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In Bed With | Vefa’s Kitchen

i read cookbooks in bed.  don’t you?

I’ve only made the tzatziki because, well, I’m a bit slow.

I’m in love with Vefa’s Kitchen.

I first saw the book last year on Anthropologie’s site.  I dig their curated collection of style, cooking, travel and garden books.  I tend to have two windows open.  One for Anthro and one for the library.  I need to see, feel, hold and read a book before I buy it these days.  At the time,  LAPL wasn’t down with Vefa, yet.  I tried to peruse the pages at a brick and mortar bookstore.  Hello, Sealed Packaging.

It wasn’t until months later, when I started putting the publisher, Phaidon, in the library’s catalog search engine, did I realize they had finally purchased a copy of  the blue and white beauty.  Yes, it was the jacket design that first caught my eye.

I’ve been thinking about Greece a lot in the last couple of years.  I think it may have started when I finally saw Luc Besson’s Big Blue. Then every time you turn around I was watching a movie set on the ancient isles.  That’s when the fantasy starts.  It’s the month long vacation in my head.  A Greek Isle.  A white house.  That water.  Ahhhh.

Greek cooking wasn’t something I really thought about beyond a bit of baklava or the occasional gyro. (♥:Did you just say that out loud?) Sorry.  I’ve yet to eat Greek here in LA.  Even the Greek restaurants in NYC didn’t hold much allure.  More because my friend, whose mom is Greek Cypriot, put the Umm, No stamp on almost all of them.  It’s like me saying there really isn’t much good soul food in the five boroughs.

So, imagine my surprise when I open this BIG book.  Not only is the love automatic, but there is a familiarity, as well.  The book is full of beautifully simple photographs, each of the islands gets there own bit of history and a culinary merit badge.  There are so many things that are similar to food I grew up eating, so it’s actually easy to incorporate into my every day.  More importantly, I’m all excited to try everything.  (♥: Octopus?) Okay, I’m not trying everything.  But, I am fascinated by all 704 pages.  Marking recipes with all of the blue dotted ribbon glued into the spine and bits of scrap paper.

So, what have I made?  Well, it’s more like what do I want to make.  I’ve only gotten around to making tzatziki, but the “I Wanna” list is long.  There’s even a bit about about preserving.

I need to get a new fresh Vefa’s Kitchen of my own.  I can only renew the library book so many times.  Seriously, I think this is the fourth or fifth time I’ve carted the BIG book home from my local.

This time, though, I just may get another recipe or two made.  There’s phyllo in the freezer and I just brought home some salt cod.  NICE!

Nikki♥

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HFTM | Pershing SQ {Beautiful & Bruised}

they made it home from the market…

When I’m choosing what to bring home from the farmers’ market, I feel like I’m looking for something completely different than when I’m at conventional grocery stores and Whole Foods.

Perfection has a different set of criteria.  Those peaches, the ones above, would be sitting and left to rot.  Because they would have been next to ones that were less visually flawed or they wouldn’t have been on display at all.

But, my word, you should have smelled them.  I couldn’t take it all in.  I couldn’t breathe deeply enough.  They may have been visibly bruised, but beyond the skin there was just a gentle nudge to the otherwise firm flesh.  And, oh, were they sweet.

It’s only been a year since I’ve been going regularly to a few of my local farmers’ markets.  It’s been this amazing experience learning to use my other senses in picking produce.  I, now, know why it’s still hit or miss at conventional stores, cause pretty is only part of the story.

Nikki♥

*Oh, the tomatoes?  Those poor things are a casualty of my tote every week.  The busted ones end up in a pot of something moments after the last snap.  It’s like they make the sacrifice so their friends can rest another day.

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Tigress’ Can Jam | Ohhh, Peaches (Sept)

summer summer fruit… it wouldn’t be summer without ’em*

Have you ever had a conversation that really would be thought of as inappropriate if overheard?  Man, these peaches could’ve gotten me into lots of trouble.

September’s TCJ produce: Stone Fruit.  I picked peaches and lost my mind fairly quickly.  Umm, yeah.  Sorry, I only put up a super tiny batch because I couldn’t stop eating them.

Seriously, I went to the farmers’ market near work twice.  I went to two different grocery stores.  All had good local peaches.  All got EATEN.

They were these big, beautiful, ripe and juicy things that wanted to be spoken of in lush, seductive terms.  Smelling so light and sweet.  All that peachy-ness dancing on air, tempting me.  My guilty hands covered in nectar.

See what i mean?  They were the best kind of trouble.  So. Damn. Good.

