Favas

They're in season now... but i think i missed out on this one way of cooking them that i've been hearing about lately: beer battered & deep fried.

Instead, I followed the recipe that introduced me to Fava's - making a Fava hummus

from Suzanne Goin's Sunday Suppers at Lucques.

It's fairly simple yet somewhat labor intensive.

I bought the favas in th

e shells/pods - but they can be purchased already shelled. that would save a lot of time, but it's easy enough to do it while watching tv or something.

After shelling the favas, you gotta blanch them to remove the outer white skin - and what you're left with is a beautiful bright green bean (above left in bowl).

For the hummus recipe, you basically need some good olive oil, garlic, chile de arbol, rosemary sprig, salt & pepper - and of course the Favas.

heat the oil, swirl in the chile & rosemary - then add the garlic, let sizzle about a minute, then add the favas & seasonings. when tender, remove the rosemary and chile, drain the oil - and puree in a food processor, adding the oil in a steady stream until the puree is a nice velvety smooth texture.

serve with a topping of chopped black olives & feta cheese with parsley.

of course i forgot to buy those ingredients - so here's a picture i took of some of the hummus last year.

Poppy Lemon

I love lemons... Especially Meyer Lemons. They make the best lemonade and a kick ass limoncello.

Today I'm attempting a recipe i first saw on Smitten Kitchen - it grabbed me from the start. Deb's pictures inspire me - and, well - i'm not going to attempt to compete... so much for my diet and weight loss goals.

The recipe calls for 8 egg yolks! ugh. what am i going to do with all the whites? meringue? 7 min frosting? omelets? hmmm.

One reason why i love the smitten kitchen blog: she asks the same questions I ask when i look at a recipe... 8 egg yolks? 1/2 cup flour? and 1/2 cup corn starch? She said it came out great - so we'll see in a bit.

Good Morning

How I lose weight: don't eat anything that I wouldn't post a picture of.

Coffee

Egg

Sprouted-grain bread

chives (from my garden)

arugula

and a little crumble of feta cheese

Wax

I wasn't too sure about this sandwich...

This was my first intake of food in 24 hours, after a not-so-good reaction to some Sauza the night before.

All I really wanted was some saltines. then i wanted a burrito from Cowboys & Turbans... then i just wanted a carne asada burrito... and then the thought of all the flavors and smells made me queasy again.

A sandwich. a simple sandwich. peanut butter and banana. but the only bread on hand was sprouted grain...

needless to say, i was underwhlemed by the looks of the sandwich. But you know what makes a sandwich better?

Wrap it in Wax Paper! I love to wrap my sandwiches in wax paper - it makes it more complete.

I almost didn't want to eat that sandwich after making it - but once it was wrapped, sliced in half and ready, it was much more appealing.

my kryptonite

My friend Lisa loves to cook and bake and seek out new recipes. This recipe for chocolate chip cookies is by far the best.

2 secrets - chill the dough for at least an hour (preferably overnight)... and sprinkle the cookies with sea salt just before popping them in the oven.

I've done this recipe so many times - i know it by heart. It's my go-to recipe when i have a hostess gift to take. they don't last too well - must be eaten the same day (or the next at the latest)... but that's fine, since they are usually inhaled upon arrival.

i have such a weakness for cookies...

a new beginning

I used to blog about political things... but as i discovered how political food is, my blog turned into a food journal.

here's a little something i prepared for lunch today... salad with homemade dressing.

I credit Suzanne Goin for making me a better cook. This dressing is adapted from one in her book "Sunday Suppers at Lucques". Sure it's more involved than just pouring a dressing out of a jar - but i make enough to use on several salads.

When I eat like this, and take pictures - i tend to lose weight. I haven't photographed my food for several months, and have gained about 10 pounds (eeeek!) so back to taking control of my diet - STAT!