passover.

we are in the beginning of a very spiritually ripe time of year... the signifigance of the the sun going down tonight began the passover holiday..which represents the end of our time connected to slavery & the beginning of our deep journey into freedom. we are all slaves to something whether you can see it or not, it usually shows up in the category of darkness, noise, judgements, ego, denial, whole clotted cream, in & out burger....i think you are getting the picture... i invite you to join me in this ritual of letting those slaves go... lets start with just one, rome wasn't built in a day... it's a party of rebirth & liberation...the actual act of moving into freedom is a huge one. especially if you are so used to the safety of confinement...something you know so well, feel safe in, even if it's not serving you (for years...) sound familiar? i am asking you to take my spatula and ride this one out with me... this is a VERY renaissance mama idea... finding the freedom in the kitchen is ESSENTIAL to your rebirth! there is no better feeling then to free yourself of STUFF that is in your kitchen that you never use, that you don't like or even despise of no matter who gave it to you. it's amazing how this holiday comes during spring... which is absolutely a time of new, saying bye bye to the old. spring cleaning? hello. and then there is easter..a sweet time to celebrate, finding eggs.. another symbol of birth.. it's all around us... it's vital for the planet too. we must keep evolving, growing, finding new ways to change, trusting that this is our nature... we are safe to shift a dynamic that is dark & seek the light. that's what the fruits & veggies do and look how good they look.. better yet taste! in our family the bunny looks for the matzoh.. and some eggs too... and tomorrow i will be cooking up a storm for the seder. i am hoping to share the menu with you if i have time to take photos! until then...may you have an incredible trip into freedom. see you on the other side... and in the kitchenxxx

love for RM...

my amazing friend heidi rose robbins, a renaissance mama of many gifts & talents, gave RM (& me) some deeply kind props & love last week in her weekly 'friend friday' post on her blog. heidi is a very gifted astologer, mother of 2, liberator of all things love...her company RADIANT LIFE... is all about just that: liberating love in all forms of expression. she holds the space for sacred women's gatherings every other thursday in los feliz, & offers retreats in beautiful places... all to help you reconnect, discover, be in this love that you are & to live your most radiant life. i mean... i am totally on board! check her out... i feel really blessed to know heidi...she is a one of a kind. see you in the kitchenxxx (ps: the last post didn't go out so check out cherry tomatoes.. and i have no idea how to get out of these caps..please excuse them ;)

Friend Friday – Meet Jules Blaine Davis

I met Jules in writing class. I often laugh with her about it. I was hugely pregnant and she was single, cool and free free free. I remember looking at her across the class putting on gold lipstick just as class was ending. She was off to a party or a gallery opening or something so much more interesting than what I was waddling off to.

When Kate was born I brought her to visit Jules in her loft in downtown Los Angeles. We laugh about this too. I said, “You’re living my other life.” And she said, “And you’re living mine.”

Now Jules is married and has a gorgeous little boy herself — Ocean. (I, however, have yet to live in an ultra cool artist loft).

Jules is an artist. It doesn’t matter what medium she’s working with. In her earlier life, she was a dancer, an actress. She’s a wonderful painter and a poet. She lights up what she touches. She’s a LEO for goodness sake.

NOW her medium is food. And she’s creating a food revolution with her Renaissance Mamas in Los Angeles.

Here’s the deal. Jules wants to empower women — mothers primarily — but really all women, to make their kitchens a beautiful, comfortable, inspiring place to be. She wants us to have food in our refrigerators and not order out every night. She wants us to know that making healthy food is simpler than we imagine it to be.

I’m pretty wretched when it comes to cooking, but Jules came to my kitchen and talked with me about my day, my rhythm, my children and what we like to eat…. She looked at how the kitchen was arranged and how I could make the most out of the space I had. She encouraged me to have bowls full of beautiful produce and pots with lots of wooden spoons. Beauty! Beauty! Beauty! Why else would I want to spend any time in my kitchen? She cooked with me and it was GOOD. I actually made dishes again later in the week. That never happens.

Jules offers group cooking classes too. Now, she’s teaching on Thursdays–usually 10-1. It’s like a combination of a spa day and an amazing meal. When I enter her home, I BREATHE differently. The table is spread with goodies from the Farmer’s Market. There’s always some new wonderful kind of tea to drink. And this too! Jules is FUNNY! She keeps us laughing as she prepares dish after dish. I leave full of excellent food, calm and empowered.

