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Chaya’s Vegan Japanese Minestrone

02/21/2012 By dana Leave a Comment

Los Angeles has always had a thriving restaurant scene, fueled by innovative chefs, abundant inspiration, and ever-curious diners. But when it comes to classic fine dining, there are only a handful of grandes dames left. It’s not that Angelenos don’t appreciate first-rate food, but they want it served with a fun, lighthearted vibe. In this town, stuffy and pompous just don’t fly any more. One L.A. landmark has managed to keep its hip Euro-Japanese brand of haute cuisine relevant for 27 years. Chaya Brasserie, owned by the Tsunoda family, which has been operating restaurants and tea houses in Japan for almost four centuries, is constantly reinventing the sophisticated neighborhood haunt. Chaya is where my husband took me … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Soup Recipes

Lychee Grapefruit Limeade

02/14/2012 By dana Leave a Comment

What’s your idea of romance? These days, there are a a million ways to buy it — chocolates, greeting cards, iTunes compilations, roses. But I prefer mine simple, handmade, and enduring. Growing up, Valentine’s Day was always my favorite holiday. I would stay up late the night before, glueing red and pink hearts onto doilies for my classmates and wrapping cookies for my teachers. Even our terrier, McDuff, got a special red bone to chew on. It was a day to exchange little tokens from the heart, when nothing else seemed to matter. Fast forward to a grown-up life with three busy kids, a husband, work and travel. There’s not much time for grand gestures. But what’s romantic to me now is still pint-sized. Sure, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Beverages

How to Make a Vinaigrette

02/07/2012 By dana Leave a Comment

One of the questions I am most often asked in my classes is, “How do I make a salad taste good?” The simplest answer is to make a vinaigrette from scratch. So why has the salad dressing section of supermarkets taken over nearly half the aisle? Because most people don’t realize that homemade salad dressing tastes far better and costs much less money and effort than buying one off the shelf. I’ve probably made a thousand salads in my life, and each one of them began with this formula. It’s the recipe I learned in my first week of cooking school, one that I’ve kept in my head like a mantra: 1 part acid, 2 parts oil, a smidgen of garlic and mustard, plenty of seasoning. Whether you like your vinaigrette … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Salad Recipes

Whole Grain Spaghetti with Broccoli Pesto

02/02/2012 By dana Leave a Comment

I wish you were here in Los Angeles last weekend. Warm breezes blew gently across a cloudless electric blue sky, and there was a palpable exuberance in the air. It was the perfect time to welcome a certain well-seasoned New Yorker, one with a mega presence and a delicious agenda. Mario Batali, proprietor of 19 restaurants, Iron Chef, author of eight cookbooks and television superstar, came to town. On tour to promote his latest book, Molto Batali, Mario breezed into our boardwalk café, Coast, for a sold-out lunch that included samples of several recipes, accompanied by wines from his Bastianich label. It was a meal to remember, not as much for the food, which was tasty indeed, but for the outsized personality that jumped out … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Pasta Recipes

February Giveaway

02/01/2012 By dana 1 Comment

February is the month to think pink! I was floored when I tried the new ceramic knives from Kyocera. Not only do they slice like a scalpel, they fit well in hand and stay sharp up to 15 times longer than metal-based knives. What’s more, the blades will never rust or damage food. So you can say goodbye to browning when chopping fresh herbs, lettuce and vegetables. This all-purpose pink Santoko knife is perfect for slicing, dicing and mincing. Plus, $5.00 from each knife sold is donated to breast cancer research. For a chance to win a Kyocera knife, sign up for the 90210 Farmgirl’s weekly recipes, cooking tips, videos and fun in our subscribe box on the left side of the home page or (if you are already a subscriber), send … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cooking Contest

Fire Up with the Beverly Hills Farmgirl for a Delish 2012

01/31/2012 By dana Leave a Comment

Heart-Healthy Asian-Fusion with Chaya Executive Chef Shigefumi Tachibe Thursday, February 16, 2012 9:30 am - 12 noon (NOTE: The M Café class has been rescheduled for April 26 - see below) Chef Tachibe and Yuji Tsunoda, whose family has owned restaurants in Japan for over 390 years, opened the acclaimed La Petite Chaya 27 years ago. Chef Tachibe now oversees four California eateries, all featuring his elegant Asian-fusion cuisine. We are honored to have him share some of his tastiest healthy dishes and techniques. Fresh Ideas for Passover and Easter Thursday, March 22 9:30 am - 12 noon Featuring Spring favorites: Asparagus, zucchini, morels and a gorgeous parfait! Macro Makeovers with M Café de … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Events

Chocolate Sesame Panna Cotta

01/26/2012 By dana Leave a Comment

Once in a very rare while, there’s a pause in my day, when nobody needs me, there is nowhere I need to be, and all is quiet. A shot of bliss. It’s when you’ll usually find me doing one of two things: hiking or playing the piano. Last week, there was one such moment and, while playing a Bach fugue, this dessert came to me. I had been trying to come up with the grand finale for my Modern Mediterranean class, featuring the owner of Momed Beverly Hills. I was looking for the impossibly perfect dessert with a Mediterranean twist. It had to be decadent but light, simple to make but complex in flavor, minutes to prep but memorable. And in the middle of a particularly melodious contrapuntal passage, I thought of halvah, the Middle … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Dessert Recipes

Miso-Maple Glazed Brussels Sprouts

01/20/2012 By dana Leave a Comment

One of the perks of writing a food blog is the culinary journey I get to take each week. Just in the past few days, I’ve traipsed from France to Turkey to Greece and Japan, crossing over borders without leaving the dinner table. I even get to drag my family along for the ride. Last night’s dinner combined a trip to Paris (cheese fondue) with a stopover in Kyoto for these sweet and salty glazed Brussels sprouts. Once the baguette and roasted potatoes were gone, the kids and husband had no choice but to venture their skewers to the bowl of little green-brown orbs, dunking them into the rich, ever-so-funky fondue. Much to my surprise, the sprouts disappeared in minutes. Try them over brown rice or quinoa, as a side dish for … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Side Dish Recipes