Hobee's

One of the things I look forward to every time I go to the Bay Area is eating at the brunch spot Hobee's. They make great breakfast and lunch with the best specials. I have some favorites, Santa Cruz Scramble, Mendocino Chicken Sandwich, Coffee Cake and Salmon Scramble but like to venture. I have taken Cristian quite a few times at this point and he always resists wanting to go. Everyone I know loves Hobee's and always wants to have breakfast there. This time we went on Saturday and there was a special that was eggs, chicken apple sausage, gouda and onions on ciabatta. This was very easily the best breakfast sandwich I'd even eaten. I convinced Cristian to order it as well and for the first time he really enjoyed it. It was my saving grace. Now I just have to remember what was in it since it isn't on the fixed menu.

My Christmas Vacation

We headed to see my family this year for Christmas in the Bay Area last Wednesday, with a grueling trek on the 5 freeway. After a way too long trip we arrived at my Mom's house. She had already eaten dinner but decided to make us a little something. It just so happened she and her boyfriend had been in Chinatown recently and bought the yummiest steamed buns I have ever had. There was a black bean bun that was slightly sweet and the dough was soft, most and almost spongy. For Cristian she served up pork steam buns, a bit of heaven in the doughy wrapping. He ate at least three despite our big lunch a few hours earlier. Right then we decided a trip to San Fran would be inevitable.

Christmas Eve we wrapped gifts and sought out supplies before heading over to my best friend's house. She had worked all day long yet insisted on hosting a small party. She made quiche, bruschetta and even spicy cheese fondue. On top of that there was at least a gallon of champagne punch that was amazing. Cristian had found a recipe for espresso martinis while in BevMo and had brought the ingredients to the get together. They were a hit. The drinks allowed the crew to gather enough courage to play Cranium and Wii, a first for my Mom on both accounts. Overall a fun, festive night.

Christmas Day we headed to my best friend's in-laws, the Ladds, after a brief stint at grandma's. I will say she had made bread from scratch that she pulled out of the oven and it was so fresh and warm I could have eaten the entire loaf. At the Ladd's a more traditional holiday feast was served. Steaks were barbecued, mashed potatoes with gravy, home canned green beans and topped off with apple pie a la mode. We entertained ourselves with Scattegories, a new game to me that I highly enjoyed. The whole lot of us then piled in the car to see the festival of lights put on by the Santa Clara County parks.

As promised we made the trip to San Francisco Saturday after a fabulous brunch (see Hobee's blog). We found an amazing assortment of treasures in Chinatown, including a sake set, sushi how to book and a grow your own bonsai tree kit. We even stumbled upon the recommended bakery for steam buns. After purchasing a dozen to go we decided to have a snack while we were there. We ordered shrimp and pork dim sum and seafood and vegetarian steamed buns all for about $6. I tell you the food was mouthwatering and so flavorful.

That night after the after Christmas crowd, my best friend joined us for dinner in Santana Row. We ate at The Counter, a Burger Bar-esque (found in Las Vegas and San Francisco) restaurant. You get a clip board to order your burger exactly as you want. Start by choosing the meat size of the patty. Then add cheese and toppings, sauce and bun. Finish it off with a selection of fries and onion rings. Nothing better than a burger you customize, except the fact you have to narrow down your tastes!

Overall a fun filled, tummy full trip.

Merry Christmas everyone!

The Infamous Kogi Truck

Cristian and I are big fan's of Bobby Flay. He is creative and personable and his food is delicious. I have eaten at Bar American and Mesa Grill, both phenomenal. On one of his episodes of  "Throwdown" he challenged the LA based Kogi Truck owners. The premise is simple, mix Korean BBQ with Mexican style (for example BBQ short rib tacos). On Cristian's last day of his recent internship I let him pick the restaurant where we would have lunch. Of course in Studio City there are so many amazing restaurants it's often a miracle to choose just one. Inevitably the Kogi Truck happened to be nearby and the decision was made. I had the Blackjack Quesadilla and Cristian ordered his Korean BBQ sliders and short rib tacos. Delicious. I highly recommend chekcing out there website and trying to locate a truck near you: http://kogibbq.com. They change locations every week and although the line is usually 30 minutes to an hour, it's worth the wait.

Holiday Parties

As I mentioned in an earlier blog I have attended 1.5 parties per day on average the last two weeks. Here are some highlights:

Last night I attended an event at STK right next to my old favorite the Belmont (which sadly had a fire incident). When you walk in there is a mix of fire, waterfalls and hanging candles. One room is filled with round tables and two others were lounge/bar type areas. There were specialty drinks, my favorite being a pomegranate, rosemary concoction. Servers were eager to feed us so apps were passed quickly and frequently. among the highlights were a skirt steak skewer, a truffle and Parmesan potato, and golden beet with pecans and goat cheese. There was also a slider bar, made to order.  The 80's music was kept low enough to hear conversations yet still have the rhythm in your toes. Overall a great night.

On Tuesday we had our holiday fiesta at a colleague's house and she did an amazing job. She recently bought a new condo that she filled with fresh pine garlands, ornaments and candles. Although we did take out Indian we all contributed to the appetizers including a phenomenal cheese plate, homemade baked doughnuts, graham cracker bars and chicken curry coconut balls. Top it off with some mouth watering pinot and I was set.

