venice beach: where art meets crime

Santa Monica / Westwood / Cheviot Hills route

noreply@blogger.com (erik.nye@gmail.com) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:17:00 +0000

voicesvoices - origins

noreply@blogger.com (erik.nye@gmail.com) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:41:00 +0000

hold your horses - 70 million

noreply@blogger.com (erik.nye@gmail.com) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:15:00 +0000

ok go - this too shall pass

noreply@blogger.com (erik.nye@gmail.com) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:10:00 +0000

LA River / Toluca Lake / Franklin Canyon route

noreply@blogger.com (erik.nye@gmail.com) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:07:00 +0000

ramona falls - i say fever

noreply@blogger.com (erik.nye@gmail.com) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 04:47:00 +0000

Miracle Mile / Victoria Park / Silver Lake route

noreply@blogger.com (erik.nye@gmail.com) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 02:59:00 +0000

food for thought

noreply@blogger.com (erik.nye@gmail.com) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:12:00 +0000

from the los angeles times

Street's Kaya toast plate

Total time: 50 minutes
Servings: 1

Adapted from Street. Coconut milk will separate; stir well before measuring. Pandan leaves can be found at Thai and many general Asian markets. Dark soy sauce is a slightly thicker soy sauce and is available at Asian markets.

Coconut jam

1 cup coconut milk
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
8 pandan leaves, washed and tied into a knot
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
3 eggs
3 egg yolks

1. In a small sauce pot, mix together the coconut milk and one-half cup sugar. Stir in the pandan leaves and salt and bring to a boil over high heat, keeping the pandan submerged in the milk as the leaves cook and soften. When the milk has come to a boil, remove from heat and let the mixture steep for 10 minutes.

2. Remove the pandan leaves from the milk, squeezing any excess liquid from the leaves into the milk. Discard the leaves.

3. In a medium stainless steel mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolks and remaining one-half cup sugar. Whisk in the coconut milk mixture to form a custard base.

4. Place the stainless steel bowl over a medium pot of lightly simmering water. Gently cook the custard, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until the mixture thickens, 15 to 20 minutes. The final texture should have a thick custard consistency (a trail of the spatula should remain on the surface of the custard for more than 10 seconds).

5. Immediately remove from heat and strain into a medium bowl set over a larger bowl of ice water. Stir until the custard cools, then cover and refrigerate until needed. This makes about 2 cups coconut jam, more than is needed for the remainder of the recipe; the jam will keep for 1 week, refrigerated.

Kaya toast plate assembly

2 tablespoons coconut jam
2 slices dense white bread, such as pain de mie or pullman, toasted on 1 side
1 1/2 tablespoons shaved salted butter
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
Dash ground white pepper
1 soft boiled egg, peeled

1. Spread the coconut jam evenly over both slices of bread on the untoasted side, then place a layer of shaved butter over the jam. Place one slice of bread over the other to form a sandwich.

2. Halve the sandwich, then cut each half into thirds to form 6 even wedges.

3. Pour the dark soy sauce over the egg and dash with the pepper. Serve the egg alongside the sandwich wedges.

Each serving: 443 calories; 13 grams protein; 51 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 21 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 282 mg. cholesterol; 1,055 mg. sodium.

Mozza's marinated beets with horseradish

Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes, plus cooling time
Servings: 6 to 8

Adapted from executive chef Matt Molina of Mozza.

Ingredients

2 pounds beets
5 sprigs fresh thyme
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
Freshly-ground black pepper
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup freshly-grated (or puréed) horseradish
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, toss the beets with the thyme, olive oil, one-half teaspoon salt and one-eighth teaspoon pepper.

2. Transfer the beets to a roasting pan and cover with foil. Roast the beets until they are tender and can easily be pierced with a knife, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

3. Rub the cooled beets with a towel to remove the skins, then dice them into half-inch pieces and place in a large bowl. Stir in the vinegar, horseradish and mustard and season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes about 4 cups.

Each of 8 servings: 124 calories; 2 grams protein; 14 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 7 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 366 mg. sodium.

from the chicago tribune

Oranges with wine sauce

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Servings: 8

Adapted from a refreshing dessert served by Debbie Kane, who adapted it from Bon Appetit.

Ingredients

1 bottle red wine (preferably inexpensive and Spanish)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 stick cinnamon
8 cold oranges (or a mix of tangerines, tangelos, blood oranges and oranges)

1. Reduce: Pour wine into a medium saucepan. Stir in 1 cup sugar and the cinnamon stick. Set over high heat; boil until reduced to 1 cup, 20 minutes. Let cool.

2. Swirl: Zest 2 oranges. Buzz zest and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in the food processor until fragrant, 2 minutes.

3. Slice: Lop off north and south poles of each orange. Cut away remaining peel and pith in long north-to-south strokes. Slice orange flesh into thin circles. Lift out any seeds.

