Lua Los Angeles

i'm back!

2011-04-03T19:58:00.000-07:00

there is nothing like coming home from a long vacation away and making that first trip back to the local farmers market. 73 degrees & sunny with the perfect amount of warm breeze, a rainbow of vibrant shades of greens and blues up against the sand, and an endless amount of hard to find wild mushrooms.

oh, i think i fell in love with LA all over again

meyer lemons

black trumpet mushrooms

blood oranges

hmm, what shall i make?

bar carts.

2011-02-18T20:43:00.000-08:00

i've always wanted to find the perfect antique bar cart to bring to life and clutter with colorful bottles of knappogue and san pellegrino . not only do bar carts bring interesting detail and a special intimacy into small apartments, they eagerly promote the making of a proper cocktail. a full bar and well stocked kitchen are essential for impromptu entertaining and these are a convenient way to keep everything together in a small space.

happy valentines day.

2011-02-14T17:48:00.000-08:00

i hope you are surrounded by beautiful things today

tiramisu.

2011-02-02T11:51:00.000-08:00

i owe it all to my italian, brooklyn-bred ex-stepfather for officially introducing me as a very young girl to frank sinatra and delicious tiramisu. how cliche is that? but it's true!
tiramisu is something that i loved as i was growing up in my parents italian restaurant, carefully sneaking spoonfuls straight out of the pan when no one was watching.
apparently, not much has changed.

good tiramisu is A: always done simple with fresh ingredients - how can you go wrong with chocolate, mascarpone, and espresso ?! um, yum...

B: chilled in the fridge just a little bit longer. the cold intensifies the contrasts in flavors

& C: soaked with extra espresso. don't even try and argue with me on this ;)

oh and ps: trying to write a post about tiramisu while absolutely starving is definitely not easy.

Ingredients:

3 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar
1 (8-oz) container mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup chilled heavy cream
2 cups very strong brewed coffee or brewed espresso, cooled to room temperature
2 tablespoons sweet Marsala wine
18 crisp good quality Italian lady fingers
1/4 cup fine-quality bittersweet chocolate shavings
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions:

Beat together yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until thick and pale, about 2 minutes. Beat in mascarpone until just combined.

Beat whites with a pinch of salt in another bowl with cleaned beaters until they just hold soft peaks. Add remaining 1/4 cup sugar a little at a time, beating, then continue to beat whites until they just hold stiff peaks.

Beat cream in another bowl with cleaned beaters until it just holds soft peaks. Fold cream into mascarpone mixture gently but thoroughly, then fold in whites.

Stir together coffee and Marsala in a shallow bowl. Dip 1 ladyfinger in coffee mixture, soaking it about 4 seconds on each side, and transfer to an 8-inch glass baking dish (2-quart capacity).

Repeat with 8 more ladyfingers and arrange in bottom of dish, trimming as needed to fit snugly.

Spread half of mascarpone mixture evenly over ladyfingers. Make another layer in same manner with remaining ladyfingers and mascarpone mixture.

Chill tiramisu, covered, at least 6 hours.

Just before serving, sprinkle with chocolate and cocoa.

the macaron- an intro.

2011-01-27T21:08:00.000-08:00

my love affair with macarons all began when i came across a pastel pink box laying on a desk in the stock room of a boutique i was once working in. the owner had just returned from a buying trip in paris and surprised us all with chocolates and boxes of laduree macarons. six or seven macarons later, i was hooked, in love, mesmerized, and craving more. i knew right away that i was going to go home to try and replicate what i had just experienced.

perfecting the macaron ultimately takes time. and patience. and some key tools. be prepared to run into problems. in fact,

the first recipe out of a cookbook i had attempted to use as a guideline completely flopped- it left out key points. it never explained that you needed to let the piped shells rest before putting into the preheated oven . nor did it even recommend sifting the almond/sugar mixture. i ditched the recipe and decided to look around on the internet. online i ran into even more problems and debates galore. some recipes insisting on several day aged egg whites, some not, some insisting on only weighing ingredients on a scale (the one kitchen gadget i don't have), some recipes only in french, and so on. i decided to research absolutely everything i possibly could on macarons- books, online, magazines, etc. and consider it all. so, i tested each and every recipe and fine tuned them all until i finally achieved perfect results.

