Coconut Craze!

Ever since returning from Puerto Rico this summer I have had an insistent craving for coconut. I blame this coconut craze on my new friend the Pina Colada. I know what you're thinking… Pina colada? Eww. (I hear the judgment in your voice.) But what can I say? The pina colada has been the official drink of Puerto Rico since 1978 and my vacation would not have been complete without enjoying one or two or five. I am now a converted and faithful enthusiast of the pina colada. The amber rum with undertones of caramel, the creamy amalgamation of coconut and sweet pineapples, blending into an icy creation much greater than the sum of its parts. It is an unmistakable and completely satisfying flavor.

I was so in love that by the time I got back to Los Angeles all I could think of was coconuts, or pineapples, or both. Soon the delicious drink alone could not satisfy my thirst. R and I made coconut ice cream. We made toasted coconut milkshakes. Still, I needed more.

I found my cure - coconut flan. It is so delicate and velvety, floating as it does on top of a shallow pool of caramel, so light it almost collapses when touched by a spoon. The coconut flan I made was perfectly indulgent and perfectly reminiscent of the pina colada. This was precisely the flavor and texture I’d been dreaming of all along, somewhere in between a drink and a cake.

Coconut flan is so simple to make. In a couple of hours the dessert is chilled and ready to eat.

The recipe I use is from Gourmet. The Gourmet recipe calls for the use of sweetened coconut flakes. I tried this and did not enjoy the bite of the flakes against the silkiness of the flan.

Place coconut flakes in a pan over med. heat until golden brown and fragrant.

I made the coconut flan again, but this time I substituted coconut milk for coconut flakes. The rich coconut flavor is still present and pronounced. I still use coconut flakes, toasted and sprinkled on top of the flan.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together milk an coconut milk.

Add sweetened condensed milk.

Continue to whisk togther ingredients.

Add egg and continue whisking until ingredients are blended together.

Ron del Barrillito three star rum found only in Puerto Rico.

Add a teaspoon of rum for added flavor. Whisk together then set aside.

Add water and sugar to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir until sugar has dissolved.

Continue to boil until it reaches a dark amber color.

Once caramel is a dark amber, remove from heat and pour into ramekins.

Swirl the caramel into the ramekins until the bottom is completely coated.

Swirl quickly as caramel sets fast!

Pour the flan mixture over the coated caramel.

Set filled ramekins in a cookie sheet water bath.

Bake flan for about an hour. When done remove from oven and set until cool.

Transfer cooled flans to the refrigerator to set for another 30 minutes.

Flan is then ready to serve. Run a knife around the edge and plate.

Enjoy!

So simple, so delicious, the flavors will linger luxuriously on your tongue. After you make coconut flan you are sure to be coconut crazed like me!

The Great Pumpkin

Its hue is bright orange, it’s shape spherical and portly, and its taste is absolutely delicious. I am of course referring to my favorite Fall fruit: pumpkin. I love eating pumpkin. From pumpkin bread to pumpkin ravioli, just the mention of pumpkin makes my mouth water.

While I have always enjoyed eating pumpkin, I have never considered cooking pumpkin myself. Honestly, I wouldn't know where to begin. So when I saw that LA Food Works was offering a pumpkin-inspired cooking class- The Great Pumpkin, I was there!

This was my first cooking class. I am not an expert cook, but do enjoy my many adventures and misadventures with R in our kitchen. This class was the perfect opportunity to hone my skills and finally learn how to prepare pumpkin in an array of recipes.

The class was held in the beautiful kitchen of LA Food Works. The magnificent Rachael Narins of Chicks with Knives led the class.

On the cooking menu:

Pumpkin Lasagna

Curried Pumpkin Soup

Roasted Pork with Pumpkin Seed Sauce

Sweet and Sour Pumpkin

Pumpkin Gingersnap Tiramisu

Rachael started the class by talking pumpkin to us. The different varietals and what you can make with them. Next, as a group, we prepared the Pumpkin Lasagna.

For the lasagna we scooped and mashed a roasted sugar pumpkin. While one person was scooping, another was beginning a Béchamel sauce that would be the base of the lasagna. Then we layered the pasta with the sauce, mascarpone cheese, pumpkin puree, fontina cheese, and dotted with salty thin proscuitto. We were taken through the recipe step by step. The process was interactive and fun. The result was a decadent, bubbly, and creamy lasagna. It was so rich, so delicious, so perfectly oozing with pumpkin.

