Old School, Part II

Pesto. It was called "The Quiche of the 80's" in When Harry Met Sally...and the 80's was most definitely its decade. But pesto never really went away; it just got a little less popular. I tried it again recently (thanks, Wendy) and now I want to eat it on everything. Pasta, pizza crust, bread, my finger...mmm, pesto.

Old School

Cheerios and whole milk. Back in the day, this was it. If you hadn't had this since you were a kid, have some now. It's surprisingly delicious.

Pizza Party

Who doesn't love pizza? I love all pizza--from Totino's Party Pizza's (yes, I still eat them, even after the recall) to gourmet thin crust pizzas with toppings like arugula and truffle oil. I love them all. And lately, I'm into making my own pizza. The dough is easy to make, and you can keep it in your fridge for a few days before using it. I like to mix whole wheat flour into whatever recipe I'm using. I also like to use less yeast sometimes, since my rolling and flattening skills aren't what they should be, and less yeast means less chemistry working against me. It's the perfect thing to have around as a snack. My favorite toppings are the classic Margherita: tomato, fresh mozzarella and basil. I use locally-grown cherry tomatoes and basil, just to make it special.

Stress+Baking=CALM

I've been a bit stressed out lately. Times are tough. But I've discovered something. Baking makes it all better...at least for the time being. There's something satisfying about measuring and mixing. I've always been a better cook than a baker (sometimes the precision required gets to me and I crack), but lately, I've been into baking, especially cookies. Cookies are fairly foolproof. There seems to be a bit more room for error and less precise measuring in cookie recipes. I've been making these peanut butter cookies from a pretty basic recipe, and I replace the white flour for whole wheat flour...and sometimes add dark chocolate chips. A sprinkling of sea salt on the tops of the cookies before baking makes them really special.

Ramen Nakamura...Heaven for Oxtail Lovers

Was in Waikiki last week so I had lunch at Ramen Nakamura, home to delicious oxtail ramen. I hadn't been in over a year, and I have great memories of the place. I love oxtail. Like, really, really love them. But here's the thing: in the last year, I've gotten into ramen. Prior to that, I was strictly a saimin/won ton min at Zippy's kind of gal. But now, I've gained a better understanding and appreciation for really good ramen...and I'm not sure I'm into Ramen Nakamura's style of ramen. The oxtails are delicious, but I'm not sure how I feel about the noodles...or the broth. Think I'll be sticking to my favorite, Goma Tei. And trying new places of course.