So, spend some time with Jules. Consult with her or go to one of her classes. Definitely read her blog. She is always passing along fabulous little tips.

rainbow cherry tomatoes.

step by step... here it comes: SPRING! it's such a beautiful time. the sun shines longer, warming us all, supporting our growth to stretch out from the ground..and i love this time at the market...one of the best feelings is the first sight of a spring vegetable or fruit... at first glance, i have a longing in me to embrace it like a long lost friend...how was the flight & how have you been? don't worry, i don't ask it any questions but i do gather it in my stroller with such love & excitement that it's back in town! it also can sometimes feel like i am spotting celebrities.. but there names are fava bean, spring pea tendril & so on... i think you are getting the picture... they INSPIRE me! and that is what i am talking about mamas! lets get reinspired this spring with all that is being offered to us...as for these tomatoes, they are amazing on a little baking sheet with olive oil.. massage with your god given tools & LOVE...roast on 400 for 20 - 30 minutes... or more depending on what you want to do with them & how you want the texture etc... check on them every 15 or so minutes with a spatula (steel or wood please) & move them around.. let them get to know each other....and you can absolutely add a bit of salt before or after.... amazing with cippollini onions, cannelini beans, some bread & some quiet time...OR you can add them to any dish that needs crushed tomatoes from a can.. if it's a warm dish like meat or chicken.. roasted tomatoes are the best.. don't forget all those juices in the baking sheet. see you in the kitchenxxx

cracking open.

they gather in this circle alive & ready, deep & rustic they tell their story on a map shell.. mottled from a journey that has strength & sweetness... which can serve to keep most of us away for a long time... this delicate part of ourselves that yearns to be told... shared... cracked open. these fancy beauties are not only inspiring in the fridge but oh so fun for the babes to see & want to eat... they gush with an originality not many eggs carry around .. not one looks like the other..so there is diversity.. which we love. as for cracking one open... it takes a few tries... they are survivors.. hard shelled... porous with a certain inflexibility that is exciting in it's surprise of what you may have projected onto them... always a lesson to be found in the kitchen reflecting the beauty of the journey... who knew breakfast could be so interesting... and it's egg season with easter coming up right? so go get some quail eggs and make some fancy tiny sunny side up eggs... i bought these from lily's eggs.. make sure those quails are living freely & eating the love. thanks to my dear friends abby, stefan & daisy who inspired me to break the barrier and connect to that delicate strength within & buy the darn eggs! let me know how it goes. see you in the kitchenxxx

cherry moya.

in the RM kitchen we always try new foods... it seems like a no brainer but in our busy lives it's rare to give ourselves the gift of trying something new. it feels so good to be connected to our food and to know what something is let alone what it tastes like on a menu or at the market. i have said this before.. you can always ask to try something at the supermarket.. there are always produce guys around and they seem to be really happy stacking the wet beet leaves one on top of the other... a few weeks ago in the thursday class we cut into a cherimoya... which is a cross between a papaya & a silky banana taste... i can't say it was my favorite thing in the world but now i know what it tastes like. it definitely could be great mixed with other exotic fruits in a drink.. on the beach.... taking a nap... are you with me? it's amazing how quickly i can go there especially since it's such a distant thought as of late.. like 4 years late.. the taste definitely puts you in a tropical vibe.. and how can you not love that? try new things.. give yourself the FREEDOM.. do it with the kids... rebirth that natural curiosity of beauty & nature.. lets also manifest that vacation. see you in the kitchenxxx

brioche in the house.

when there is brioche in the house there is this sweet feeling of fancy calling me into the kitchen...well maybe it's not a call that makes a sound it's more like that RM feeling of being sated before you eat because you know there is food...it's an overall feeling of 'quick & yummy breakfast' coming up.... as it waits for me to free it from it's plastic snuggie action. it's such a great feeling to put a huge loaf of soft fancy on my cutting board.... as for the brekkie, i did nothing fancy here as i let the brioche speak for itself and he is a good speaker... i beat up an egg a person... with a fork. (that sentence could be taken a different way.. i was just mixing)... and found a casserole dish that was the perfect size...it's one thing to have the right ingredients ... and having the right tools really makes this a simple, easy, one, two.. as i like to say... maybe it's from my dance days... chasay relevay.. we never wrote the words.. so i have no idea how to spell them. then i use my deeply loved green cooking skillet... it's enameled cast iron...it's le creuset but half the price...my sweet friends mica & cafe run this company called green cooking pots...they have amazing pans, pots, dutch ovens etc... check them out. ok.. so from the eggs and the dish.. i soak the bread in for a bit on both sides.. giving the thick slice a nice egg bath/tan... and then i place it on the medium hot skillet... that's it! then i cut up some strawberries, pour some maple syrup & put some other yummies in my wooden vessels...that's breakfast. or lunch. or dinner... see you in the kithenxxx

pizza.

there is a little secret happening up here in my little nook of the mama earth... the kitchen at my house is alive but across the street at anna & peter's house: it's HOT.... there is a FIRE happening over there and let's just say it's about 6 - 700 degrees of hotness....and if you think that's warm & exciting .... try the truffle potato pizza & die happy. we are cracking spring open with our first collaboration together this thursday, march 11, 2010....renaissance mamas & los angeles ovenworks for a morning of bliss & fun...we will gather, connect, ground with a tea in the RM kitchen & then walk across the street to light the fire & begin the process of making some of the most incredible pizza...right here in los angeles. if you are moved in the least bit you might want to get in your car and start driving in this direction....see you in the kitchenxxx

THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2010

10 - 1 pm

$100 ($150 for 2)

*no one is turned away for lack of funds as i believe we all must eat the best & learn how to make it. please contact me for address & more info...