The Canyon

Twice a week, my friend C. and I take our dogs and hop in the car for a short ride up a main boulevard in our city.

We pull off on a side street and head out on foot, dogs straining at the leashes in excitement.

They know they're going to The Canyon. First, they surge up this hill:

In a minute, they look out on this view:

A city of three million people lies at their feet, but here in this canyon, they see only bushes, trees, and distant blue mountains:

Our dogs know they're going to meet lots of other dogs on the trail:

Dogs walking. Dogs jogging:

Dogs standing quietly by as their owners get in a few calisthenics:

The sound of birds fills the crisp, clean air:

And around every bend, there's a friendly pooch to greet:

All the dogs brim with excitement, released for a bit from the cement and asphalt of the city that has dropped away below them:

At the hike's halfway point, there's a refreshing fountain made just for canines:

And then it's off to say Hello to more new friends:

 The path descends, back into the neighborhoods that cling to the canyon's sides:

The bushes wave their goodbyes, the blue skies float overhead like a benediction:

As C. and I tell ourselves how lucky we are to live so close to such an unspoiled bit of Nature in the heart of a big city.

Midwinter Citrus Sorbet

It's a blessing that, in the middle of the dullest part of winter (no more holidays! boo!), citrus fruits are fresh and plentiful. Here's a wonderfully easy recipe you can make to celebrate this bounty and remind you that sunny days are ahead. (The recipe is at the end of this post.)

Grab some citrus fruits--lemons, limes, tangerines, oranges, or grapefruit--or any combination of these. (You'll need the equivalent of about 4 or 5 lemons' worth.) For this recipe, I used lemons and tangerines.

Bring equal amounts of water and sugar* to a boil on the stove. Remove from the heat and cool (I put the pot in the fridge while going on to the next step.)

Next, grate the rind off the citrus:

Yummy! Fresh citrus zest smells so upbeat. Especially in the middle of winter.

Next, cut the fruits in half and juice them (I use an old-fashioned glass reamer for the job):

Strain the juice through a sieve, stirring gently with a spoon to help move the pulp aside.

Add the zest to the juice:

Give it a stir:

Pour the juice/zest mixture into the cooled sugar water:

Give it a stir again, then turn it into a flat glass baking dish. (Make sure you pick one that fits in your freezer!):

Put the dish in the freezer, and stir up the mixture with a fork every 30 minutes or so to distribute the ice crystals as they form.

In a couple of hours, you will have a beautiful, frozen dessert that is bursting with flavor. (Sorry I forgot to photograph mine before it was devoured by eager guests!) Heap into wine glasses, champagne flutes, or small ramekins and serve immediately.

Citrus Sorbet
Original recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse, 2003

Ingredients
1 cup water
1 cup sugar*
1 cup fresh citrus juice (about 4 or 5 lemons, for instance)
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon zest

Instructions
Bring the water and sugar to boil in a small saucepan, remove from the heat, and cool. Stir the juice and zest together. Combine the syrup with the juice/zest mixture; pour into a shallow baking dish (8"x8" or larger). As the mixture freezes, stir it up with a fork every half hour or so until it is entirely crystalline (this might take 3 hours or so).

Store leftovers in a lidded plastic container in the freezer.

*If you don't use any lemons, decrease the sugar by a bit to keep the sorbet from being overly sweet.

A Taste of France in North Hollywood

Last Friday, my friend C. asked me if I wanted to go on an adventure--a food adventure.

Umm, YEAH!!

It turns out she recently stumbled upon a culinary gem. In the middle of a light-industry district in our neighborhood, there is a business called "Epicure Imports."  The company has a warehouse filled with all sorts of fine foods--especially French fine foods. Usually, it's a wholesale business, open only to restaurants. But a few times a year, the warehouse flings open its steel-roller doors to the public, and foodie folks in the know come-a-runnin' to snap up hard-to-find delicacies at wholesale prices.

Photo: Epicure Imports

So of course we went.

Photo: Epicure Imports

Omigollygoshalmighty! I was in hog heaven. Knowledgeable employees handed out free bites of sausages, cheeses, olive oils, and chocolates.

I pushed my cart up and down, admiring aisles and aisles of gorgeous imported goodies. In the chill of their walk-in cold case, I pondered which of the 8 bajillion cheeses I should bring home. I ogled folks buying saucisson and shrink-wrapped rabbit slices and foie gras and all sorts of things that I won't buy (or eat) but that honestly look amazing nonetheless.

Photo: Epicure Imports

And of course I sampled chocolates. Lots and lots of chocolates:

Photo: Epicure Imports

I came home with a carton full of goodies. Here is some of the booty. Olive oils--including a truffle-scented one:

Balsamic vinegars, infused with fig and blackberry flavors:

Beans for cassoulet (This one made me laugh, because although these are made for the French consumer, the beans are from Idaho. So here they are, back in the U.S.A.):

Sweet cassis syrup and vanilla-flavored chestnut spread, suitable for slathering on bread or dotting over a bread pudding:

Sea salts:

A ginormous jar of dried wild mushrooms:

Which I plan to use, first off, with some of the orecchiette and green lentils, here:

So, now it's off to plan tonight's dinner.

Maybe something with French cheese in it?

(Note: If you live in the Los Angeles area, the next open-warehouse even is Friday, March 30 and Saturday, March 31. Go here to learn more.)

Happy Valentine's Day, in Flowers

Happy Valentine's Day! My garden is bursting with pink, white, and violet, just in time for this romantic day. Here are a few of Nature's offerings, right outside my door:

Camellia

Camellia

 Camellia

Geranium

Tulip Tree

 Violet

 Tulip Tree

 Camellia

 Azalea

 Azalea

Violet

Cyclamen

 Cyclamen

 Cyclamen