Taste With The Eyes

Saffron Rice with Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts

Saffron Rice with Golden Raisins
Roasted Eggplant with Cardamom Oil
Pine Nuts and Sliced Scallion Garnish

Faith said, “If you have time to make the Saffron Rice, please feel free to do so and share your thoughts on the dish and what you served with it.” Well Faith, I’ve made your saffron rice recipe several times since you sent it to me back in September. It rocks. I’ve served it topped with curried chicken salad for lunch, as a side dish to grilled halibut with tomato lemongrass sauce, and over roasted eggplant with cardamom oil. Each time I made the rice, I followed your recipe exactly ~ it’s perfect, balanced, delicious.

An Edible Mosaic

saffron rice eggplant mosaic, how to make a mosaic — Saffron Rice Mosaic in Honor of Faith’s Cookbook

My friend Faith Gorsky from An Edible Mosaic blog just had her first cookbook released: An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair. It is my pleasure to be participating in her Virtual Book Launch Party and sharing a terrific recipe from her book.

The book has over 100 Middle Eastern recipes, with a focus mainly on dishes from the Levant, but also a few recipes from other areas of the Middle East. Faith has a pretty unique story…after getting married Faith spent six months living in the Middle East, where she fell in love with the culture and cuisine. Subsequently, she returned four more times for visits, each time delving deeper into the cuisine and deepening her passion for and appreciation of the region.

Recipes in her book are authentic Middle Eastern, taught to Faith mostly by her mother-in-law, Sahar but streamlined just a bit for the way we cook today, with unique ingredients demystified and cooking techniques anyone can follow. The book is available to order on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

After you check out the recipe below, please head over to Faith’s blog to check out her virtual book launch party to see the other bloggers who are participating. Also, as part of her virtual book launch, Faith is hosting a giveaway of a fabulous set of prizes.

Faith’s recipe for Saffron Rice with Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts is vegan. Her mother-in-law likes to serve the Saffron Rice with an aromatic shrimp dish in tomato sauce (a recipe also in the book). I took her mother-in-law’s advice and served it with shrimp tossed with cardamom oil, salt, and pepper.

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Home Tour – Part II: The Tables

Chez Lori Lynn is a place for entertaining. For the WHITE POINT HOME TOUR & RECEPTION, the tables in my home were dressed in a seasonal style. And to give an idea for a holiday dish that is super-popular and easy to prepare for a crowd, I served my Holiday Spiced Sweet Potatoes to the 300 attendees. I know that sounds like a lot of sweet potatoes, but only a sample was served, so it really was manageable…

My home joined six other distinctive San Pedro homes on the WHITE POINT HOME TOUR & RECEPTION hosted by the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy. All the proceeds from the event supported site improvements and habitat restoration at the White Point Preserve. The White Point Nature Preserve features 102 acres of restored coastal sage scrub habitat, hiking and handicap accessible trails overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island.

The Seasonal Tables

Natural Thanksgiving
Casual Elegant Candelabra Dining
Purple & Green Butterfly Garden
Rise ‘n Shine Breakfast Counter

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Home Tour – Part I: The Yellow Deck

It was my honor and pleasure to have my home join six other distinctive San Pedro homes on the WHITE POINT HOME TOUR & RECEPTION hosted by the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy. All the proceeds from the event support site improvements and habitat restoration at the White Point Preserve. The White Point Nature Preserve features 102 acres of restored coastal sage scrub habitat, hiking and handicap accessible trails overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island.

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Vibrant Collards & Spinach Salad, Black-Eyed Peas, Peanut Vinaigrette

Chiffonade of Collard Greens & Baby Spinach
Black-Eyed Peas, Carrot, Serrano Chile, Hard Boiled Egg, Cilantro
Peanut Vinaigrette

The girl who hails from Chicago and has lived in LA for decades is obsessed with collard greens. Last week’s Southern Greens Pasta, this vibrant salad, and a collard greens panini sandwich yet to share… Here collards are served fresh and raw along with baby spinach, the two greens’ textures complement each other. This salad, featuring a classic pairing of the greens with black-eyed peas and peanuts, was inspired by one published in Sauver. Smoked paprika and spicy chiles add a kick, carrot ribbons and eggs add contrast, flavor, and color. Serve this vivacious composed salad with a side of cornbread.

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Sweet & Savory Autumn Tarte Tatin

Sweet & Savory Autumn Tarte Tatin

Butternut and Acorn Squash
Bacon, Maple, Hazelnut, Goat Cheese, Sage

I have a feeling I’m going to get more requests to make the Sweet & Savory Autumn Tarte Tatin this season. With its nutty, tangy, and sucré flavors, the smoky aromas, rich earthy colors, and crispy, creamy, flaky textures ~ the famous inverted French pie originally made with apples back in the late 1800’s ~ is heart and soul of the inspiration for this recipe.

Butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup are intensified and caramelized at the bottom of the cast iron pan while the pastry on top remains dry, light and crisp. Stephanie Tatin’s inadvertent “mistake” in cooking an apple pie up-side-down has become a part of culinary history and its method copied in various forms over the years. Sometimes sweet, sometimes savory ~ here I present a delightful Autumn tarte that is both…

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