cookie monster.

we actually have a lot in common...we both love a good chocolate chip cookie & we love to eat them dipped in organic cream topped 'cow milkies'....we love to be cozy and warm in our bodies whether it be a cashmere cardigan or a blue fur body....and we love to have fun in the kitchen...happy halloweenxxx

persimmons, pumpkins & orange blossom water.

these starfish like lotus flower lily pads floating on the thick river of the orange blossom cake are persimmons....you may have not known that if you cut them on the bias....they give you this gorgeousness. i mean ...can you believe the beauty beaming from this fall fruit? i couldn't stop photographing it as though i have become the persimmon paparatzi (p.p. for short) ok that might be the name of my next book...the funny part here (brace yourself) is i actually never tasted this cake...i baked it for a family and never tried it! the only critic i heard about was the lack of moisture...so maybe you can up the anty on the oil in the recipe. i am on the search for more fuyu persimmon recipes...please share if you know of any and stay tuned for an incredible hachiya persimmon pudding...once those hit the stands at the market. i found this recipe here. if you live in los angeles and find yourself at the hollywood (sunday) or santa monica (wednesday) farmers markets..these fuyu persimmons are from peacock family farms...where you can also pick up eggs, nuts, raisins, the end of the grapes season, cucumbers, eggplant and basil...tell scott & faye i sent you...they will treat you with the renaissance mama love. see you in the kitchenxxx

bring it on: fall.

fall is here.... even in los angeles. it was 93 degrees in my car today & supposedly it was the last hot day....well whatever the weather is saying....in the kitchen: it's definitely fall. i am feeling so lucky, honored & almost a little giddy to see all of these incredible squashes & pumpkins that are making their way to the surface... the colors, varieties, textures are magnificent! we are so lucky...and they are not just for your table decoration! roast those babies... and then go out and get more... keep the cycle going. how do you roast a squash? don't be afraid to ask... you have a lot of company as probably 85 - 90% of us (random guess) do not know how.... so here you go...turn that oven to bake or convection bake to 400 degrees... cut the squash in half...massage with olive oil, herbs if you have some, a bit of coarse salt...place them on a baking sheet with parchment paper and/or a casserole dish (or anything you have that will fit & is oven proof) and back for 40 or so minutes depending on your oven...place flesh down & skin up...it's easier to take the seeds out after the squash has cooked b/c it's so soft...or you can scrape them out before & toast the seeds on a baking sheet....check the squash with a fork...make sure it goes in all the way. i am beyond myself with the white carrots...yep- those are not parsnips....and the persimmons....wow. breathe. take it in. the ones pictured above are called chocolate persimmons as they have a chocolate color inside within their bright orange flesh. they are so good and their seeds are almost prehistoric looking.... i found them at the santa monica farmers market on wednesday mornings by this sweet french woman who has a name i can't recall...they are grown in placer county at penryn orchards..check them out. let me know how the squash goes...see you in the kitchenxxx

more abundance.

i am still steeping in the awwwwe of these pomegranate seeds... i try different farms and they all range in flavor, juice, sweet, sour...i am now just offering these as an addition to any meal on the table...the other night it was lamb with red lentils & rice. i had to share how beautiful they beamed in this torquoise vessel. i can't promise that this is it on the pomegranates...see you in the kitchenxxx (ps: has anyone tried one for the first time or the fortieth? share the love...)

abundance.

i am in deep awe of the pomegranate....abundance, royalty, fertility, unity & eternal life...bring it on. they are something amazing....many of us do not venture beyond the table when it comes to a lot of these fall fruits, root vegetables & squashes...we adorn our home with them and yet we never break it open & use them....get into the renaissance mama spirit...i give you my support...now...getyour bread knife and cut! there is so much to see, take in, be in awe of...you can see their place in the world among the yellowish/creme tissue of the fruit. you get to taste, share, live inside it for the season....i know, i know....it's easier to buy them all packaged and ready to go. i get it and i do that too if i need to. this fall season... open one up...there is no right way when it comes to your first time. your kids will love them & so will the kid in you.... the pomegranates spirit wants to live all over you so wear your paint clothes and go crazy...live with reckless abandon & allow the earth to inspire you...see you in the kitchenxxx

roasted golden beet & pomegranate salad (above)

400 for 40 minutes...cut, quarter & massage beets with olive oil, mint (or any herb...i love dill, rosemary too) peel beets...add pomegranate seeds and some fancy oil or not...i used walnut oil....anything will do b/c the combo is good..so breathe & enjoy the abundancexxx

erev yum.

there is nothing like abundance...especially when you bring it out from the cabinets & let it shine. when it lives inside of you...there is no void. love is this way. it's barefoot and pregnant. it's that sated, grounded, all you want to do is give feeling. it's at the intersection of freedom avenue & amazing boulevard. i live for that corner. a really great short cut to this place can be a warm tea in the palm of my hand. maybe a milky rooibos with agave or an earl grey with a brown sugar cube. no map covers this area. it's an inside job. this holiday feast we shared with new friends had a bit of this feeling plus the bohemian vibe that resonates in our home....it had a depth that only my ancestors could bring inside the cobalt and gold and brisket....reflecting inside every silver bullion spoon....round, warm, familiar. may this feeling be sealed. see you in the kitchenxxx