Eating out in Santa Monica vegetarian style

Rather than get my seedlings planted outside this Victoria Day weekend, my best friend and I spent the long weekend a few blocks from the pier in Santa Monica, California.

It was great. We left our husbands and dogs at home and spent 4 full days cycling, hiking, shopping, and, of course, eating.

Although I missed EPC and Coco, after spending 4 mornings at Urth Cafe on Main Street in Santa Monica, it was quite disappointing to return home to drip coffee and granola.

There are a few different Urth Cafe locations around the LA area and I highly recommend giving one of them a try (translate: don’t miss it!). They had a wide selection of egg, pastry and whole grain breakfast options. I enjoyed the breakfast burrito one morning and then got stuck in a wonderful oatmeal-with-fresh-strawberries-rut for the next three days. My friend – a tad more adventurous than I – enjoyed poached eggs, quiche, and an omelette.

And the coffee. Ah, the coffee. Absolutely wonderful.

Urth Cafe was so great that we dared not try anything else and so, even though we were on holidays, we quickly got into a comfortable morning routine. Just so EPC wouldn’t be jealous I brought him home a package of their famous granola.

A few blocks further south on Main Street sits the tapas restaurant Manchego. The namesake cheese and standard quince preserve – membrillo – can be found on the menu. I had been wanted to try membrillo since I came across a recipe in one of the fall issues of Vegetarian Times, so we started off with a cheese plate. The membrillo was quite nice with the cheese and baguette, so if I come across quince this fall and I may try my hand at making it.

We then moved on to zucchini rolls filled with feta and pecans, a spanish omelette, and then I enjoyed their delicious gazpacho. The spanish omelette was disappointing and a little rubbery. Perhaps it had been microwaved or reheated?

This was a sign of things to come as the dessert that we ordered was absolutely horrible. We ordered Tiramisu and when it arrived it was still slightly frozen. Truth be told this wasn’t Tiramisu at all, but some pre-made bland cake that the restaurant gets delivered and then stores in their freezer! There was no noticeable coffee. No lady fingers and certainly no mascapone cheese. Had it not been for the $8.00 bottle of wine that we enjoyed with our dinner (Manchego permits you to dine with your own wine sans cork fees!) it would have been a total loss.

I guess I shouldn’t be so scathing, after all I did get to try membrillo.

Fortunately I was able to satisfy my sweet tooth with a to-go dessert from Urth Cafe on our way back to the hotel!

My friend came across our next culinary adventure in Air Canada’s En Route magazine. In the article Zach Braf shares his favourite haunts along Laurel Canyon Drive. Although En Route may seem like an unlikely place to take a restaurant recommendation, we figured it would be the perfect “Hollywood way” to pick a restaurant based on an actor’s recommendation.

Pace restaurant is tucked beneath the iconic Laurel Canyon General Store. We made reservations for Saturday night, got dressed up and made the 30 minutes drive into Los Angeles.

Pace’s menu features Italian food and the two of enjoyed our meals and the atmosphere. The restaurant was busy. I am sure that every table was full, but we felt comfortable and were able to enjoy each other’s conversation. The staff were attentive and personable.

To start, I enjoyed their vegan puree of the day. Sounds unappetizing I know, but it was anything but. The puree was a warm blend of roasted red beets on one side of the bowl and golden beets on the other. I stirred it together and the soup was as beautiful as it was tasty. Since I hate ordering vegetarian pasta dishes (although I am sure they would have been delicious), I went with one of their 3 vegetarian pizza selections – The Aphrodite.  It was served up on a small rectangular cutting board, as the pizza itself was a rectangular personal pizza. The crust was not thin, but it certainly was not too thick.  It was closer to a homemade crust than anything you would find at a traditional pizza joint. It was delicious. If I get the chance to go back to Pace I would order the same thing again! My friend enjoyed meatier fare and started off with a caesar salad and then moved onto the spaghetti bolognese. She was happy with her meal too.

With full belly’s we enjoyed the evening drive back to the beach along Sunset Boulevard.

Speaking of taking actor’s suggestions for restaurants I made use of Alicia Silverston’s blog to source out vegetarian and vegan restaurants. It was here that I found the link to the Real Food Daily restaurant located a few short block from our hotel. I had signed out the restaurant’s cookbook from the library and tried a recipe last year, so I was delighted to learn that I would be able to try their food first hand.

Since it was so close, we went there for our first dinner in Santa Monica. It was a few blocks east of the 3rd Street Promenade.

We both loved it. The restaurant it totally vegan and has a complete and varied menu. We both enjoyed variations on the same theme –The Real Food Meal. This features a grain of choice, vegetable, and protein of choice, topped off with your choice of sauce. If you do make it to Real Food Daily and opt for The Real Food Meal I recommend the wasabi dressing and the pressed salad as a definite must!