One of the most extensive potlucks I've ever seen is held by one of the departments here on the lot. Over 35+ people bring entrees and there's usually a competition for best dessert or food item. From spring rolls to brisket and chili a variety of cultures and regions are covered in a scintillating mix of flavors. There's also an ugly sweater contest and a white elephant exchange full of laughs.

Finally, we have a chef on the lot who creates the most amazing menus. He served us seared tuna with a cucumber radish salad, jambalaya and citrus salad to name a few. Other resident chefs include our firefighters who serve homemade turkey sausage, pancakes and fried catfish that will knock your socks off.

Amazing how different the event can be with varied cuisines. No wonder I gain weight in December! HA! Happy Holidays!

Eggs in Jar

Many of you may or may not know my aversion to eggs due to an incident in Spain. Back in high school I was a vegetarian, an unfortunate circumstance as I traveled to Europe singing on tour to many countries two years in a row. In Spain, their idea of vegetarian was to feed me scrambled egg sandwiches night and day. I once did get spaghetti plain with a bottle of ketchup (that's right). After a few days I could not eat another egg with out the desire to purge. Since then I have rarely eaten eggs and when I do they are mixed with a variety of ingredients to take the "edge" off so to say.

There are a couple of recent preparations of eggs that have blown me away and persuaded me back to the popular ingredient. The first positive experience was at Santana Row with a girlfriend of mine. I ordered crab cakes Benedict. The dish was filling, salty and yes gooey but I loved it. That was the first time I had unscrambled eggs in years. Since then I have made my own version of eggs Benedict that turned out quite well, although I'm still perfecting the Hollandaise sauce. Not too long ago Karen and I went to Jar, Top Chef Master Suzanne's place in Hollywood. I ordered a prosciutto sandwich and there happened to be eggs on top. In the end it was so scrumptious I ate until I couldn't. This is quite possibly the best preparation of eggs I've had. Kudos Suzanne.

Finally, my Dad is one of the best egg chef's of all time. Since I can remember he was very skilled at making omelets. This past trip to Houston reiterated his creativity and talent. Go Dad!

So thanks to those who showed me eggs can be delicious again.

Holidays

Is eating a predetermined part of most of our daily activities/festivities? I feel like I've eaten more in the last 2 weeks than in the last month. It all started with Thanksgiving. My Dad, his girlfriend, Michelle, and I all had a small get together at her house near Houston. Dad got up early to get the turkey in the oven and we all assisted with various roles throughout the day. I made stuffing, helped chop, dice and fry among many other tasks. In the end we had turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, fresh bread and more. It was a great meal. Then Michelle had made a whipped cream pumpkin pie that was unbelievably light and airy, not too sweet. It was a lot of fun. The next day we went to the Renaissance Fair where we had alligator on a stick (you read correctly), cajun steak, sweet potato fries and sangria. A very odd combo but good. Upon my return I relived Thanksgiving at my future in laws, which is always a treat. Since then I have attended no less than 11 holiday lunches, parties and event all of which featured food. I have to say I am quite lucky to not have a sweet tooth or I would have blown up by now. After all this eating all I can say is: Wedding diet 2010. Wish me luck.

Back on Track

Hi fellow foodies,
After a stint of lacking blogs I have decided to write about my new favorite restaurant; Firenze Osteria. It is owned by none other than the fan favorite of Top Chef, Fabio. The new place replaced Barsac on Lankershim Blvd., about three blocks from my studio. The service is friendly and atmosphere warm and inviting. the menu includes an entire page dedicated to martinis. From classic to unusual they were phenomenal. I had the cucumber flavored and my best friend tried the strawberry balsamic. For appetizers we had melon and prosciutto, melon and mozzarella and a yellowtail sashimi. My entree was lobster macaroni and cheese to die for  while my fiance and friend had the lobster ravioli, also delectable. Overall a fine evening.

I highly recommend Fabio's new venture. If you go, let me know what you think!

MOH's Birthday

This post is dedicated to my best friend, Karen Paulina Ladd. Happy Birthday!
In order to commemorate her day I am going to list some favorite things about her:

1) Passion for fashion - love her style!
2) Culinary creations and appreciation
3) Generosity
4) Tact (especially when I have none)
5) Weird in only ways we understand one another (this should be #1)
6) Articulate and expanse of vocabularly (she reads more than anyone I know)
7) Commitment and loyalty
8) The ability to love the little things
9) Business Savvy
10) Honesty

Those are 10 things I love about my BFF! Now happy birthday!

Half Moon Bay Day

For the BFF's pre-bday celebration we started off with "drunken Wii", which I was the only one who sucked at. haha Karenella prepared a fabulous dinner for us to feast on, courtesy of Giada. It was a scrumptious pasta dish with clams, shrimp, white wine and shallots. She teared up as she cut the shallots but in the end we agreed they were both worth it. We sipped white wine while waiting for the clams to open. After calling it a fairly early night we casually awoke craving bagels. The birthday heiress and I ventured out for bagel sandwiches and Starbucks. After devouring the breakfast we made a quick dash to my mom's to get her gift. I had put together a Mexitalican gift (Mexican-Italian-American), as she is the Italian wannabe. The present included a table runner with matching napkins, gold charger plates, iron scrolled napkin rings, cheese knives and a wine decanter. I love putting together gifts for her, I can be creative and basically pick out what I would want for myself! She seemed to really enjoy them. My mom also surprised us with homemade scones and cookies. Delish!

