Category: Tasty Recipes

Hooked on Mussels! This time it’s Moules à la Marinière.

Chopped onion, shallots, and celery are sauteed in butter. Then some parsley, a couple bay leaves and about a cup and a half of vermouth are added to the pot.

Then add fresh ground black pepper and Trader Joe’s Cooked Gourmet Farm Raised New Zealand Mussels (with their juices) and heat through on high for about 2 minutes. Garnish with rough chopped parsley. Serve with French bread and homemade garlic mayonnaise.

Note: Fresh fennel would also be a nice addition to this dish, saute it along with the onions and celery.

This recipe is adapted from “Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home.”

New Zealand Greenshell Mussels over Angel Hair Pasta with a Spicy Fresh Tomato Herb Broth

A delicious dinner cooked in 5 minutes. The clock is running so here we go:

Mussels and their liquid are added to 1 cup of boiling water for 2 minutes to heat through. That’s boiling water for pasta in the pot behind.

Meanwhile saute a good amount of minced garlic (you can use a garlic press, it’s fast) in a generous butter/olive oil mixture for one minute. In the meantime, chop ripe tomatoes and fresh herbs such as basil and oregano, then add to the pan along with some dry white wine and red chili flakes. Cook angel hair pasta in boiling water until al dente, 4 to 5 minutes. Chop parsley.

Add mussels and all the liquid to the tomato/garlic/herb/wine sauce. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and sea salt to taste.

Place pasta in a bowl, add mussels, and ladle the tomato broth on top. Garnish with parsley and lemon. Serve with crusty bread to sop up the flavorful broth.

5 Minutes start to finish – Watch out Rachael Ray!
Do you have a “Fast & Fabulous” meal to share?

Here’s the tip: Use Trader Joe’s Cooked Gourmet Farm Raised New Zealand Mussels.These mussels are grown in crystal waters of the Marlborough Sounds. After harvesting, each mussel is individually inspected for quality, washed, and vacuum packed to retain its fresh-caught flavor.

At the Trump National Golf Club – a three course Bistro-Style dinner and a Cabaret show…

Butter lettuce salad with apples, blue cheese, and candied walnuts

Grilled chicken breast with herbs, white asparagus and mashed potatoes

Lemon tart

It is the magic of Paris!
For one moment, leave Los Angeles for a wonderful trip to Paris by Night!
The Paradisiaque Troup will perform for you the best of the French Cabaret tradition.
Tout Feu Tout Femmes! The new French Cabaret in Los Angeles.

PARAD’ISIAQUE
Let them take you to Paris!

Take a look and turn up the volume.

Carnitas (pork shoulder) on a white corn tortilla topped with avocado, cabbage, cilantro, crema Mexicana, salsa picante fresca, and cotija molido chesse. The pork was braised, then I fried it just before serving to give it crispy edges.

A great trick I learned from Rick Bayless is to spray both sides of the corn tortilla with a light oil, then I heat it in a hot pan. The tortilla comes out soft, slightly browned, not greasy, and just delicious (unlike heating in the microwave, or frying with oil in the pan). Thanks Rick!

I served the tostada with a crunchy and refreshing side of radishes (rábanos) with olive oil, gray salt and a squeeze of lime.

We had a fabulous meal at Rick Bayless’ Topolobambo Restaurant in Chicago. Even though he was busy in the restaurant, he was very gracious and spent some time with us at our table.

Just “Topolo” – that’s what people-in-the-know call it. Frontera Grill’s sister restaurant, Topolobampo, shares the front door and bar. But then the sister flaunts her own. If Frontera rocks and claps, Topolo slinks. She is the quiet, sleek, classy sister. And she invites you into an elegant Mexican fantasy world and to dress up a notch for its incomparable, authentic, regional flavors.