We enjoyed it so much that we went back for dinner 3 days later.

My friend got the exact same thing, while I was more adventurous and went for The Club with a side salad.  I was certainly glad that we went to Real Food Daily a second time because the owner Ann Gentry showed up with her husband and children shortly after we placed our order. You can see how excited I was that she was in attendance from the photo of my more than half eaten clubhouse sandwich.  I just plain forgot to take a photo.

When I mentioned to our server how excited I was to come to Santa Monica and eat at Real Food Daily and see the owner in attendance, he said he would ask her to stop by our table. I grabbed a copy of the cookbook which is for sale at the restaurant (Ann’s newest cookbook comes out in the middle of June and looks wonderful) and it was returned to me autographed with a visit from Ann. I was delighted to meet her and although we saw a couple of celebrities (Eric Balfor and Natascha McElhone) this was the closet we got to meeting anyone “famous” and the only autograph we brought home. Apparently Moses Znamier of CityTV fame has picked up an Ann Gentry Cooking show which should begin airing in the next few months. Take a peek at her blog if you are interested.

I guess this makes me a certifiable cookbook geek. If there is such a thing.

I will close out this post with a quick mention of some of the fun things we did while in Santa Monica

• Rented bicycles from Sea Mist Rentals at the base of pier and rode south to Venice Beach and Marina del Ray.
• Visited the Venice Canals and Abbot-Kinney Blvd.
• Enjoyed lunch at 3 Square Cafe and Bakery while shopping along Abbot-Kinney. (don’t miss Bountiful , an eclectic shop beautifully crammed full of antiques and fantastic cake plates – among other things)
• Checked out The Market for lunch located in the mall at the south end of the Third Street Promenade
• Hiked up Runyon Canyon for views of the Hollywood sign and the LA basin
• Set aside a few hours to visit The Getty Centre
• Window shopped along Rodeo Drive and walked up Beverly Drive to the Beverly Hills Hotel
• Walked along Wilshire Blvd on Sunday morning, camera in hand,  to check out the Art Deco buildings along The Miracle Mile.

We didn’t make it for a ride on the ferris wheel at the Santa Monica pier, so we will save that for our next visit!  However, when we do return we will certainly repeat our visits to Urth Cafe, Real Food Daily, and Pace.

Finally! Fresh Food Fast: Marinated Sesame Tofu Steaks, Soba Noodles, Greens and best of all Pea Shoots

I signed-out Peter Berley’s Fresh Food Fast from the local library a few weeks ago and have since ordered my own copy.

It took me awhile to get use to the layout of the cookbook and at first I was less than impressed  – even though I made this fantastic Spicy Coconut Sweet Potato Soup out of it.  It is a seasonal cookbook, divided into spring, summer, winter and fall.  The recipes are paired, giving you a tasty meal with two easy to prepare dishes.  Each paired recipe gives you a shopping list, pantry list, and plan of attack so you can complete the meal in as little time as possible.

This was the part that turned me off.

I felt that the shopping list and procedure for preparing the meal outside of the recipe was overkill and to be frank a waste of paper.  However, the recipes, with full on Berley style, are fantastic, easy, and full of pizzazz and creativity.  It is the recipes, the most important part of any cookbook, that compelled me to change my mind, get over the parts of the layout I didn’t like, and pick up a copy for myself.

This tofu dish was much more than a simple stir fry.  The tofu, noodles, and bok choy are all cooked up separately, giving you a noodle bowl-type meal instead of just a stir fry and since the greens are quickly cooked in the same pot as the noodles, the dishes are kept to a minimum.

The glazed tofu was delicious with just a hint of sweetness from the honey (EPC swore it was maple syrup), but the piece de resistance was the accompaniment to this spring meal whose recipe Berley included.  The pea shoot salad was served atop the other ingredients to lend a tender fresh taste.

Pea shoots were a first for EPC and I and we both loved them.  They taste exactly the same as snap peas, but are much more tender and, being pea shoots, they are much “cuter” as well.  Peter Berley included sunflower sprouts in his salad, but I choose to leave them out and go for some straight pea shoot goodness.

I should also mention that I the pea shoots were a much appreciated spring-like presence in my last Organic Box.

Marinated Sesame Tofu Steaks, Soba Noodles, and Greens

1 pound of firm tofu, cut into 12 slices
6 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon of crushed red chile flakes
2 tablespoons oil

enough noodles for 4 people
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 pound baby bok choy, rinsed and trimmed – pre-washed spinach works too and makes it extra fast!