We hit the road tackling traffic. The four of us entertained ourselves by singing and dancing to the tunes in the car. Rock, 80s, hip hop, Sinatra were all in the mix. Finally we reached our first destination, pumpkin patch! This particular one is a tradition. We picked out 2 large pumpkins and 2 small (one for the cats and one for me). We snacked on pumpkin pie, root-beer floats and hot apple cider. Once leaving with the perfect pumpkins (and taking a zillion adorable photos) we adjourned to the Ritz-Carlton, positioned sea-side off Highway 1. We sat in the lounge, fireplaces blazing, overlooking the water. The waiter brought us a charcuterie plate while we enjoyed champagne cocktails. There was pate, prosciutto, duck and olive bread. A couple was getting married down below us, a formal affair. (Quick side note, people were seriously rude
by crowding the windows to watch the bride they didn't know. It blocked all the views and made the place feel claustrophobic. Annoying.)

We strolled on the path to the water after our beverages. There was a bagpiper playing on the golf course and Adirondack chairs strewn about where you could stare at the ocean. It was calm, beautiful. Afterward we made our way to Moss Beach Distillery, a fun, "haunted", historic landmark nearby. We sat by firepits while waiting to be seated listening to the waves crash on the beach. At dinner we toasted Karen's birthday and partook of clam chowder, ribs, lamb and halibut. A brownie sundae arrived to finish off the evening.

All in all, a great day with great friends. One I'll remember even if it is primarily via Facebook. :)

My "Famous" Chili

I drove myself to work yesterday so I could get home at a decent hour without waiting for Cristian. Upon arriving I noticed we had little left in groceries but I remembered I had purchased the makings for chili not too long ago. Cristian raves that I should be famous for my chili. I truly don't know why, it's really not that difficult to make. Anyway, he seems to really love it and since we're leaving for the weekend I figured it would be great to have it sit until Sunday to marinate the flavors. mmm

Originally I set out to make vegetarian chili thinking we had no ground meat so I sauteed onions and the jalapeno and then low and behold found the frozen bison meat we had yet to use. I decided to go for it. I thawed the meat and then browned it in the pan with chili powder, onion flakes, salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne pepper powder, oregano and a touch of curry powder. It smelled amazingly good. Then I pursued the easiest portion of the recipe, opening the cans. Lots of cans are involved in this masterpiece so it does make for a lot of trash/recycling. There are crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, three cans of various types of beans (I use chili beans, kidney and pinto but sometimes throw in black). The part I don't enjoy is rinsing the beans. I don't know why it bugs me but it seems so gross to get the bean juice out of the can.After they're clean you pour everything in and stir. The worst part about chili is the waiting. The aroma occupies the room almost instantly so knowing it takes 30 minutes is torture. To pass the minutes I decided to make cheese crescent rolls to accompany the chili.

Once completed I was in heaven. My chili is a bit spicy but thick, hearty, warm and super flavorful. To my surprise the bison meat was amazing. It was light and almost fluffy in consistency making it a great textural addition. I was very  satisfied with my first fall meal. A great comfort in the cold.

Enjoy the weekend, I know I will!

What's Better Than Mac N Cheese?

Macaroni and cheese, quite possibly my perfect food. It includes pasta and cheese. YUM. I make my own version of mac n cheese which is so easy it's our go to. Last night we didn't even pair it with anything. My garlic version includes pasta, 2% Colby and Monterrey Jack mix, skim milk, chive and onion cream cheese, a teeny bit of margarine (Can't Believe It's Not Butter is my usual) ,fat free sour cream and real crushed garlic. Once mixed together it's a little bit of heaven. This version is a little less salty than the boxed kind and has layers of flavor. I would almost venture to say it's tart but more likely it's got a better cheese flavor than those packets. No baking is involved in this simple recipe, which is why it's even easy to make in a crunch. Truly cheese makes everything delicious and besides my all time favorite, the grilled cheese sandwich, Mac N Cheese is the ultimate comfort food.

G-L-A-M according to Fergie

In the song GLAMOROUS, Fergie says a line, "I still go to Taco Bell, drive through, raw, yeah"


Well last night I was super "glam" with Cristian and made the drive through at Taco Bell our highlight of the night. haha I will say I love the fresco menu but hate that they charge more for less. Why is a regular crunchy taco $0.69 when the fresco style, which has no cheese, is $0.99!? I mean seriously, a penalty for being healthy. Then I also found out that according to WW points, the crunch taco is only 3 while the soft taco is 4! Man, sometimes I don't understand. I think there is an addictive substance in the Taco Bell meat that makes you crazy. Maybe it's the sauce. I don't know all I do know is I fairly often have a craving for their non Mexican, Mexican food.

Do you have any weird cravings or weaknesses when it comes to fast food?

Momma Mia

Friday night I picked my Mom up from Burbank airport after she had a horrendous delay due to failing airplane lights. Once in the car we battled traffic and a mere 1.5 hours later were in the comforts of my home. I feverishly began sauteing and chopping vegetables for our belated meal. My mom being vegetarian is often a challenge to cook for. Not because she doesn't eat meat but because Cristian refuses a meal without it. :) To make the dinner pleasing for all and simple for me I made fajitas. Red and yellow bell peppers, onions, eggplant and chilies grilled away in my wok on one side and flank steak in the other sizzling frying pan. I heated tortillas and took out sour cream and taco sauce, although it turned out my marinade was flavorful enough. To top it off I offered Mom Tequila Rose shots and then made strawberry margaritas, half blended, half on the rocks (I don't like them too icy). Success, a quick and scrumptious meal.

