Cafe Gratitude: Consume Without Guilt

YUMMMMMMMMMYYYYYYY

  

We finally tried Cafe Gratitude and I absolutely adore it.  Okay okay, so I am only basing this place off of the coffee, tea, and dessert that we had.  However, I bet that their food is as scrumptious as the few items we ordered along.  In addition, their slogan is, "Local. Organic. Vegan."  I'm an obvious sucker for all three of those things.

 

Items Ordered from their charming menu:

• I AM OPEN Earl Grey black tea. Specialty Rishi tea made with natural bergamot fruit 
• I AM COURAGEOUS 100 %Organic Arabica Bean Coffee. (8oz)
• I AM ADORING TIRAMISU Nut flour cake soaked in espresso with vanilla “whipped cream” & chocolate frosting 

Everything we ordered was delicious!  The tea was amazing and very aromatic.  I appreciated their generous tea offerings (about ten options).  Unfortunately for all you coffee drinkers, your only option is I AM COURAGEOUS.  All the desserts are coconut based and the tiramisu was so soft and light.  I'm salivating just thinking about it.

I AM MAGICAL

Look at that thick fog!!

Many may think that the menu's schtick of using words of empowerment, endearment and encouragement is a bit cheesy but I think it's brilliant.  The server also needs to repeat your order back to you.  For example, our server said to us, "You are open, courageous, and adoring."  I told our server that they forgot to include "I AM HOT STUFF" on the menu.  She laughed and said it would be a bit awkward to have to tell people, "YOU ARE HOT STUFF".

 

Best part about it, it has a parking lot underneath the restaurant.  A rare feature in Los Angeles. 

Emily Browning to my right.

Thumbprint Cookies

It's never an easy task to share holidays and sometimes it just doesn't work out.  This year both our family Thanksgiving dinners were scheduled at the same time.  I wanted to do something special for Joe's family to let them know that I was thinking of them so I sent him with some of these cookies.

(*Recipe is from Martha Stewart)

• Yield Makes about 3 dozen

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 large egg, separated
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 cup pistachio nut meat (Martha called for blanched almonds)
• 1/2 cup jam, or preserves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and 1/2 cup sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg yolk and vanilla; beat well. Whisk together flour and salt, and add to mixture, beating on low until combined.
2. In a small food processor, combine pistachios with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and process until almonds are finely ground. In a small bowl, lightly beat egg white. Form dough into 1-inch balls. Dip in egg white, then in almond-and-sugar mixture. Place balls on parchment-lined baking sheet. Make a deep indentation in the center of each ball with your finger or bottom of a thick wooden spoon.
3. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven, and press down the centers again. Fill the center of each cookie with about 1 teaspoon of jam. Rotate sheets, and bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes more. Remove from oven, and place on a wire rack to cool.

I Am a Robot

Over the years I've unintentionally become a collector of all things robots (and elephants).  Robots are often thought to strictly fulfill some sort of mechanical role.  However, I see the use of color and shapes to provide robots with unique and upbeat personalities.  (Okay, I have seen a few that look a bit menacing.)

The Giant Robot Biennale 3 is currently on exhibit at the Japanese American National Museum.  (*Free general admission every Thursday from 5 to 8 PM and every third Thursday of the month.)  My favorite two artists from this exhibit were Eishi Takaoka and Saelee Oh.  

I love that Eishi's medium of choice is wood and that he uses both subtle details and, oppositional to that, exaggerations to convey expression.  The final intricacies in his facial expressions are simple and complex.

Saelee Oh's obvious extreme patience and attention to detail is inspiring.  I think it's safe to say that a minute percentage of the population have enough discipline to create the intricate pieces that she creates. 

I enjoyed the playfulness and storytelling of Deth P. Sun.  His work has a musicality to it that I naturally created an internal soundtrack for them.  On top of that, his hero is a cat!

Instagram Collage (Note the elephant cameos!)

Cool time lapse of Saelee Oh and Deth P. Sun installing their works.  (source: Giant Robot)

  

Next up!  Stanley Kubrick Exhibit at LACMA

Time to bake! Happy Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Ricotta Pancakes

 

A few weeks ago after having made Sausage Lasagna and Pumpkin Bars, I had some Polly-O ricotta and canned pumpkin left over.  If I've learned anything from my Italian boyfriend, it's that letting any amount of ricotta go to waste is one of the worst sins one can commit.   Therefore, I decided to make Pumpkin Ricotta Pancakes!  I've made pancakes both with and without ricotta and I definitely prefer it with ricotta.  I find that the pancakes are more moist and fluffy.  