At the office, they were so enticing that I wasn’t surprised only a few made it home.  When I tried to explain to a co-worker how amazing they were, he started looking around for HR.

They really were the perfect example of why eating seasonally and locally is so important, at least where taste is concerned.  I decided the few peaches I had left should get the simplest treatment possible.

Gently Gingered Peaches
Adapted from the basic peach recipe in Linda J Amendt’s  Blue Ribbon Preserves

Makes 2 Pints or 1 quart

2-3 lbs of firm, ripe, unblemished peaches
2 cups of water
¾ cup of sugar
4 cups of cold water
1 tablespoon of antioxidant crystals or ascorbic acid crystals (hey there fruit fresh)
Fresh ginger coin slice (1/8th in thick) (if using pints cut in half)

Rinse peaches in cool water.

Sterilize jars and lids.

In a 4 quart pan, combine the 2 cups of water and ginger with the sugar.  Stir until sugar is dissolved over med-high heat.  Once dissolved, turn the heat up and bring it to a boil.  Boil for 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to low, cover and keep syrup hot until needed.

In a large bowl, combine the 4 cups of cold water and antioxidant crystals.  Stir until the crystals are completely dissolved.

Peeling that peach: fill a pan about half full of water and bring it to a simmer.  Fill another large bowl with ice water.  Carefully lower the peaches a few at a time into the water for about 30 seconds.  Remove the peaches and get them into the ice bath for a minute or two.  Repeat the whole thing with the rest of your peaches.

Using a sharp paring knife, carefully skin them peaches.  Cut each peach in half and remove the pit.   Using a spoon, carefully remove the red stuff  from the center of the peaches.  Umm, this might take practice or a pitting spoon.  Mine didn’t look super pretty, more gutted.  But, whatever.

Place the halved fruit in the antioxidant solution.  Don’t leave longer than 20 minutes.  Remove the peaches from their “please-don’t-turn-mangy-colors” bath.  Rinse thoroughly and drain well.

Add peaches to the hot syrup.  Over medium heat, let the peaches cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove the pan from the heat.

Add ¼ cup of hot syrup into each jar.  Pack the peaches, cut side down,  into the jars, leaving a ½ inch headspace.

So, ummm, I, apparently, stopped here thinking that was, you know, it. I covered the peaches and added the ginger to the jar.  Checked for air bubbles and processed in the hot water bath.

Well, that wasn’t it.  Here are the rest of Linda’s directions.  I’m about to eat my peaches that I put up and start over.

Place a sieve over a medium saucepan and line the sieve with 3-4 layers of clean, damp cheesecloth.  Strain the syrup through the cheesecloth.  Over med-high heat, quickly bring the syrup to a boil.  Remove the pan from the heat.

Ladle the hot syrup in to the jars, covering the peaches and leaving ½ inch headspace.  Using a bubble freer or a plastic knife, remove any trapped air bubbles.  Hold the jar up and check from the bottom for any air bubbles trapped under the fruit.  If necessary, add more syrup to maintain headspace.  Wipe the jar rims and triads with a clean, damp cloth.  Cover with hot lids and apply screw rings.  Process pint jars in water bath for 20 minutes, quart jars for 25 minutes.

I think the last step will stick now that I’ve typed it for you.  Woo-hoo.

TheNikkiBits: Well, you saw the reading comprehension part isn’t really my strong suit when it comes to recipes.  I kinda just want to finish.  Looks like I know what I’m having for brekkie in the am.  Wait, why did I just envision a bit of good vanilla ice cream volunteering to be the bed for that peach dream?  Oh, and I’ve already sipped a little of the syrup that was left over.  I can’t wait to get a little licka to go with it.  I might even try to rock a ginger peach soju cocktail this evening.  Mmmm…. Yeahh…

What’sNext: Back to the Farmers’ Market on Sunday to see if there are more yellow beauties to behold and be canned.

Nikki♥

*does anyone remember that commercial?

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No Shame | My Own Private Twilight

I realized as the bus passed and her face on its side caught my eye that I have some questionable cinematic loyalties.  My disdain for Twilight’s immense popularity got put in check when it became clear that my heart raced a little faster as the letters on the poster ticked the OMG box.  A new Resident Evil.  Milla! Milla! Milla!

Years ago, I was clicking aimlessly looking for something to still my hand and mind, when I came upon some cable channel that figured out a new way to steal a couple of hours of my time, repeatedly.

(Sci-Fi+Action-y+GunsandZombies) x MILLA + 1/8 CausticMichelleRodriguez vs. TheMan/TheSystem/TheCompany =  Fun Times!

