist in your area,closest is Indy). We bought some delicious albacore and planned on grilling it, along with some veggies (yellow squash pictured above). I've always loved grilled fish with mango salsa, but had never made my own, so I decided to top off the grilled albacore with it! Off to Vallarta I went, this afternoon, and picked up some cheap and delicious produce to toss into this heavenly concotion. So what's inmy mango salsa,you ask? One mango, about 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro, 1 minced jalapeno, half of a red onion, 1 small diced avocado, juice of one lime, salt and pepper to taste. The salsa was so refreshing and it featured all of the qualities with respect to flavor. The sweet succulence of the mango, the heat of the jalapeno, the freshness of cilantro, tang from the lime and buttery and creaminess from the avocado. A delicious and healthy way to top off a piece of grilled meat. Try it sometime, you will thank me. I swear.

PS - Must give props to my dad who grilled the fish,he marinated it in a little soy sauce, lemon juice and olive oil! He's the grilling master!

Julie & Julia

Last night, a foodie friend and I went to a showing of the new film, Julie & Julia. Written and directed by Nora Ephron, this film combines two wonderful foodie books, My Life in France by Julia Child and Julie & Julia by Julie Powell. My Life in France focuses on a decade when Julia and Paul Child lived in France, and essentially follows the story of how Julia Child pursued her favorite hobby, eating. Child went to the Le Cordon Bleu school for cooking and later started teaching Americans in Paris how to cook. Julie & Julia, the book, is based on Julie Powell's year long blog dedicated to completing 524 recipes (all from Mastering the Art of French Cooking) in one year. For all you foodies out there, the film is inspirational. When we left the theater, all we wanted to do was COOK!

I'm still getting adjusted to the west coast lifestyle, so I haven't yet mustered the desire to cook but after that movie, I'm being lured into the kitchen.......and even if you're not a "foodie" or don't enjoy cooking, the film is enjoyable. Meryl Streep's performance is divine! Bon Appetit!

Los Angeles Bound.

I may have mentioned in some recent posts that I am moving back to California in a few weeks (two to be exact), and I wanted to let you know that it is fast approaching and I won't be able to devote any time to sharing my foodie adventures until I get back to California. More than likely, I will be changing the name of my blog and revamping a few things, but until then, peace and good eats! My brother, Benjamin, is driving across country with me and we will be making some culinary stops along the way, so I'm sure my west coast blogs will cover some of the gems we eat at along the drive! Thanks for continuing to check in here! And I will see you all on the WEST side! Cheers!

For the love of a meatball....

In the midst of packing up my life, I've had to rely on creative juices and my recipe box, which I have yet to pack, for sustenance. Practically all of my books, including my cookbook collection, are stowed away in neat little boxes until they breath again in Los Angeles. Anyhoo, I pulled out a Martha Stewart recipe for Swedish meatballs, and last night, finally made these delightful balls of meat (ground sirloin and ground pork, by the way). Classic meatballs, these were flavored with my trusty friends, nutmeg and allspice, and topped with a lovely gravy made from beef stock, red wine and flour. Simple and delicious, I served them on top of some pasta and caramelized the crap out of an onion and some mushrooms. These meatballs were so delicious, I can't wait to eat the leftovers for lunch. Chock full of protein and flavor, these balls are a thing of beauty.

giada de laurentis and everyday pasta.

Most of you blog followers know I have been writing restaurant reviews and cookbook reviews for a local entertainment magazine in Fort Wayne. Part of the process I go through for reviewing cookbooks is to borrow them from the library, snuggle up on the couch and go through them. Soothing and inspiring, this process allows me to relax as well as research which books Fort Wayne foodies may benefit from most. One of the books I recently perused was Giada de Laurentis' Everyday Pasta. Not typically a fan of her show on Food Network, I was rather impressed with this book. Loved the layout and the majority of recipes seemed simple and intriguing, even for pasta (not your typical spaghetti and meatballs book). I made a soup from this book which brough together swiss chard, pancetta, ravioli (though the book listed tortellini, the store was out), carrots, cannellini beans, shallots and broth. I topped mine with a sprinkling of pecorino romano. I loved that it took less than 30 minutes to put together and that it was healthy too. I plan on trying one her pasta recipes this week, it's an artichoke pesto pasta!

yucatan lime soup.

So it's a weeknight, you want to make a light meal, you are strapped for time, what do you make? Well, why don't you pull out your Yucatan Lime Soup recipe?? I found this gem many years ago, thanks to the Food Network (it was an old episode of Emeril Live) and since then it's been like a trusty friend. This soup will be ready in about half an hour and requires minimal prep work. This lime juice infused soup contains chopped onions, cumin, 1 chopped chicken breast, a chopped serrano chili, a chopped tomato, garlic, chicken stock, cilantro and to garnish, some creamy avocado. And to boot some homemade tortilla chips seasoned with Emeril's essence (this has become a staple in my pantry, I especially enjoy its flavor in burgers). While the soup packs a little heat, it also packs some veggies, a wee bit of protein, and just enough zing to make your mouth perk up.