4. Serve: Settle fruit slices into 8 shallow bowls. Drizzle with syrup. Sprinkle with orange sugar.

Potato and onion fry-up

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
4 to 6 large potatoes, peeled, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
1 large onion, halved, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 teaspoon each: salt, freshly ground pepper
4 eggs, beaten

1. Heat olive oil in large, heavy skillet over medium high heat. Add potatoes and onions; cook, turning with spatula, 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; cover, cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

2. Add salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered, turning mixture with a spatula, until onions are golden, potatoes have begun to break apart and are slightly crunchy, 9 minutes. Stir in eggs; cook until firm, about 1 minute.

Nutrition information per serving: 208 calories, 53% of calories from fat, 12 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 141 mg cholesterol, 19 g carbohydrates, 6 g protein, 245 mg sodium, 2 g fiber.

Nanaimo bars

Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 12 minutes
Chill: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Makes: 48 bars

Canadian Living magazine has run numerous recipes for these bars, including this version.

Ingredients

2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/3 cups butter, melted, plus 2 tablespoons unmelted
2/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups shredded coconut
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 cups confectioners' sugar
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13-by-9-inch cake pan. Line with parchment paper, leaving 1-inch extending over long edges; set aside. Whisk together eggs, 1 cup of the melted butter, cocoa and sugar in large bowl; stir in crumbs, coconut and walnuts. Press evenly into prepared pan. Bake 10 minutes. Cool in pan on rack.

2. Stir together remaining 1/3 cup of the melted butter, milk and vanilla in medium bowl; beat in confectioner's sugar until smooth. Spread evenly over cooled base. Refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes.

3. Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl with remaining 2 tablespoons of the butter. Heat 1 minute; stir. Heat 30 seconds; stir until melted and smooth. Spread evenly over filling. Score the surface into serving size pieces. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour. Use parchment paper to lift bars from pan; peel off paper. Cut into bars.

Nutrition information per bar: 184 calories, 50% of calories from fat, 11 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 24 mg cholesterol, 22 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 47 mg sodium, 1 g fiber.

from the new york times

Greek zucchini fritters

Servings: 6 to 8

The mixture can be assembled up to a day before.

Ingredients

2 pounds large zucchini, trimmed and grated
Salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs, such as fennel, dill, mint, parsley
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 cup fresh or dry breadcrumbs, more as necessary
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup crumbled feta
All-purpose flour as needed and for dredging
Olive oil for frying

1. Salt the zucchini generously and leave to drain in a colander for one hour, tossing and squeezing the zucchini from time to time. Take up handfuls of zucchini, and squeeze out all of the moisture. Alternately, wrap in a clean dish towel, and squeeze out the water by twisting at both ends.

2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and add the shredded zucchini, herbs, cumin, bread crumbs, salt and pepper to taste and feta. Mix together well. Take up a small handful of the mixture; if it presses neatly into a patty, it is the right consistency. If it seems wet, add more breadcrumbs or a few tablespoons of all-purpose flour. When the mixture has the right consistency, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour or longer.

3. Heat 1 inch of olive oil in a large frying pan until rippling, or at about 275 degrees. Meanwhile, take up heaped tablespoons of the zucchini mixture, and form balls or patties. Lightly dredge in flour.

4. When the oil is very hot, add the patties in batches to the pan. Fry until golden brown, turning once with a spider or slotted spoon. Remove from the oil, and drain briefly on a rack. Serve with plain Greek style yogurt if desired.

aircraft boneyard

noreply@blogger.com (erik.nye@gmail.com) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:39:00 +0000

View Larger Map

Santa Monica Canyon / Clarkdale / Cashio route

noreply@blogger.com (erik.nye@gmail.com) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:03:00 +0000

Eastside / Pasadena / Elysian Park route

noreply@blogger.com (erik.nye@gmail.com) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 04:09:00 +0000

rob carter's metropolis

noreply@blogger.com (erik.nye@gmail.com) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:45:00 +0000

Santa Monica / Westwood / Sunset Strip route B

noreply@blogger.com (erik.nye@gmail.com) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 06:21:00 +0000

Franklin Hills / Toluca Lake / Sun Valley route

noreply@blogger.com (erik.nye@gmail.com) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:42:00 +0000

Larchmont / Hollywood Bowl / Beverly Grove route

noreply@blogger.com (erik.nye@gmail.com) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:17:00 +0000

kevin mcgloughlin - noises

noreply@blogger.com (erik.nye@gmail.com) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:42:00 +0000

tokyo sky drive

noreply@blogger.com (erik.nye@gmail.com) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 23:54:00 +0000

food for thought

noreply@blogger.com (erik.nye@gmail.com) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:35:00 +0000

from the miami herald

Warm potato and green bean salad

1 1/4 pounds red potatoes, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 clove garlic, finely minced
½ teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut across in half
½ cup thinly sliced red onion
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced

1. Combine the potatoes and enough lightly salted cold water to cover them by 2 to 3 inches; bring to a boil. Boil until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Scoop them out of water using a slotted spoon and place in colander. (You will be reusing the cooking water.)

