Food: Tofu Tip

Hopefully I'll get in full blogging mode in the upcoming weeks; in the meantime, here's a quick cooking tip. During the winter months my family and I love eating Shabu Shabu, essentially a Japanese version of fondue. A pot of hot boiling water is on the table, and you dip in raw meat, veggies, Udon, etc. My dad recently gave me a tip to freeze soft tofu before throwing it in the water (where it usually falls apart). Simply place an unopened box of tofu in the freezer; a day before or the morning of, defrost the box of tofu in the fridge or on the counter, slice it up and cook. The tofu maintains its structure, and freezing the tofu gives it a spongy texture to it that I like better than medium firm tofu. This works whether you're boiling it or cooking it in stir-fry.

Cook: Toaster Oven-Baked Mayo Salmon Filet

Although it may not look pretty, this dish is a staple in my limited cooking repertoire and a favorite of my oldest child. I marinate the fish in the morning, throw it in the toaster oven about 16 minutes before dinner, and it's done. Saute some vegetables, serve with white rice, and you have dinner.

Ingredients:
Salmon filets
Sea salt
White Pepper
Garlic Powder
White wine or rice wine (Michiu)
Sesame oil
Low-fat Mayo (I like Kraft) OR Regular Mayo (Best Foods)

Optional:
Chopped white onions (about 1 tbsp)
Chopped green onions


Buy skinned filets of salmon; I buy the Costco variety which I bring home, slice into quarters and put each slice into a Ziploc bag. Rinse one filet (about 1/2 pound or so) and dry with paper towel. Sprinkle sea salt, white pepper, and garlic powder on fish, add a splash of sesame oil and white or rice (Michiu) wine. Marinate in fridge for a few hours. Preheat toaster oven to 425 degrees. Line toaster oven tray with foil, place filet on foil. Using the back of a tablespoon, smear the top of the filet with a layer of mayo; you can add as little or as much mayo as you prefer. Sprinkle with chopped white onions if you'd like. Bake in toaster oven for about 12 minutes, then turn to broil (500 degrees) for an additional 4 minutes or until the top is bubbly and light brown. You can drizzle with additional sesame oil or garnish with scallions. Serve with Japanese rice.

Read: GOOP

I just discovered Gwyneth Paltrow now has her own blog, GOOP (apparently based on a nickname of hers), and I actually think it's quite good. I wish I would have thought of the formatting--very nice and Zen. Yes, there are a ton of haters, (see article here at Eonline!) most notably criticizing her "Let them eat cake" attitude, but as a mother of two, it's nice to see someone else who has the time to workout and wear nice clothing to pick up her kids. It gives me a little inspiration. The blog has cute little categories of things to make, go, get, do, be and see. Loved her list of Los Angeles favorites under the "Go" category, although I do have to dispute the greatness of Katsu-Ya in Studio City for spicy tuna rice cakes....more on that later.

This week's newsletter in particular, is literally a big kick in the butt. Ms. Paltrow shares a mini-movie from the trainer she shares with Madonna, Tracy Anderson; it is a supplement to give her butt a boost, and the clip even features a handy little link so you can download it to your iPod. More about Tracy Anderson can be found at her website here.

GOOP

Food: Chocolate and Zuchinni

I was flipping through the June issue of House and Garden and came across a small profile of Clotilde Dusoulier, a 27 year old resident of Montmartre in Paris whose food-focused blog, Chocolate and Zuchinni, has become a huge hit for the on-line set, and Ms. Dusoulier now even has a few cookbooks under her belt. I checked out her site and loved it, but what I found extremely useful and wish I had seen before I had gone to Paris was her Paris City Guide located here:

Chocolate and Zuchinni Paris City Guide

In it, Clotilde details out her experiences from a local standpoint, not places you'd necessarily find in Zagat but that are favored by locals nonetheless; even if a trip to Paris isn't in your future, if you are foodie, you will enjoy Ms. Dusoulier's blog.

Photo: http://chocolateandzuchinni.com

Easter and the Pomegranate?

Happy Easter everyone. As I am due to leave for services here shortly, I will make this brief.

I recently learned something new from an Hermes scarf collector's group I belong to. Apparently, the fruit du jour, the Pomegranate, which seems to be quite popular in recent years, is a symbol of the Passion. Of course I had to look this up and found all kinds of interesting tidbits of information regarding this complex fruit that is now in everything from POM juices to beauty products.

From http://organicpassion.info/facts-about-pomegranate/

-The pomegranate was first cultivated in Persia 5,000 years ago.
-It was the favourite fruit of the ancient Greek gods and in Ancient Greece, represented life, regeneration and marriage.
-In China, a picture of a ripe pomegranate is a popular wedding gift.
-In Buddhism, the pomegranate is one of the three blessed fruits and found in art as a symbol of abundance and prosperity.
-The pomegranate is a symbol of resurrection and eternal life in Christianity. It symbolised fertility, and this symbolism
was brought to life in 1487 by Allesandro Boticelli in his painting “Madonna of the Pomegranate” which depicts the
Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus with a pomegranate in his hand.
-It is customarily eaten during the Jewish New Year.
-The Prophet Mohammed cherished the fruit saying it brings physical and emotional harmony.
-The ancient Egyptians were buried with pomegranate. The Babylonians believed chewing the seeds before battle made
them invincible.
-Pomegranate is used to make grenadine syrup, which is used in cocktails such as Mai Tai or tequila sunrise.

Anyhow, I will be wearing my Les Jardins d'Andalousie scarf (pictured) today, which is laden with pomegranates.

Tube Press: At a buck apiece, it's worth getting.

I have to confess that given a brand-new tube of toothpaste, I will haphazardly squeeze it in the middle, beginning, or end with the sole aim of getting toothpaste onto my toothbrush as quickly as possible. This pattern continues every morning and evening for several days until my dear husband spots the mutilated tube atop my bathroom counter; at which point he will venture over to rescue it from its distorted existence by neatly rolling the tube up for me. So when I spotted this nifty contraption while shopping for more shoe boxes (more on that later), I decided to give into my sudden and rare domestic whims and purchased two; one for my husband and one for me. And what a small, yet satisfying difference this simple contraption makes! I am quite pleased in seeing how nice and neat my tube of toothpaste appears...and to know I did it without spousal support.

Available at www.walgreens.com $1.99 for two