there are some crucial steps you must take, for instance; you must use two baking sheets stacked w/ parchment paper OR a silpat. either, or. if you haven't yet bought a silpat and you like to bake, go invest in one. it's cheap and makes a huge difference in everything from clean up, to the way your macarons rise. you must also let the piped batter sit for at least 15 minutes before putting into the oven which promotes a shell to form on top. i also sift my almond flour/sugar mixture 3 times. i start by throwing it all (flour/sugar) into a food processor until it's as fine as it can get, then sift. this will prevent the macarons from looking grainy when done baking.

there are steps that you must make sure are executed properly, but there aren't many steps. make sure to nail each step along the way, and it will soon become easy.

{ pink - rose buttercream }

{gray- white chocolate ganache}

{ green- pistachio buttercream }

{ brown- chocolate ganache }

{purple - lavender chocolate ganache}

{ yellow- lemon buttercream }

{ the almond flour/ sugar mixture- ground to a powder and sifted 3x }

{ gel food coloring }

{ egg whites beat until stiff }

{ a perfect macaron must have a flat top and an egg shell-like crust }

{ ingredients }

makes about 60 single shells or 30 macaron "sandwiches"

2 + 3/4 cups of almond flour

2 + 3/4 cups of powdered sugar

1 cup of egg whites ( aged 24 hours on counter, covered @ room temperature)

pinch of salt

3/4 cup of baker's sugar (most supermarkets carry this)

4-8 drops of gel food coloring < if needed >

first things first-

break out the parchment paper. OR silpat. trim the parchment paper with scissors to fit onto baking sheet.

trace 2 inch circles at least 1.5 inches apart onto parchment paper as a guide, then flip upside down so the ink or pencil marking is not on the surface that will be used. less is better when it comes to the circles. they will touch if they are TOO close!

preheat oven @ 300 degrees F

blend the almond flour and powdered sugar in a food processor until as fine as powder.

sift this mixture into a large stainless steel bowl, 3 times over. discard any lumps.

with an electric mixer or stand mixer, whip the egg whites and pinch of salt, starting on low and increasing speed as the whites start to rise. add the baker's sugar one tablespoon at a time and increase little by little. add food coloring at this point , if desired. **if no food coloring is added the shells will be a light brown color.** beat the egg whites until firm and shiny, with stiff peaks. the peaks must stand up on their own and not curl back when the whisk is held upside down***

pour the egg whites over the almond/ powdered sugar mixture and fold, taking your spatula from the bottom of the bowl and upwards, carefully but thoroughly mixing until mixture is thick and shiny and falls like a ribbon from the spatula when held high. this usually takes about 50 strokes. make sure the mixture is mixed and no almond crumbs are left.

place a pastry bag with a number #8 tip into a tall heavy glass or pitcher and fold back . carefully spoon mixture into bag. pull filled bag out when done, press batter forward with a bench knife. start by piping into the circles on the parchment paper, holding the tip as straight as possible, with one single dollop and quickly lifting the bag away. this will become easier over time if you aren't as familiar with piping. the batter should smooth out on its own as it sits. if there is still a small peak smooth it carefully with a finger. this is also a sign that you under-mixed !

when finished, let piped batter sit for anywhere from 15- 45 minutes.

place the macarons- very carefully!!- into the oven

bake for 13 minutes, no longer.

open the oven half way through to rid of any moisture built up.

if the macaron is browning on the edge, it means they were over baked or your oven may be too hot and you need to decrease the amount of time baked.

always make sure that your oven is well calibrated. you can always check this with an oven thermometer.

remove from oven, place on a cooling rack and do not touch!

let cool completely, which may take hours. if the macarons seem soft, it is ok, they will harden.

when ready to remove, place a finger underneath the parchment paper and pop the macarons up. never try and peel them from the parchment.

fill with your choice when cooled. after filling place into the fridge for several hours.

joshua tree.