The next morning Mom and I ventured out shopping after indulging in some bridal show television. I love David Tutera! My coffee pot had finally crapped out and we needed some java to begin the day. We started with Mongolian BBQ for lunch. A fun fast food joint that allows you to choose your own ingredients and watch them cook it right in front of you. My Mom was in awe and amazed at the quantity and quality. At the mall Mom was eager to look for new clothes. We entered into the challenge that is Forever 21 and piled our arms high with items to try on. Mom has recently been slimming down and looking fabulous so incidentally all the clothing she tried on looked great and flattering on her. I found a top and jacket, which was a nice treat to a weary wardrobe.

Post shopping spree we changed for the wine and restaurant event that I was to work that evening. Cristian showed her around and took her shopping while I made sure things were running smoothly at the event. Once figured out we all enjoyed the tasting bits offered at the event. Duck meatball burgers, spicy tuna hand rolls, pork belly... mmm. I also had the please of meeting choice Top Chefs and Top Chef Masters. :) All in all an amazing night.

Yesterday I wanted to take Mom to my favorite bakery that has cinnamon danishes that are to die for (and coffee since I couldn't brew my own). Unfortunately it was closed. I was horrified since we were in a bit of a time crunch. We made out way to a more well known breakfast spot and in the process found a new bakery, Korean, that was open for business. The aroma wafted through the air and enticed us to take a peek. We were immediately hooked. Sweet potato buns, almond paste croissants, pumpkin pie and ham and cheese bread were all the rave. They even had lattes! Then off we drove to Knott's Berry Farm for the bridal show. This was by far the best one I've attended. New vendors, great ideas and lots of brides.

The main event was to take Mom to the wedding venue, which she had thus far only seen in photos. She was impressed. We brainstormed together and took in the scenery to figure out how we'll be making this space "our" wedding, and not some cookie cutter event. I grew excited as her ideas seem to harmonize with mine.

Finally I took her to Home Goods, a store recommended to me by another bride, which we fell in love with. They have every decoration, plate, vase, tablecloth and kitschy piece of furniture you could ask for. Too intimidated to buy anything we venture home for her to pack. The weekend was too short as usual.

This time tears poured from my eyes right as we got in the car, not at the airport where they normally well up. My Mom felt so bad and I explained how home sick I am, especially throughout our wedding planning that I am primarily doing alone. I truly miss the Bay, my BFF Karen and my Mom, especially. The whole Kelemen clan and miss Naghmeh, all people I wish would follow me wherever I went. :) It's so hard to be so far away. As I get older my desire for constant changed has altered to a search for home, comfort and happiness. As fall sets in I will miss the rain and fog in SF and Christmas in the Park. Sharks games and the Nutcracker. Main Street Singers Wassail party. Things near and dear to me that I had readily left and now desperately seek again.

Sorry to depress the blog just needed to get it out there.

Branching Out my Burger

Yesterday was one of those nights where I had a million and one things to do and almost gave in to picking up fast food. BUT I decided to cook anyway. I looked in our barren kitchen and finally decided I'd make burgers. I took out the usual toppers; ketchup, mustard, tomatoes, and then looked around and found an unlikely ingredient. I had purchased bananas and they were becoming very ripe so I decided to cut them up, season them with salt, pepper and chili powder and then fry them in olive oil. They were hardly sweet after the light seasoning but had a bit of crunch while still being soft. I then decided grilled red onions with chili peppers would be a great semi-salsa. And for the finale I finally tried making my own quick BBQ sauce. I mixed ketchup, balsamic vinegar, Worcester sauce, teriyaki sauce, ground pepper and some sugar. Once it started to boil I let it cool down until it had a thicker consistency. Once the burger patties were medium (medium-well for Cristian) I assembled my creation. The shocker, they were delicious! A bit of tang, sweet and savory all in one. Crunchy, soft and firm mixed together. This is my nod to Cuban cooking. :)

Progress

Tomorrow my Mom is coming and I am SO excited. She hasn't been to LA since my birthday. That means I have A LOT to show her for the wedding. We're going to accomplish many things while she's here. First, visit the venue. Second, go to the local flower marts to see what kinds of selections they have this time of year. Third, attend a bridal fair at Knott's Berry Farm. I've already been to this one but I think my Mom will like it. :) And you have to do it at least once with your mom. This week I also made contact with the DJ services we're looking into. Actual progress!

By the by, my Mom is vegetarian so if you have creative veggie recipes let me know.

Thanks!

Whirlwind Weekend

I miss the Bay Area constantly. I miss my family and friends, I miss hanging out for a random movie, going out for coffee and drinks. It's so hard to live 300 miles away from the people you care about most. This particular weekend was one of my best friend's birthdays who also happens to be a bridesmaid. I love her dearly and it always seems I can't make it near her birthday to the Bay. So this time we decided to surprise her and made the long semi-impromptu drive up on Friday night. It was a long haul but worth it. Saturday morning I wake up to see my mom, always such a comforting feeling. We decide to make cookies for the birthday party and pancakes for breakfast. After a nice large coffee I get to making the cookies. One funny thing about my mom is that she's an incredible baker but absolutely can not stick to a recipe. She adds her own flair to everything she bakes. This time what started as a simple chocolate chip cookie ended up to be a sugar cookie with chocolate chips, then walnuts and almonds then mocha chips. We also used half white half wheat flour and half white half brown sugar. Whew! It was fun and delicious but as always an adventure. Then I proceeded to make pancakes, for which we substituted soy milk instead of real milk, and added frozen blueberries. I like making pancakes. They feel so fancy when they're truly the simplest breakfast you can make homemade. As I wrapped up the pancakes my fiance proceeds to tell me he wants eggs...great. So I make two eggs over easy and fry up some potatoes and pork roast my mom had made the night before. He thoroughly enjoyed. YAY!

