Archive for February, 2010

Eggplant Parmesan… my version

by Nanette on February 26, 2010 in Entrees, Gluten-Free, Lunch, Recipes with No comments -->

Eggplant Parmesan has been one of my favorite Italian dishes for most of my adult life. When I was younger and a bit (maybe a lot) naive, I believed the old folklore that feeding a man basil would make him fall in love with you. Well, there’s a lot of basil in this dish :)

Typically, eggplant slices are dipped in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs and then pan fried. In my version, I use water instead of egg, I spritz the eggplant with oil and then bake instead of pan fry (this helps cut down on the calories). I also like to use goat cheese instead of the mozzarella — it’s easier to digest and most importantly, it’s absolutely delicious. Continue reading →

Cha Cha Cha — a perfectly fine tamale and a kick a@# sangria

by Nanette on February 20, 2010 in Drinks, Entrees, Lunch, Opinion, Restaurants with No comments -->

My sis and I just went to Cha Cha Cha (their original location on Virgil) for a long overdue brunch-date. I had the Black Bean Tamales and the Caesar Salad. The tamales were made with sweet corn (which I love) but it came topped with a cold tomatillo sauce, which unfortunately, I’m not crazy about. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not because it’s not a good sauce — I’m just not a fan of tomatillos. No doubt, next time I’ll try a different sauce.

The Caesar Salad was good, but it didn’t have enough dressing or garlic croutons. The dressing was a traditional Caesar dressing (with the anchovies) which was also good. My sister had Huevos Al Salmon (grilled salmon filet over scrambled eggs with garlic and basil), she really enjoyed it. She also highly recommends the Swordfish Caesar and the Tortilla Soup on a rainy day. Continue reading →

Have you ever tried watermelon juice?

by Nanette on February 17, 2010 in Breakfast, Drinks, Gluten-Free, Lunch, Opinion, Restaurants with No comments -->

I found it at Lulu’s Café in L.A. (on Beverly near La Brea). They have fresh-pressed watermelon juice (as well as orange, grapefruit, apple, carrot, pineapple, celery, beet, parsley and ginger). I have occasionally seen it at some local health food stores (and mail order), but it’s fairly hard to find and nowhere near as good as the fresh.

As you may or may not know already, watermelon juice is extremely good for you — a natural diuretic, detox cleanser, nutrient-rich and of course, absolutely delicious. As with most good things, I have to have it again and again. I’ve sent my poor husband day after day, until I had my fix (similar to my recent Thai Iced Tea and Almond Croissant habits).

Continue reading →

Red Quinoa Tabouli Salad

by Nanette on February 15, 2010 in Gluten-Free, Lunch, Recipes with 3 Comments -->

Quinoa (pronounced “keen-wah”) is a somewhat unknown South American grain-like seed.  It is a great alternative to wheat and other grains and can be substituted in many dishes.  High in fiber and a complete protein, its nutritional value far exceeds any traditional grain.

I recently discovered quinoa while attempting to make a tabouli that my gluten-free husband could eat — I was a little skeptical at first, but I now prefer quinoa over the cracked wheat/bulghur in my tabouli. As far as the different varieties of quinoa, I prefer the red.  This salad is potent and energizing and extremely good for you!  For those of you needing to be gluten-free, you won’t have to go without your tabouli anymore.  This healthy and delicious salad takes a bit of prepping, but it is well worth it. Continue reading →

On the quest for the perfect almond croissant

by Nanette on February 14, 2010 in Breakfast, Desserts, Opinion with No comments -->

As my husband can attest to, I’ve been searching for the perfect almond croissant for most of my adult life.  He’s driven many miles searching for French bakeries, local coffee shops and even the odd donut shop that might stand up to my scrutiny — needless to say, I’m still looking.

From the crowds that I’ve seen at Portos  in Burbank, I thought they might have one — but I was sadly disappointed with their version of an almond croissant.  It was doughy and not nearly enough marzipan, it didn’t have the flakey layers that make a great croissant, well great. And again, I’ll continue to look. Continue reading →

Petito me please…

by Nanette on February 11, 2010 in Opinion, Restaurants with 3 Comments -->

I’m so happy that Poquito Mas (my favorite fast mexican food) has a “Petito Menu” (small portion). Even their famous tostadas are smaller. I wish that every restaurant had this option as I always (and I mean always) find myself taking home a “to go” box with leftover food. It may be available in other Poquito Mas’, but I only seen the petito menu in Burbank. A note to Poquito Mas if you’re reading this; please add this menu to all of your stores — pretty please. Continue reading →

The ultimate Thai Iced Tea recipe

by Nanette on February 11, 2010 in Drinks, Recipes with 2 Comments -->

I found a great recipe for Thai Iced Tea on GroupRecipes.com, thanks to ChefMeow. I’ve adapted it a little and below is what I’ve come up with. It’s all natural, no food dyes or artificial sweeteners and is absolutely delicious (and of course it’s gluten-free). I’ve heard that some people add a pinch of salt, but I’ll leave that up to you. Continue reading →

Vegetarian Eggs Benedict at Paty’s are to die for!

by Nanette on February 11, 2010 in Breakfast, Restaurants with No comments -->

I recently had breakfast with my husband at Paty’s in Burbank — it’s an old studio hangout that has been around for decades. Not knowing what to expect, I ordered the Vegetarian Eggs Benedict (I know, eggs aren’t really vegetarian, but I’m not quite that strict). When my order arrived it came with an english muffin crowned with tomato, avocado, cooked spinach, (I ordered scrambled eggs as opposed to poached), hollandaise, a side of green onions,  and a side of hashed browns. It doesn’t get any better! Unless its bernaise sauce instead of the hollandaise, of course.

An addiction to Thai Iced Tea

by Nanette on February 11, 2010 in Drinks, Personal with No comments -->

Lately, I’ve been needing a fix of Thai iced tea on almost a daily basis.  If you’ve ever looked at the ingredients of Thai iced-tea, you’d know that they are not so good.  Lots of lovely stuff like Yellow #5 or high fructose corn syrup.  My goal now is to come up with my own recipe using some natural ingredients like agave nectar, and some good organic tea leaves.  I’m sure this won’t make the sweet little girl at my local Thai restaurant too happy, but I will be much better off for it.

Sure enough, you will be seeing a recipe for a natural Thai Iced Tea here soon.

An introduction…

by admin on February 11, 2010 in Gluten-Free, Personal with No comments -->

I’m a self-taught, self-loving, self-proclaimed foodie.  Growing up with a Filipino mother and a Hungarian Jewish father in Los Angeles has led me to a very diversified palate.  Chicken Adobo (or in my case, fake chicken) or stuffed cabbage, it’s all good.

I’ve been a ‘pseudo-vegetarian’ for over 25 years — I eat eggs, french onion soup with the beef broth, chicken broth and dairy, but I still prefer a “real” vegetarian dish when possible.

I’ve become somewhat of an expert on the gluten-free diet because my husband has celiac disease — he is not able to digest anything containing gluten.  This often times presents a challenge at dinner time, but the challenge is something that usually turns out fun and oddly enough, I usually find myself liking (and even preferring) the gluten-free options. Together with my husband, we started the Celiac Handbook Website in 2005 — it’s a free online resource for people with celiac disease.  It lists restaurants and other resources for those trying to find gluten-free options in a very non gluten-free world. While not everything on this blog is gluten-free, I will be writing about it a lot.

With three growing children and my gluten-free husband —  I’m constantly attempting to introduce them to new food and new ideas in eating.  I’m hoping to share some of my ideas with you here and I hope that you can give me some feedback and let me know if any of this works for you.