2011-01-24T23:58:00.000-08:00

i must admit that i am further behind on my posting than i would like to be as of recently, but for good reason. i was in tennessee for nearly 4 weeks visiting my family over the holidays, which was overall a long but relaxing and much-needed trip. it was there i had decided to ditch the computer and trade it in for baking sessions with my mother, intimate fireside wine conversations with friends that would last way too long into the night, and time spent running after my four year old nephew at my family's restaurant.

just as the trip seemed to begin, alen and i were already on our way back to los angeles, driving cross country. i waved goodbye to memphis as we drove over the mississippi river and hours later we rang in the new year in some random texas town along the interstate. the trip made for my best new year experience, and one that i'm sure will be hard to beat. i took thousands of photos along the ride and promise to share at least a few very soon.

besides coming home and a quick trip to santa barbara, i have been busy organizing, unpacking, and adding to my ever expanding kitchen. i am seriously running out of room- room to chop, room to roll out dough for my pastries, room to store my family heirloom plates, room to even think. it seems as if my kitchen is becoming a cluttered sur la table/farmers market, which is totally fine by me;)

we celebrated my 26th birthday jan 20th, with an amazing dinner at the always delicious via veneto in santa monica and wrapped it up with a weekend trip to joshua tree. the trip was full of thought provoking moments, quietness and the deserted-ness that i was craving. we drove with the top down, hands in the air, and wind in our faces. the land was picture-perfect, the air clean, the lighting stunning, and there was not a soul in sight. i've never seen a sky so big. it was absolutely beautiful.

i couldn't resist sharing these photos.

& i hope you forgive me for being away...

turquoise in the kitchen.

2011-01-20T00:16:00.000-08:00

turquoise and white

via apartment therapy

kitchen inspiration.

2011-01-11T12:38:00.000-08:00

<< all new via lonny mag>>

cinnamon rolls with cream cheese glaze.

2011-01-07T18:07:00.000-08:00

these made from scratch cinnamon rolls really do a great job convincing me that i am in dire need of opening my own bakery. --> hmmm, new business opportunity = possible new year resolution?

if only i could share them with each and everyone around me, i'm sure i'd attract a new group of

friends, maybe the whole world, and even more than a few marriage proposals. but until then, i will have to just woo you through the computer screen.

if you like a moist and springy, not too sweet, luxuriously rich cinnamon roll, glazed with a tangy cream cheese icing served warm fresh from the oven, then i suggest you make a beeline for the kitchen with this recipe in hand. let me know how it goes:)

Ingredients-

Dough:

1 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 1/2 cups (or more) unbleached all purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 1/4 teaspoons rapid-rise yeast (takes 2 envelopes yeast)
1 teaspoon salt
Nonstick vegetable oil spray

Filling:

3/4 cup packed golden brown sugar
2 tablespoons good ground cinnamon
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

Glaze:

4 ounces cream cheese (or half a package of Philadelphia brand), room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions-

For dough:
Combine milk and butter in glass measuring cup. Microwave on high until butter melts and mixture is just warmed to 120°F to 130°F, 30 to 45 seconds. Pour into bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add 1 cup flour, sugar, egg, yeast, and salt. Beat on low speed 3 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Add 21/2 cups flour. Beat on low until flour is absorbed and dough is sticky, scraping down sides of bowl. If dough is very sticky, add more flour by tablespoonfuls until dough begins to form ball and pulls away from sides of bowl. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if sticky, about 8 minutes. Form into ball.

Lightly oil large bowl with nonstick spray. Transfer dough to bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

For filling:
Mix brown sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl.

Punch down dough. Transfer to floured work surface. Roll out to 15x11-inch rectangle. Spread butter over dough, leaving 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar evenly over butter. Starting at 1 long side, roll dough into log, pinching gently to keep it rolled up. With seam side down, cut dough crosswise with thin sharp knife into 18 equal slices (each about 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide).