I served the pancakes with whole grain toast, an egg (over medium), and Trader Joe's Spinach, Fontina & Roasted Garlic Chicken Sausage. 

Quick Advice:

Buttermilk is very easy to substitute it with milk and apple cider vinegar.  Don't have apple cider vinegar?  I've read that you can also use lemon juice, cream of tartar and other types of vinegar.  It's not always necessary to follow a recipe precisely.  If there is an ingredient that you don't have, try researching for a substitute prior to buying it. 

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar  
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup Polly-O ricotta 
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/4 cup Trader Joe's Pumpkin Butter
• 1 teaspoon Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pie Spice   
• Olive oil, for frying

1. Add 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar to 2 cups whole milk, mix together with a spoon and let stand for five minutes.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice. In another large bowl, whisk the milk mixture, egg yolks, ricotta, canned pumpkin, and pumpkin butter. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. In a large, clean stainless steel bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry; fold them into the batter.
3. In a skillet, heat a thin film of olive oil. Drop in 1/4-cup dollops of batter and cook over moderately high heat, 2 minutes per side, until golden and fluffy. 

(My recipe was adapted from Food & Wine's - The Breslin's Ricotta Pancakes with Orange Syrup)

 

Desert + Dessert

How can you resist relaxing in this mini-paradise?

Only in Southern California can I gallivant in my bikini one weekend and curl up under a heap of blankets the next weekend.  We took a mini-vacation a couple weeks ago to celebrate our 108 month anniversary.  It was our first visit to The Spring and we had an amazing time.  The room we booked included a kitchenette with a stove along with a breakfast nook for two.  On our way out of the city, we made a not-so-quick pit stop at Whole Foods and grabbed a selection from their deli, cheesecake, truffles, snacks and wine.  Y'know, the essentials.  Whole Foods proved to be the perfect solution to our meals because it allowed us to strictly relax and not have to hassle with making reservations. 

Our vacations always have a strict no-guilt rule.  That means consuming as much dessert and wine that our hearts desire.

Quick Review!

3 Pros
1. Rooms are spacious and clean
2. The tap water in Desert Hot Springs is delicious! I consumed a record breaking amount of water during our stay.  I should go bottle it and sell it to Whole Foods.
3. The pools and sauna are accessible around the clock so night swimming under the stars is serene and an absolute must!

3 Cons
1. The pools had a mild chlorine scent which is understandable.  However, a few years back we visited Two Bunch Palms and their pools constantly pump in the mineral hot springs so we didn't smell chlorine at all.  It did however smell very sulfuric which is to be expected of mineral hot springs.
2. The mattress was too soft and thus uncomfortable.  We both woke up sore.  Good thing we had the hot springs to ease the aches.
3. We are sensitive to sound so we could hear the traffic right outside the resort.  Two Bunch Palms is a bigger resort and is more tucked away from any main highways or roads.

The staff was friendly and very attentive.

Poolside rooms all have french doors that open to the mineral pools.

On-site spa services

Kitchenette with mini-fridge, stove, and breakfast nook.

Loved the tiling in the bathroom

Breathtaking!  A great opportunity to meditate.

Sock it to Ya!

Hansel from Basel

A few of my favorites. (It was so difficult to choose!)

Has Winter finally arrived?!?  Or is Mother Nature just teasing me and we'll go back to 90 degree this weekend?  Trust me when I say I do not have any complaints pertaining to beautiful Southern California weather.  However, the constant drastic shift in temperature from highs in the 90's to lows in the 60's within two days of each other is going to make us all sick!  To gear up for Winter, I found the perfect way to keep my dresses, shorts, and skirts in the mix.  Hansel from Basel carries all the socks, tight, and leggings a lady will ever need.  When I first stumbled upon these beauties, I started pinning them and  soon realized that I was pinning them all!  Have you ever had that problem where you want a certain purse in every color?  Well, that is my current dilemma... only with tights.

Don't forget! Your kiddies' toes get cold as well!

Pictures: Anthropologie and Hansel from Basel

Pumpkins Carved 6 Ways

After a pleasant Sunday afternoon pot luck we all got down and slimy carving some pumpkins.  With Halloween landing on a Wednesday this year, it felt like the festivities spanned an entire week!  I'm disappointed that Halloween has changed since I was a child.  I always loved treat-or-treating in my neighborhood and running into my classmates.  Everyone I know now either takes their kids to the mall or to a Halloween themed event (normally with an admission fee). 

In addition to Halloween landing mid-week, it was challenging to preserve a pumpkin that I had carved four days prior.  The best remedy I found was to spray the inside of the pumpkin daily with a bleach and water mixture.  No mold and it was still looking fresh (enough) for the trick-or-treaters.