So, I watched.  Kinda liked.  And watched, again.  Kinda loved.

Are we talking 5stars on Netflix?  Come on, now.  No.  I don’t expect a “cinematic tour de force” from Resident Evil; I expect a good time.  Have they even all been that?  Well, actually, no.  But it’s the possibility that it could be as good a whole as all the kick-ass elements that sucks me in.  I guess in some ways I just want the first five minutes of the Matrix repeated in different ways with different people for 90 minutes.

I dig the Resident Evil series.  I just do.  I want to see some girl kicking zombie tail and going after “The Man” for causing the destruction of,  you know, errything.  Unless there is something so disturbing that it makes me uncomfortable and it unwatchable, besides Ashanti*, I’m in.

This thing I have for Resident Evil, is it Twilight tent and sleeping bag love?  Enough to spend days in line for tickets or something?  Ummm, I don’t do that.  Or let’s be clearer, the last time I slept out for tickets Prince hadn’t changed his name yet and he could get me to do anything.

It’s funny how I start to overthink the fact that I just like something.  It’s as if scary fun can’t be enough and I’ve got to slag the object of my affection a bit in the process.  How can I have “No Shame,” yet still be trying to save face?

Let me watch the trailer and get hyped again.  brb.

That worked.

Yay!  Resident Evil: Afterlife is playing at The Arclight.  We haven’t talked about how  really special I am about where I’ll venture off into the darkness, have we? Maybe later.

Tonight, I’m going to finish watching Architectures 5 and maybe, Un Prophète with the director’s commentary while sipping on yuppie Night Train aka Two Buck Chuck.  But, for real, can it be Friday?  Now.

Nikki♥

(*Sorry, Ashanti.  See Resident Evil:Extinction)

Since I’m feeling all open, I’ll admit to my other head-scratcher and publicly pout about the ones that did me wrong.

Another Questionable Allegiance & A Couple of Painful Betrayals
Underworld: Yes.  Period.  Umm, Hi Kate.  Can you tell Bill I said, “Hey?”

Alien/Aliens: Nothing exists in my world post-Fincher.  And that one hurt.  Alien vs. huh?  Seriously, why?  And please don’t even think about a prequel.  Please.

Hellraiser: After Pinhead In Space aka Hellraiser IV:Bloodline, I got off that ride.  So did the everyone else.  Hello, Direct-to-Video.

Mission: Impossible to get me back into a theater.  Wait…  Did you say Simon Pegg?

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Oh, My | Where The Weck Lives

i can hear connie francis* right now…


I longed aloud today for a simple carafe.  Someone heard me.

Did you read the newsletter?  Did you see the announcement?  Have you been to the website?  What?  No?  Heath Ceramics has gone Uber-Weck.  I think I♥Heath Ceramics, even more hardcore.

The range Heath now carries online is, umm, just stoopid.  Seriously, they’ve got Weck sets.  Love.  Wait, did I say that again? Love.  Fine.  Umm, silly happy.  How about that?  Better?

See for yourself.

…Hold on.  I just looked at the prices.  Why does it feel like it’s cheaper than when I got my first taste of Weck goodness last year?  It just might be.  I won’t argue.

Nikki♥

*you know, she sung “Where The Boys Are,” the theme song to the 1960 Spring Break comedy.  No?  I guess that’s what I get for faking sick/ditching school and watching lots of old movies on the telly.

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Ummm, Yeah | Updated…

Just a wee bit of housekeeping for a late Sunday night.


I came across another spot to pick up Weck jars.  I’ve updated the Weck Resource Guide post with the Canoe link.  They carry the asparagus/tall jar!!!

I’ve also updated the Nigella Dense Chocolate Loaf Cake post from earlier this year.  I realized that I, umm, hadn’t included the recipe.  I, also, made the cake for an office shower/pot-luck thingy.  Added ginger and changed the world.  Okay.  Changed my world.  Heaven on, well, you know.  It was good.

Have a great week!

Nikki♥

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No Shame | I’ve Cried BoyBand Tears

i can explain

I cried at a New Edition/Bobby Brown/Al B. Sure show.

Ummm, yeah.  The girls around me thought I was all boyband overwhelmed.  Naw. General Admission.  A couple thousand girls packed together trying to get some dude’s attention.  I was being pushed and, hello, had nowhere to go.  Oh, and I was having problems catching my breath.

Of course, the crying made the breathing thing worse.  I thought I was going to DIE.  No, really.  I thought I was going to die alone at a New Edition concert.  Die surrounded by girls who thought I was hysterical in anticipation.  Like I couldn’t wait for Ronnie, Ricky, Ralph and ‘nem* to be thrusting mightily towards me.  Umm, no.