Spray two 9-inch square glass baking dishes with nonstick spray. Divide rolls between baking dishes, arranging cut side up (there will be almost no space between rolls). Cover baking dishes with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, about 40 to 45 minutes.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Bake rolls until tops are golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and invert immediately onto rack. Cool for 10 minutes. Turn rolls right side up and place onto plate or into a serving pan.

For glaze:
Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until smooth. Spread glaze onto rolls. Use as much as you'd like. Serve warm or at room temperature.

tabletop.

2011-01-04T17:36:00.000-08:00

brass teapot

peacock pottery

white ceramic dinnerware

cotton & silk placemats

pencil drawing earthenware tumblers

small bowls in seaweed

orbit tumblers

pencil drawing earthenware platter

---- all via abc home ----

wallpaper in the kitchen.

2010-12-14T09:57:00.000-08:00

via the decorista

2010-12-08T15:20:00.001-08:00

{Image Credit: Grey Crawford}

san francisco photo diary.

2010-12-04T00:46:00.000-08:00

china town- king of thai noodle house- fishermans wharf- chocolate pots de creme-miette- view from hog island oysters- ferry plaza farmer's market- macarons -view of alcatraz- pier 23 cafe ensenada-style fish tacos- on the pier-market street- union square tree lighting- late night financial district

after a long wine-drenched thanksgiving dinner and falling asleep at nearly 2am, i was reluctantly woken up just three hours later just in time to catch a flight to san francisco. i had dubbed the trip a long post-thanksgiving weekend getaway, when in fact, getaway was turning more and more into merely a thought and we were actually entering black friday madness and all it entails. all shopping aside, we vowed to not take a cab the entire trip and instead explore the city on foot and rely on public transportation. my beloved pair of black nikes had never seen so much sun (or rain) ever, and i didn't dare look once in the direction of the 5 inch heels i had packed. we walked from union square to the financial district to pier 1 to fisherman's wharf, up to nob hill, into china town and back to union square. all entirely in a span of a few hours.

alen and i both agreed that we saw more of the city then the last time we visited in our car, and this way we were forced to try out new restaurants that we just happened to stumble upon. we happily indulged in overflowing beer, sushi, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, fresh dungeness crab, macarons, coffee, local sourdough bread, napa wines, more chocolate, you name it. our trip was sealed with an afternoon martini session on a soft green velvet couch at the four seasons, four floors up and overlooking a very bustling market street. the four seasons became our own little piece of zen in san francisco, where we could run around the chaotic city, have lunch in a cramped china town restaurant, then return here for a calm, quiet evening. here we did the deliberating, describing our experiences and the food, weighing our likes and dislikes, and discussing explanations for all. as much as i love los angeles, i really admire san francisco, their food, the history, the walkability. in a city as sprawled out, trendy, and constantly coming and going as los angeles, it's sometimes hard to warm up to the restaurant scene, let alone keep up with it. this trip really reminded me to toss out any online ratings, or forget what most people define as the best and really find those special places all on my own.

chalkboard paint.

2010-11-30T21:36:00.000-08:00

where was the chalkboard paint when i was growing up?

this is a mischievous child's dream, to be able to freely draw all over entire walls...

i also have an ongoing love affair with matte black paint, especially when used in the kitchen.

via freunde von freunden

2010-11-22T17:31:00.000-08:00

A Brooklyn home where two creative people live: the furniture designer Fitzhugh Karol and jewelry designer Lyndsay Caleo . The exposed kitchen is amazing, not to mention I'm a total sucker for a sink with a view.

Via The Selby

2010-11-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

my mornings usually consist of breakfast in bed, the new york times, a cup or two of coffee, my mac, and alex, the cute dog. the chilly fall mornings promote staying in bed to cuddle, and inspire me to put more time into my weekday breakfasts...

2010-11-15T01:00:00.000-08:00

beautiful color

apple pie.