We went off to the party where I got to see friends I had seen two weeks prior and some I hadn't seen in 5+ years. So great to see the transition in these years of your life where everyone changes drastically in short periods of time. Friends from your childhood are an honor to maintain. They know you from your braces days and have seen you grow. It's harder and harder to maintain friendships from afar but they are worth it. My friend Ildi and I even had a little cry together at the party since she was completely surprised we showed up. That's what made the trip worth it.

Later that night we went to Paulina Flay's house (aka Karen) who attempted to throw her first dinner party. After the 3rd couple left before dinner due to unpredictable circumstances, Karen served a fabulous potato-leek soup. It was garnished with chives and a slice of lemon and was a soup lovers dream. The next course included seared steak and mashed potatoes all drizzled in a red wine sauce. To die for. :) The meal was accompanied by champagne and wine from Napa. (Castello di Amorosa!)

The next morning We all woke and went to breakfast. I don't know if you know Hobee's but it's a favorite of ours. I personally love the Santa Cruz scramble or salmon scramble, both amazing. Unfortunately Krisztian isn't so much into Hobee's so we venture to a new brunch spot. This place was certainly for senior citizens and quite the down-home country cooking. I was shocked they had Egg Beaters to be honest. It was probably some of the best hash browns I've had though, extremely crunchy, just how I like them.Afterward Karen and I went to our favorite mall while Krisztian studied and Sean tended to his virtual farm. I was thrilled to look for wedding jewelry. Nordstrom was sadly a bust and so was Swarovsky. To my delight Macy's was stocked with sparkly rhinestones. We found the perfect earrings for my dress and a bracelet to match. I will not be disclosing information since I want as much surprise for Krisztian as possible. I was however very ecstatic. Once returning from the mall we found the boys partaking in the Wii. I have attempted Wii once before which lasted maybe 30 seconds and I haven't played many video games since Nintendo. The boys kept egging me on to try the sports games and I finally gave in. An hour later we had wake-boarded, shot basketballs and thrown Frisbees. Karen proved to be a Frisbee shark while Sean conquered at basketball and Krisztian killed the waves in wake-boarding. I am happy to report I enjoyed playing and we have already planned a follow up competition. haha

To end our weekend trip we had dinner at a new sushi place where Karen was feeling adventurous. She had her first glass of sake, that she absolutely hated, and we introduced them to mochi (dough covered ice cream). All in all a successful sushi experience. We then hit the road and 5 hours later crash landed in bed. And now it's Monday...

The New Condo Party/Bride's Dilemma

Last night one of my colleagues invited me to her recently purchased condo. It's a great building with lots of charm and in a fantastic central location. There is literally a mall, Whole Foods and tons of restaurants within walking distance. Lucky girl. She has great style too. Her condo is painted with gray neutrals, lots of tile and very simple yet cozy. She blends high end furniture with indistinct IKEA pieces that looks very rich and carefully thought out. She welcomed me with some Pinot Grigio, warm brie with crackers, grapes, vegetables and hummus. The perfect start to a casual evening. Later on she served a crunchy and fresh homemade Greek salad paired with a  cheese tart from Trader Joe's. To top it off she brought out ripe strawberries and large pieces of Toblerone chocolate. I give her an A+ as a hostess.

Some developments on the wedding side of things as well. One of our great friends was able to give us the name of a Hungarian priest at a nearby church. I'm very excited to talk to him and see if he'd be willing to officiate our ceremony on location.

And for my other control freak/detail oriented friends I keep getting notices from theknot.com about their wedding supply sales. It is a huge amount of things that probably don't matter but that I care about for whatever reason. Things like personalized water bottles and napkins, bubbles, paper parasols, tshirts that say Bride and even more if you can imagine. I keep adding a million things to my cart then realizing it's not a good idea to purchase without looking at the big picture. Plus I'm anal about online shopping and require free shipping. There are of course minimum purchase amounts you must have before getting that free shipping. Then there's the extra 20% off if you buy a certain amount, and on and on. It can drive a girl/bride nuts.

I truly wish I could work with an unlimited budget so I could have the little things no one would notice but me but need to be realistic. How do you balance the fact this is your one big day to you shouldn't go bankrupt for one day?

I LOVE Bread

Sometimes I get sad knowing bread is not the best thing to eat in massive quantities. I adore bread. From my grandma's crescents to wheat toast and especially warm french bread or dinner rolls. Dipping it in balsamic and olive oil or spreading it with butter makes such a delicious salty treat. Of course garlic bread is a winner and those bread sticks at Olive Garden (don't knock it, haha). Anyway you make it I enjoy it. Watching what you eat really makes you think about your bread intake. I have had to compromise by incorporating double fiber choices and 100 calorie Orowheat flat rounds. No matter, it's what you put on the bread that makes it tasty. Here's to bread!