While our lasagna cooked we divided into little groups to prepare one item from the menu. I got the Sweet and Sour Pumpkin. Our sugar pumpkin was too hard to work with so we roasted it before cubing it. We also, added a can of organic pumpkin puree, which is not included on the original recipe. Next, we placed the cubed roasted pumpkin and canned pumpkin in a skilled over medium heat, sprinkled with garlic, red pepper flakes, sugar and red wine vinegar. Our Sweet and Sour Pumpkin turned into a dip rather than an entrée, but it was a pleasant surprise. We toasted up so pita chips to scoop the hot pumpkin mash and it was bursting with flavors. It is similar to a babaganoush in texture, but with pumpkin instead of eggplant, and a few flavorful sour notes from the vinegar and spices. Garnished with fresh mint, this recipe if beautiful and appetizing. It would be a perfect Fall party starter.

While I did not participate in the other recipes from start to finish, everyone in the class was able to watch and help each other with their recipes. The Pumpkin Seed sauce was fragrant and light. The Curried Pumpkin soup was smooth and comforting. The Pumpkin Tiramisu was a pillowy pumpkin custard layered with gingersnaps brushed with brandy, need I say more.

the sweetest dog and her name was Pumpkin!

When everything was finished cooking, we sat together and enjoyed the afternoon’s work. Everything came out perfectly - and I’m not just saying that because we cooked it. I left full from all of our creations, but more than that I left with new skills and new friends. I can’t wait for the next LA Food Works class!

Fresh From the Market: The Gastrobus

A new farmer’s market has sprung up in my neighborhood. This excites me to no end. While I love the Hollywood farmer’s market on the rare occasion that I get a Sunday away from the restaurant, it is so much more satisfying to be able to enjoy the morning walking to a farmer’s market right in my neck of the woods.

The Los Feliz farmer’s market is nestled in a small parking lot behind the legendary Dresden Room. Compared to other farmer’s markets around Los Angeles, like those in Hollywood or Santa Monica, this hidden gem is small and charming. There is a sweet fragrance in the air and its quaint size is so much more appealing than the busy hustle bustle of the larger markets. There is a peace here, a sense of calm that allowed me to fully enjoy the beauty of the market on a Sunday morning. Small as it is, this farmer’s market still has everything one would need to fill a weekend shopping basket. There are fruit vendors galore, an abundance of greens, a specialty mushroom man, a fresh egg merchant, hand crafted soaps, fresh juices, flowers and more. On my first visit a few weeks ago, my favorite part of the market was the big bright Gastrobus parked right in front.

The Gastrobus differs from the other trendy LA food trucks because their ever-changing menu is created based on what is available at the market on any particular morning. Each week the chef on board this restaurant on wheels finds what is seasonally perfect and delicious to create a simple tapas-style brunch menu. R and I were more than happy with what we ordered.

The corn flapjacks were plump orbs of sweet and savory goodness. The corn was crisp against the light dough. It was sprinkled with thin scallions and fresh farmer’s cheese, which gave it a delightfully light finish.

The homemade sausage was a mound of salty, well-seasoned meat. It was thick and hearty.

The French toast with fresh peaches and plum jam was sticky and sweet. The toast was fluffy and moist, the peaches tender and plump, and the jam coated all of the flavors together.

I am happy to report that on my second visit this weekend, my neighborhood farmer’s market is beginning to grow. There were more happy faces and purveyors, but the market still maintained its peaceful air. Lucky for us, the Gastrobus was still parked right in front.

True to form, today’s menu at the Gastrobus had a different offering. I was happy to find my favorite corn flapjacks so I eagerly ordered those. In addition, we ordered the persimmon beignets with ginger and sugar and the pear almond pancakes.

The beignets were not as I had imagined. Rather than being a hot chewy deep fried confection, the batter was stuffed with a crisp chunk of persimmon. Being a doughnut lover, I was sad that my beignet was not all dough but the beignet was still pleasantly delicate and folded sweetly into each crunchy bite of persimmon.

The almond pear pancakes were soft and fragrant. The pancakes’ components were tender sweet pears in a nutty batter crowned with caramelized pear slivers. And they were magical.

Eat fresh, eat local, and support your neighborhood famer’s market.