2010-11-14T21:27:00.000-08:00

pie has become a breeze for me to make, which may or may not be a good thing.

craving something sweet? good, cause i will whip up the best chocolate cream pie you'll ever have. in the mood for berry something? i make the best blackberry pie west of the mississippi. nuts? i've got pecan. if you are simply hungry, i have pie.

you get the point. lately i've been craving apples. with a flaky, buttery crust and vanilla bean ice cream, obviously.

apple pie is uncontrived, simple and inviting, tart at first bite but sweet and forgiving, and reminds me of home. i like that.

i prefer apple pie at room temperature, after the spices have had time to meet and the flavors are most vibrant. this will definitely be on my dining room table come thanksgiving, among an equally delicious pumpkin pie of course.

---Old Fashioned Apple Pie---

Ingredients

1 recipe for a 9 inch double crust pie
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
2-3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
dash of allspice
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup water
7 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced

Directions

Melt butter in a sauce pan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add white sugar, brown sugar and water; bring to a boil. Reduce temperature, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice and/or whatever else you'd like to add.

Meanwhile, place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work of crust. (there are multiple sources online that show how to do this!) Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly into the holes of the lattice. Cover the edges of the crust with aluminum foil so they don't burn.

Bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees F . Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F, and continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool and serve either warm or room temp.

heaven & hell cake.

2010-11-08T23:39:00.000-08:00

eight towering layers of devil's food cake, creamy peanut butter-cream cheese mousse, and angel food cake, covered in satiny smooth milk chocolate ganache.

it's a tall cake. it's a rich cake. it's borderline too much cake. it's definitely a cake that comes better with practice and plenty of patience to spare. it's also one of the most amazing, decadent, and satisfying cakes you'll ever come across.

HEAVEN & HELL CAKE. - recipe adapted from Steven Pyles for Saveur

FOR THE GANACHE:

2 lbs. milk chocolate, such as Valrhona, chopped

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

FOR THE ANGEL FOOD CAKE:

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup cake flour
1 1/2 cups egg whites
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract

FOR THE DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE:

1/2 cup vegetable shortening, plus more for pan
1 1/2 cups cake flour, plus more for pan
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 cup coffee
1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

FOR THE PEANUT BUTTER MOUSSE:

1 1/2 lbs. cream cheese, at room temperature
4 cups smooth peanut butter, at room temperature
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1. Make the ganache: Place the chocolate in a medium-size bowl. Bring cream to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan; pour cream over the chocolate and let sit to melt for 5 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, combine the chocolate and cream. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to let rest for 4 hours.

2. Make the angel food cake: Heat oven to 325°. Line bottom of a 10" round cake pan with ungreased parchment paper. In a medium bowl, sift together confectioners' sugar and flour; set flour mixture aside. In a large bowl, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt with a handheld mixer on low speed until frothy. Increase mixer speed to medium, sprinkle in sugar, vanilla, and almond extract, and beat until stiff peaks form. Sprinkle half of the confectioners' sugar–flour mixture over egg whites; using a rubber spatula, fold until just combined. Repeat with remaining flour mixture. Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake until top of cake springs back when touched, 45–50 minutes. Transfer cake to a rack and let cool.

3. Make the devil's food cake: Heat oven to 350°. Grease a 10" round cake pan with shortening and dust with flour to coat; shake out excess flour and set pan aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder; set flour mixture aside. In another medium bowl, whisk the coffee and cocoa powder until smooth; set coffee mixture aside. In a large bowl, beat the shortening, sugar, vanilla, and eggs with a handheld mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2 minutes. Alternately add the flour mixture and the coffee mixture to the bowl in 3 stages, beating to combine after each addition. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean, 30–35 minutes; transfer to a rack and let cool completely.

4. Make the peanut butter mousse: In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, peanut butter, and confectioners' sugar with a handheld mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Put cream into a large bowl and beat on high speed until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture; set mousse aside in the refrigerator.

5. Assemble the cake: Using a serrated-blade knife, slice each cake horizontally into 2 layers. Place 1 layer of the devil's food cake on a cake stand and spread 1/3 of the peanut butter mousse over the top with a butter knife. Top mousse with a layer of the angel food cake and spread with half of the remaining mousse. Repeat with the remaining devil's food cake, mousse, and angel food cake. Wrap cake in plastic wrap and freeze for 2 hours. Stir ganache until smooth and spread evenly over the top and sides of the cake with a butter knife. Refrigerate the cake for 2 hours before slicing.