Humble Evening

I got to drive myself home today since Krisztian and I were on opposite schedules. I ran to the mall after work to get Krisztian's ring cleaned and the warranty signed. Man is it sparkly! I then ran into some store for a few choice birthday presents. I absolutely love H&M and Forever 21 for their cute jewelry that is super inexpensive. It's such a nice pick me up. After my slight detour home I had to fend for myself on dinner. I decided to make chicken quesadillas with sauteed onion, jalapenos and a avocado/tomato "relish" if you will. It was simple but satisfying. I truly love being inventive and having cuisine options for dinner. It makes it fun! So yesterday I was Mexican and today who knows!

Football and Awards Weekend

Do you ever have those weekends where you have more things to do than you have time for? That was our weekend. From taking the car in, to getting a wedding band cleaned that hasn't even been worn yet to getting passport photos it seems we had to do it all. It was a great feeling to have everything accomplished though, an un-lazy weekend. On top of that we had some fun too. Krisztian took me to Daphne's for lunch on Saturday where we had lamb gyros and tzatziki sauce with fire feta fries and salad. Then we indulged in Pinkberry's new flavors, coconut and passion fruit. YUM! On Sunday I made my extravagant breakfast which for me consists of eggs, toasted bread, tomatoes, avocado, turkey bacon, usually taco sauce and a bit of cheese. It was delightful. For Krisztian I made (or rather assembled) toast with garlic cream cheese, smoked salmon, red onions and an eggs over easy. I also made hot chocolate with a dash of amaretto in it. :) For dinner I marinated and prepared steak (Worcestershire, teriyaki, salt & pepper, hot sauce and red wine) and roasted an acorn squash then topped it with honey and cinnamon. I also tried roasting corn in the oven after prepping it with a little butter, chili powder and pepper. Finally I made the sinfully easy crescent rolls from Pillsbury, sometimes you have to make it easy on yourself.

The wedding plans of the weekend included two great DJ finds that we have no time to make appointments with. We have been searching for a Hungarian DJ, since they're so plentiful, and finally found one that has a girlfriend who can speak Hungarian and has offered to translate. The other I found on Here Comes the Guide, a must use resource by the way, and saw a company we've worked with before here at the studio as a top rated vendor. After asking some colleagues they come highly recommended. I'm thoroughly happy to at least have two in the running now. I did learn a lot more about Excel this weekend while watching the Jets vs. Patriots game and the Emmy's.

Monday has arrived but I'm optimistic about this week, things are looking good, I feel rested and we have lots of great produce and fish to work with for our dinners. Have a great week!

Ode to Sauce

I'd just like to make a little entry on one of the things I love most in food; sauce. I love trying new cuts of steak and fresh crunchy vegetables but sauce really makes a difference. I didn't realize I needed sauce so much until I started to date Cristian. He hardly eats anything without drenching it in ketchup, BBQ sauce, Cholula or sweet and sour. Just think about it. Tacos are too dry without a great taco sauce, gravy makes everything taste good,  Chinese is nothing without tangerine or sweet and sour or teriyaki, what are eggs Benedict without Hollandaise and red wine reduction sounds as good as it tastes. So if you have a great sauce you'd like to share please post the recipe in the comments section so we can try it out. :)

Yay for sauce!

Mediocre Meal

My colleague runs into my office yesterday, who also happens to be engaged, and asks me to open a link to Style Me Pretty (a bride's must read blog). Up pops a gorgeous pair of ivory slingbacks encrusted with jewels in the most fabulous way. I'm in awe and envy. (Shoes were/are my original and ongoing obsession.) She informs me she just purchased the shoes for her wedding and wants to buy Louboutin's but thinks they would be a better investment in a color other than ivory. I have to agree. Coincidentally this same woman also sent out her adorable save the dates the day before which consisted of a cardboard square with beach themed pop-outs! I love it! So I'm feeling behind and like I need to get back on track. I start looking for DJs, still our #1 concern, and find a company we work with for team building exercises here at the studio. I ask my colleagues if they enjoy working with them and receive a unanimous YES! I'm immediately thrilled and send Cristian the link. One step closer.

Cristian informs me at 4:45pm he can leave anytime and I jump for joy that I can be home while it's still light out. We hop in the truck to brave the traffic and head home. Once home I knew I had chicken already seasoned ready to bake. Unfortunately I had one of those days where I really wanted something I couldn't make at home right then, wonton soup. So I proceed to sear the chicken in margarine (my nod to Paulina Flay) and then bake the breasts. In the meantime Cristian requested mashed potatoes and mac n cheese (yes again, ha) so I began working on those. Now, I love cheese and pasta so that always works for me but surprisingly I am not the biggest potato fan. Before you get upset and confused, let me explain. I feel potatoes are bland. They take some effort to make them really tasty and flavorful. In this case I used my secret method of cream cheese and sour cream to really make the potatoes fluffy and creamy. I also almost always add real garlic. While this sounds tasty I was still not "feeling it". I proceeded to eat the mac n cheese and took bites of chicken and mashed potatoes but was sorely disappointed I didn't quench my craving. At least Cristian liked it. :)

The Easy Way Out

Cristian surprised me in truck for our commute home with a HUGE plate of food. It was Tonight Show's catering from Bristol Farms. This leaves me with not much food for thought, literally, so have a great Thursday!

