Archive
for March, 2012
Eat at Home: Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls
Mar 20 2012
I’m currently sitting on a stockpile of cinnamon rolls.
It’s true. They’re hanging out in a bag in the bottom drawer of my freezer, and every third morning or so, I break into it and enjoy one with some butter and tea. It’s quite the treat.
The best part is that I made them myself. That’s right—I made the dough, rolled it out, sprinkled it with cinnamon and sugar and lived to tell about it. The result is super wholesome, relatively nutritious (75% whole wheat) pillowy cinnamon rolls that freeze well and can be reheated in a toaster oven…because you deserve a nice breakfast even on a weekday.
You can do it, too. Just beware that yeast is involved, so you’ll need a few hours of prep time. Here’s how (see full ingredients list at the end of post):
Prepare the dough: To start, heat butter and milk in a saucepan and set aside. Next, mix white flour and 1 cup of whole wheat flour, water, yeast, sugar and eggs together at low speed using your paddle attachment. Now add the milk and butter mixture, salt, and the rest of the whole wheat flour. Don’t stop until it’s well blended.
If you have a kneading hook, now’s the time to use it. Start kneading, adding more flour (verrrrry slowly and in tiny amounts) if needed. The goal is to get a big ball of dough that doesn’t stick to the sides of the mixing bowl. Same goes if you’re kneading by hand. You want it to be moist but not sloppy. It should take about 10 minutes.
Once you get it right, transfer the ball into a large, oiled metal bowl. Cover with a towel, and put it in a warmish place.
Highland Park: Fish Tacos & Ceviche from Via-Mar Seafood
Mar 09 2012
My favorite place for mariscos in LA is Tacos Baja Ensenada in East LA. I know Ricky’s gets higher marks, but when all is considered—menu, ambiance and location-Tacos Baja Ensenada is where I want to be. That said, I put up no blinders to new fish taco experiences, and my curiosity was riled when I heard that Highland Park’ s Via-Mar Seafood also has a strong fan base.
I pass by Via-Mar almost daily, so I was excited to finally be placing my order at the window. The menu includes the expected tacos, grilled fish plates, cocktails and burritos along with a good selection of soups. I was still pregnant when I visited, so I had to play it safe with cooked fish, but I longed for an octopus cocktail and that mixed ceviche tostada pictured above.
Both the fish and shrimp tacos were done well (shrimp pictured above). Golden brown and crispy, the batter didn’t overpower the actual shrimp or fish, both of which remained moist. Condiments can make or break a fish taco, and there was no shredded cabbage overload here. However, there was a little too much crema for my tastes, but I always say that.
Eagle Rock: Subs from Eagle Rock Italian Bakery
Mar 02 2012
Pregnant women are warned not to eat cold cuts. It seems that there’s a bacteria called listeria, which lurks in lunch meats, just waiting to wreak havoc on the compromised immune system of every gestating woman. Okay, it’s actually kind of rare, but in America, it’s treated like the plague.
And I’ll admit, I headed the warning. I ate maybe two turkey sandwiches the whole 9 months and promptly freaked out both times. So you can imagine how pumped I was to chow down on my first anxiety-free post-natal sub.
I gave the honor to the Italian sub from Eagle Rock Italian Bakery & Deli. The sandwiches at this Colorado Boulevard mainstay (it’s been around for over 40 years) is one of the best you’ll find east of Bay Cities. Baked fresh in-house daily, the bread has that crispy-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside quality that can really make a sandwich worthwhile while the balance of freshly cut salami, ham, mortadella and provolone cheese takes it home.