SERVES 10 – 12

2010-11-03T20:20:00.000-07:00

vintage one of a kind cake plates via abc home

2010-11-03T20:00:00.000-07:00

whimsical kitchen space via loveology

halloween weekend.

2010-11-01T23:31:00.000-07:00

we decided to get away saturday and drive up to Ojai to have breakfast and possibly find an authentic pumpkin patch somewhere along the way. the pumpkin patches in LA are mostly situated dotted along the city in concrete parking lots surrounded by the big city lights and and the infamous smog LA is known for. i wanted a different experience. i wanted dirt, fields of corn, fresh air, roads to nowhere, to get lost and explore the small towns.

the morning drive to Ojai was certainly an adventure, and by the time we made to the end of our 80 mile journey there, we decided to eat.

we had white cheddar and egg breakfast sandwiches at knead baking co. which were surprisingly delicious, finally found the kind of pumpkin patch i had been searching for, and i

somehow managed to cover my hunter boots completely in mud, which actually i appreciated knowing that was apart of the experience. the weather was perfect and since it had just rained, there was a cool crispness in the air that suited the weekend fittingly. we made it back home just in time to carve our pumpkins, take naps, and change into our costumes for a night out with friends. can i count drawn-on whiskers and and cat ears as a costume?

chocolate molten lava cake.

2010-10-29T23:46:00.000-07:00

Molten chocolate cakes are definitely my preferred type of chocolate cake, especially given they can be executed recipe to plate in less than twenty minutes total. And, just as I expect every single time I eat them, the simmering excitement is there. That anticipation of cutting into the hard puffed-up edges, only to be flooded with liquid chocolate. I cannot wait to discover what is inside the cake.

Chocolate Molten Lava Cake

Ingredients-----

1 cup unsalted butter
8 ounces good quality semisweet chocolate (chips or chunks)
5 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
4 teaspoons flour
8 ramekins

Directions

Melt butter and chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl over a large pot of simmering water; remove from heat.

Beat eggs, sugar and salt with electric mixer in a medium bowl until sugar thoroughly dissolves. Beat egg mixture into chocolate until incorporated and smooth. Beat in flour until just combined. DON'T overmix :)

Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 450 degrees. Spray ramekins with vegetable cooking spray or butter, and dust with cocoa. Divide batter into each ramekin. Bake for 8 minutes approximately , until edges puff up, but center is still jiggly. Take out of oven, let cool and flip onto dessert plate. Top with whipped cream or ice cream.

the best of LA kitchens.

2010-10-27T00:05:00.000-07:00

images via apartment therapy & google

blackened shrimp tacos with chipotle aioli.

2010-10-21T23:19:00.000-07:00

mmm, blackened shrimp tacos. i'll take two, please and thank you.

i could eat tacos all the time, especially if they taste like this. you can hold these in your hand, they take 10 minutes max to make, and the flavor is a force to be reckoned with.what more could you possibly want?

trust me, everything about these tacos is a good (and easy) idea. just invest in some chipotle powder, fresh shrimp, and before you know it you'll have an incredibly tasty meal on your hands.

Blackened Shrimp Tacos w/ Chipotle Aioli

Chipotle Aioli:

1 cup mayo
2 T chipotle powder (or sauce)
1 lime, squeezed

Mix mayo & chipotle powder in a small bowl. Squeeze lime juice in and stir until all incorporated.

Tacos:

Shrimp, clean and deveined
Corn tortillas
Cilantro, to garnish with

Blacken shrimp in a mix of paprika, cayenne pepper, pepper and a pinch of salt.
Heat pan over medium heat and cook shrimp for around 3 minutes each side (or until cooked thoroughly ) Heat tortillas for 15 seconds each side on a clean, dry pan. Place shrimp on tortilla and garnish with chipotle aioli and cilantro.

Y U M M Y