The When it Rains it Pours Day

Today was one of those days where you start off thinking it will be fine then the domino effect happens. First, we go to pick up Cristian's truck at the dealer and they charge us a fee we don't believe we're supposed to pay. The manager doesn't budge so ouch there. Then going to yoga I have an interruption, a camera crew on the loose, that makes me late for class. The class ends a little late so I'm late to my next meeting, which I had double booked! So I scarf down a bite to eat in between meetings (by the way next day grilled vegetables are amazing in a wrap with a little cheese and taco sauce). Later on I have another meeting which runs long so I miss the night class at the gym I wanted to attend then I'm stuck running, which is still good cardio, ha! Finally Cristian gets off late and we go up to the parking garage to the newly fixed truck. The alarm starts going off and the truck won't start because the remote won't work. AHHH! The alarm goes off a number of times and after trying everything imaginable Cristian suggests we go to the store to buy a battery. I remind him to lock up and surprise that turned off the alarm. grrr.

SO we're headed home and finally ready to make dinner. I had pork chops marinating for about two days now in my own marinade of apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, cayenne pepper powder, garlic, honey, cinnamon and ginger powder. The meat was perfectly juicy, slightly sweet and didn't even need a sauce, the marinade created a brown caramelized effect. I accompanied it with my own version of coleslaw. With the cabbage and carrots I added my soy mayo, spicy mustard, peppercinis, red onion, salt and pepper. It was tangy and flavorful. Finally I created my half-homemade mac n cheese. I use the kraft package but add sour cream, garlic and garlic powder to liven it up. All in all not bad. AND I even had left overs to make a sort of pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw, looking forward to that for lunch.

After wrapping up dinner Cristian and I were working on homework til midnight. I'm so exhausted. We still didn't figure out what the professor wanted. I'm beginning to DESPISE Excel. More later...

Difficult Times

I know I'm not usually poting twice a day but yesterday's death of Patrick Swayze required a reaction. I have to be honest in my childhood I used to think about Madonna, Michael Jackson and others as our generation icons. Yes U2 is still touring (thank goodness) but when mega stars in their mere 50s are passing away it's heartbreaking. I feel time is ticking away and it helps you remember even the invincible are really not. For each wedding I've been to this year I've attended a funeral. As I'm planning my wedding I can't help but think of that "circle of life" to quote the Lion King. We're getting older each day, don't forget to enjoy it. Don't forget who you care about. And lastly don't forget about God.

No time and time again

Cristian's new post working at Conan O'Brien has been quite an adventure. While he has great stories and is thrilled to work there sometimes our days are so long I want to sleep on the ride home. Last night was one of those nights. With Dave Matthews in studio my fiance was busy until 7:30pm, my normal departure time being 5:30. I went to the gym twice yesterday and watched Monday night football as I waited for him. By the way, WOW Patriots! Unfortunately we didn't arrive home until half past 8 which was by then a late start for dinner. We ended up with leftover fajitas and I came to one conclusion. I like the feeling of eating up stuff in the fridge. It means I'm not wasteful and it was worth the effort of making more than enough in the first place. Might I add that flank steak is almost more flavorful the second day!

After the quick reheat and eat, Cristian started studying and I proceeded to attempt to help. Unfortunately I feel I am sort of good at many things, but not great at most. The topic last night, Excel. I thought I knew Excel pretty well. No. There are so many more functions and commands I had never heard of. In the end we created an amortization chart and figured out monthly payments for a $58K purchase, fun huh?!

A good thing about working out and homework is that it really prevents me from having my token glass of wine at night. I enjoy the feeling of unwinding but with very recent stressful circumstances I had come a little too accustomed. Last night I imbibed sparkling pomegranate water which was refreshing and fantastic.


One thing that lifted my spirits this morning on the way to work was Cristian asking what our weekend plans were. I  told him I hadn't made any but suggested either Big Bear or the OC Fair (nothing like corn dogs and roasted corn!) Instead he asked if we could do (wait for it)... wedding stuff! I was so excited. Thank goodness for amazing fiances. :)

Eating Apart/Cooking Together

Friday night we were invited to a baby shower at the Smokehouse in Burbank and I forgot Cristian had never eaten there before. It's good food but their garlic cheese bread is AMAZING. Cristian was in love at first bite. :) Leading up to the shower I still had not purchased a gift. Luckily coworkers of mine were in the same boat so we went to shop and have lunch. We went to Lucy's 51 in Burbank, mostly a bar but they had a menu besides chicken strips. We reluctantly order our sandwich (vegetable) with sweet potato fires, a total vice of mine. The sandwich came and was delicious. We all ate until we were stuffed to the brim.

Then Saturday I went to my first Creative Arts Emmy's (go Sound!). It was at LA Live and was a beautiful set. Two of our nominees won so the day was that much sweeter. It's always intimidating yet exhilarating to be surrounded by so much talent. We networked away in the lobby between awards. The ball was at the convention center across the way where the Moroccan themed room was exquisite. We sat down to purple, green and orange decor with fabulous flowers. (Of course I take note on things like place setting thinking of the wedding to come.) The china was gold rimmed and the glassware matched. The flatware was gold, a first for me, but went very well together. The food was actually really good. A salad with candied walnuts, braised short ribs and fried mac and cheese and our favorite a dark chocolate mint lollipop. mmm We danced the night away having a grand time.

Sunday I spent the day with Cristian and of course Bobby Flay's "Throwdown" was on which always makes us hungry. The challenge was fajitas so we decided to take it on. After a quick grocery run the two of us worked side by side in the kitchen. I made salsa and an avocado salad (there weren't any ripe enough for guacamole) and he made the flank steak and grilled veggies. We make quite a cooking pair  if I do say so myself and we always have fun. Probably my favorite part was that Cristian made me a cheese try (my MAJOR vice) where we tried an Irish smoked Gouda, a sweet white cheddar and Machego cheese. TO pair with them he added seedless, red grapes, dried cranberries and figs. SO good. :) He sure does spoil me.