2. While potatoes cook, combine lemon juice and zest, garlic, salt, pepper and dill in a large bowl. Whisk in olive oil. Gently toss in cooked potatoes.

3. Bring potato cooking water back to a boil and add green beans; cook until bright green and crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Place onions in a colander; drain green beans and cooking water over onion. If they won't be served right away, run cold water over vegetables to stop them from cooking. Combine with the potatoes and celery. Makes 6 servings.

Per serving: 155 calories, 3 g protein, 21 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 7 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 209 mg sodium.

from KSFM-TV

Pineapple salsa

Prep time: 20 minutes
Ready in: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup finely chopped pineapple
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained & rinsed
1/4 cup chopped onions
2 green chile peppers, chopped
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, toss together pineapple, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, corn, black beans onions, green chile peppers, orange juice and cilantro. Season with cumin, salt and pepper. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until serving.

from the los angeles times

Hotel Condon corn bread

Total time: 1 hour, plus cooling time
Servings: 16

Note: Adapted from chef Gail Stanfield of the Hotel Condon in Condon, Ore.

Ingredients

3 eggs
1 (15-ounce) can creamed corn
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup (4.25 ounces) flour
1 cup cornmeal, not stone-ground
3 tablespoons baking powder
1 small (4-ounce) can diced green chiles, drained
1 cup grated Mexican cheese blend
3 tablespoons honey, or as desired (up to 1/3 cup)

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs. Whisk in the creamed corn, then the melted butter. Whisk in the sugar until fully combined.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal and baking powder. Slowly whisk the flour mixture into the large bowl until combined. Fold in the diced chiles and cheese until combined.

3. Spoon the mixture into a greased 10-inch round cake pan (with 3-inch walls) and smooth the top of the batter.

4. Bake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool the bread for 15 minutes on a rack.

5. Invert the bread onto a platter and "frost" with the honey. Cool completely, then cut and serve.

Each of 16 servings: 190 calories; 5 grams protein; 23 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 9 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 61 mg. cholesterol; 4 grams sugar; 420 mg. sodium.

from the south florida sun-sentinel

Sweet fruit-full breakfast bread pudding

Note: Adapted by Andrea Weigl of McClatchy Newspapers from Sara Foster of Foster's Market in Chapel Hill and Durham, N.C.

Ingredients

2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
2 cups half-and-half
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 loaf country Italian or French bread, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes or 6 cups any stale bread, biscuits or cake
2 cups fresh or frozen fruit (such as blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, pitted cherries, sliced peaches or plums) or 1 cup good-quality semisweet chocolate, cut into chunks
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted

1. Combine buttermilk, half-and-half, eggs and vanilla. Add bread cubes. Let them stand 10 to 15 minutes, until the bread absorbs most of the liquid. Add fruit or chocolate and stir to combine. Pour bread mixture into prepared pan, making sure to get all the liquid out of the bowl.

2. Cut a sheet of aluminum foil large to cover the pan and grease one side of it with butter. Place buttered side down over the baking dish and bake 1 hour. Uncover and bake 20 minutes longer, until the top is golden brown and crispy.

3. Meanwhile, whisk the butter and cream together. Slowly add the sifted confectioners' sugar and whisk until smooth. Drizzle over the warm pudding. Serve warm; leftovers can be reheated in a 300-degree oven. Makes 12 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 249 calories, 47 percent calories from fat, 13 grams total fat, 136 milligrams cholesterol, 24 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram total fiber, 8 grams protein, 242 milligrams sodium.

Santa Monica / Culver City / Whitworth route

noreply@blogger.com (erik.nye@gmail.com) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 08:14:00 +0000

Griffith Park / Toluca Lake / Sun Valley route B

noreply@blogger.com (erik.nye@gmail.com) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:00:00 +0000

Larchmont / Hollywood / Beverly Grove scoot

noreply@blogger.com (erik.nye@gmail.com) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 04:41:00 +0000

zoltán lányi - i'll have the waldorf salad

noreply@blogger.com (erik.nye@gmail.com) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:17:00 +0000

Larchmont / Santa Monica / Westwood route B

noreply@blogger.com (erik.nye@gmail.com) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:49:00 +0000

Griffith Park / Toluca Lake / Sun Valley route A

noreply@blogger.com (erik.nye@gmail.com) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 05:21:00 +0000

Cahuenga Pass / Mt Hollyw'd / Little Armenia route

noreply@blogger.com (erik.nye@gmail.com) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:10:00 +0000