Maybe it was those furrowed brows of pity that got me to stop hyper-everything-ing.  Cause at some point, stuck in the middle of the coliseum floor, I figured I might as well enjoy myself in the swell.  I sang along to every word of every song on Heart Break like every other girl there.  Okay with not knowing where I’d be standing once the music stopped.

I went to many a rock show after that and dudes in the pit had nothing on those chicks.  Those girls taught me to hold my own.  They taught me well.

Nikki♥

*Sorry, Mike & Johnny.

♥:Wait.  You do know this story is like 20 years old, right?  Not ashamed, but, ummm… I want to be REAL clear…

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Tigress’ Can Jam | My First Tomato (August)

oh, i like this…


I’m canning on the road this month.  I packed up some *new* jars, the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving from LAPL, a small bottle of commercial lemon juice and headed to West Hollywood.

I was really excited that this month’s produce coincided with my trip across town to Chez P+K.  It’s the first time I’ve gotten a chance to put up something homegrown from the backyard.  The backyard on the other side of the kitchen window.  Pam’s plants were producing aplenty.  I was all giddy knowing that she was setting aside some freshly plucked off the vine for me.  And my goodness, they were beautiful .

Oh, yeah.  I have new jars.  Non-Weck jars.  Surprise.  I knew that I wanted to can some of Pam’s tomatoes and leave them as a gift.  So, just to be super safe, I thought it might be a good move on my part to expand my jar-i-sphere.

I’d been looking through lots of canning books for recipes.  Simple, easy, SIMPLE recipes.  I really got into the Ball section on tomatoes.  I appreciated that the hefty section had the recipes separated by process, water-bath and pressure canner.  Thoughtfully explaining the use of commercial lemon juice to ensure proper acidity for water-bath canning, as well as, talking about all that separation anxiety.  It made me feel really confident and comfortable about what has probably been my easiest canning experience to date.

By now, you should know my middle name is “Can’t-Leave-Well-Enough-Alone.”  I did go off-book adding a fresh herb instead of the dried used in the Herbed Tomato recipes a few pages later.

Tomatoes Packed in Water

Umm, from the Ball Book…

Tomatoes
Commercial Lemon Juice
Kosher Salt

Prep your canner and sterilize your jars.
Wash those pretty tomatoes.
Set a pot of water to boil.  Set up a bowl of ice water.
Working in small batches, make a small X in the bottom of the tomatoes.  Put them in the boiling water for 30-60 seconds or until the skin starts to crack.
Place the tomatoes in the ice bath and peel off the skin.
Core the tomatoes.  You can leave them whole, halve or quarter them.
In a non-reactive pot/saucepan, add a layer of tomatoes.  Just cover with water.
Bring to a boil over medium-ish high heat.
When it begins to boil, lower temperature and cook for 5 minutes.
In the quart jars, place 2 tablespoons of commercial lemon juice. 1 teaspoon of salt.
In pint jars, add 1 tablespoon of commercial lemon juice and ½ teaspoon of salt.
Fill jars.  Use cooking water to top off tomatoes.  Leave a ½ inch of headspace.
Process 40 minutes for pints, 45 for quarts.

TheNikkiBits: So, yeah.  CLWEA added fresh basil and crushed red pepper to one quart of the tomatoes with the lemon juice and salt.  The other quart got ½ teaspoon of both ground cumin and coriander.  From a bottle.  Not my first choice, but hey I wasn’t at home and I was feeling inspired.  I threw in a few black peppercorns, as well.  I had some left over cooking water.  By itself, it was AMAzing.  Fragrant, with a surprising depth.  Used it to fill out my go-to tomato and goat cheese pasta sauce.

What’sNext: Okay.  I really want it to be winter.  But, wait.  I need put up lots more jars of tomatoes, first.  I can’t wait to get home and put cumin seeds in the mortar and pestle.  I want to make chili and curries and MMMmmm…  Wow. I’m hungry and excited.  First, though, I’m going to put up a couple of quarts of tomatoes for Pam.  Simple and Plain.  CLWEA is going to be locked in a room somewhere.

While everything else we’ve done, during Tigress’ Can Jam this year, has been a fun and tasty learning experience, this really has been the month that makes better something I already do as opposed to hipping me to something new.  Ummm, Tinned Tomatoes.  See Ya!

My birthday is quickly approaching.  I think I need a food mill.  Hmmmm.  Mommy!

Nikki♥

LAPL – Los Angeles Public Library… I ♥ that place, hardcore.