Late Night Quick Fix

So it's back to work on a Tuesday and I'm already exhausted. A long fun weekend doesn't exactly support rest and sleep. Oh well. After our journey home in the car for an hour plus, I looked at what was in the fridge and realized it was a hodgepodge. So in true Kristi fashion, I threw it all together! Beginning with whole wheat pasta I chopped up some asparagus, purple onions, home grown peppers, peas and broccoli (sorry to disappoint, they were frozen). Later I added turkey sweet sausage and seasoned my own tomato sauce. Once cooked it was all combined and turned out surprisingly well.

This past weekend I was in Williams Sonoma with MOH Karen and it makes me so inspired. All the cool gadgets, pots, pans, electric appliances and OH the books! Once I returned home I HAD to add to the registry. I looked at all the fun Kitchen Aid mixers and picked the perfect one. Added some casserole dishes and my new favorite, Kate Spade flatware. Soon I'll get to use all this amazing stuff and I assume it will make me and even more creative home chef. Woohooo.

By the way, anyone out there watch Top Chef? Yay for Vegas! And yay for our amazing troops.

Weekend in the Bay

This weekend I made the trip to the Bay Area. It was one of the trips where I had to split up a limited amount of time with lots of people. I always feel guilty when I can only spare a breakfast or coffee but sometimes I am out of options. I love going to my Mom's now because it's just her and three bedrooms. It's quiet and very homey. Of course these days my favorite thing there is my wedding dress. I love to stare at it. Yes, I avoided trying it on (this time) but I did spend ample time appreciating it. I honestly can not wait to get married. It was only three days but I truly missed Cristian. I was around a lot of couples and I was wishing he was there.

Now there were some GREAT meals I enjoyed as well. First, my grandma (Nagy Mama) made pasta with cabbage, and it was quite good. There were also her homemade kifli (crescent rolls) with korozot (paprika cream cheese spread). Then I headed to my friend Charlotte's (Charstie) house where I was treated to grilled chicken with delicious mushroom sauce, caramelized Brussels sprouts (mmm) followed up with strawberries and whipped cream. I mean seriously! WOW! (Thanks Tim!) At my BFF/MOH's house, Karen prepared herb pasta from scratch with a fantastic Bolognese meat sauce. I felt like I was on a foodie vacation, and all of the meals were prepared by friends and family! On Sunday Karen also served an Almond Scented White Cake with Raspberries that when paired with tea or coffee was simply heavenly. That girl can bake! Monday my Mom was creating picnic/BBQ fare for a Labor Day party. I got to be the taste tester. She made whole wheat chocolate chip cookies that had a cake like texture and melted in your mouth. Then she made pasta salad with penne and cous cous. She included vegetable from her own garden that were crunchy and fresh. Great job MOM! Finally, one of the meals I was treated to was with Denise. We went to Village Bistro in Santana Row. We have champagne with peach puree to start and she savored scrambled egg bruschetta while I devoured Dungeness crab eggs Benedict. For thos of you who know me well, eggs and I are not best friends, however, this was delectable. I might have had my eyes opened a bit further in the egg realm. Never know where I can go from here!

PS. Congratulations on a beautiful wedding Eleanor and Gandhi de Paz. I was so happy to be there for you.

The Long Work Day Solution

Yesterday was our last August day ever being "single". Crazy! It was also the first day the fiance and I were able to commute together. It's much more relaxing to have someone you love in the car when you have to drive 2+ hours round trip. Of course this means we leave the house at 7:15am and arrive home at 8pm. A little late to think about a delicious and complicated meal. So tonight I'll be making two pizza halves, one will be sweet Italian sausage with shallots and white garlic sauce, and the other will be grilled chicken, BBQ sauce, red onions and maybe grilled corn. mmm Preparation is of course the key. I have the chicken thawing and the dough ready to go. Hopefully there will be enough ingredients left to make an easy wrap for lunch.

As for wedding update, still trying to lock down a Hungarian pastor. And GOOD LUCK finding a bilingual DJ fluent in Hungarian...ha! I did browse through some Italy catalogues we got this weekend at the expo. Finding more resources now for hotels, attractions and restaurants. As everyday passes I'm looking more forward to August 2010.

Wedding Countdown - Less Than 1 year

So last week we hit the "less than 1 year" mark to the wedding. That means the deadlines are officially real. Lots happened during this pivotal time. First Cristian had an interview with the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. Not 10 minutes after leaving he got the internship. Shockingly they asked him to start work the next day. How could we turn it down? It was hard to make the financial decision but easy to make the career move. Already we started watching our money and made some fabulous meals at home over the weekend. I made cornmeal crusted tilapia fish tacos and spaghetti squash with turkey kielbasa. Cristian made bison burgers, yup, bison, with an amazing chipotle sauce. And to compliment, of course our favorite, sweet potato fries.

We also went to a wedding expo to collect vendors' business cards and right next door stumbled into the OC market at the fairgrounds. They had everything from papayas to cigars, very cool. I'm also on my Sex and the City stint again and had a mini marathon while cleaning the house.

Off to the bay this weekend for a wedding where I'll be taking notes. Looking forward to seeing some old friends.