2 cups of  pea shoots
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
2 teaspoons olive oil

• Bring water to boil in a large pot
• Blot the sliced tofu on paper towel to remove excess water
• Mix 6 tablespoons soy sauce with the vinegar, honey and red chiles in a small bowl and whisk to combine
• Heat a large skillet (I use my 12-inch cast iron) and add the oil.  Let it warm up and then add the tofu slices in one layer.  Fry the tofu for 5 minutes until the bottom is browned
• Flip the tofu and top with the soy sauce mixture and cook until the sauce has thickened – about 5 minutes
• When the water boils add the soba noodles and cook according to the package directions.
• When the noodles are cooked, drain and rinse.  Transfer to a large bowl and add the tablespoon of soy sauce, sesame oil and sesame seeds and toss to coat.
• In the same pot, with enough water to cover the bottom, add the bok choy and steam for about 2 minutes.
• In a small bowl mix the lemon juice and oil with a dash of salt.  Add the pea shoots and toss to mix.
• Serve the noodles topped with greens and tofu with a sizeable garnish of pea shoots.

Click to Print

Gluten-Free Baking Class? Yes Please!

Hi Everyone, Ally here, I am excited make a guest appearance on Kelley’s fantastic food blog!

As you know from Kelley’s recent post she and EPC have had a very busy month or so thanks to Coco, the new adorable addition to their family. In the midst of her hectic month Kelley did make time to attend a Gluten-Free Baking Class, with me, at the City Arts Centre. It was her idea, because she loves baking, and I am the lucky Celiac friend who often benefits from her passion for new foods.

There were 11 of us in the class, all ladies, about a 50/50 split between “there for their own health or interest” and “there for their husband’s gluten intolerance.”

“Where are all the husbands?” Kelley wondered aloud.

After brief introductions and a short overview by our instructor, Jody Shenkarek (former co-owner of the fabulous Cafe Mosaics), we split up into groups of 2 or 3 and headed into the large kitchen to test our baking skills. Each group had chosen two of the recipes in the handout provided so that by the end of the evening we would be able to sample a bit of everything.

Kelley and I were joined by a lovely older lady named Jean and the three of us set to work mixing up a batch of  Basic Gluten Free Flour Mix.  We made a double batch to provide the basic ingredients for most of the groups. Rather than sifting we mixed the Basic Flour ingredients with a whisk which certainly did the trick.
Our group’s first recipe was for Basic Scones, which was very exciting! Both Kelley and I  love scones!

Baking by committee in a crowded kitchen had its challenges but we managed to gather all the ingredients measure them properly and keep track. In the recipe it says to flour a surface and your hands when splitting the dough into two batches. Well, the GF flour mix doesn’t behave like regular wheat flour so Jody, our instructor, took over – simply plopping the halved dough right onto the parchment and using slightly floured hands to shape it. It provided a good “teachable moment” for her.

Our scones turned out perfect and all three of us were quite pleased.

I have since made these scones at home adding an eighth of a cup (1/8 C) defrosted frozen blueberries to one half, and sprinkling chopped pistachios and mission figs on top of the second half. They turned out delicious! However the berries added a lot of moisture so the scones needed an extra
3 to 5 minutes to fully cook and brown nicely. Personally I think you should experiment with the options – I used to love Berry and White Chocolate, or Cheese and Spinach scones – from Good Earth Café in Calgary. The Basic Scone recipe is straightforward and easy to experiment with, so don’t be afraid to get creative.

Once our scones were in line for the oven, we set to work on the Nut Crackers. I will continue with this recipe in Part 2 of Gluten-Free Baking Class!

Stay tuned.

Basic Gluten Free Flour Mix (makes 6 cups of basic mix)

4 Cups Superfine Brown Rice Flour
1 & 1/3 Cups Potato Starch (NOT potato flour)
2/3 Cup Tapioca flour (which is a.k.a. tapioca starch)

• Sift in bowl or put into an extra-large Ziplock bag and shake to mix – keep remainder refrigerated!

Caution: when measuring, pour into measuring cup rather than scooping it – Then level off the top with a knife.
This will avoid packing it too densely and mixing  up the proportions.

Basic Scones (makes 1 dozen)

3/4 cup of plain yogurt (I used plain dessert tofu with no problems!)
3/4 cup milk (substitute rice or soy milk to make them dairy-free)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 cups Basic Gluten Free Flour mix (see above)
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoon baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1/3 cup canola oil

• Preheat oven to 400 F.
• Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (NOT wax paper)
• In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, lemon & milk – set aside
• In a large bowl whisk together all other (dry) ingredients.
• Once it is well mixed add the wet ingredients and the oil, using a wooden spoon until it is well combined but still clumpy.
• Divide the dough in half and plop onto cookie sheet – flour your hands and the top of the dough shape into two (6 inch diameter) discs (add optional ingredients to the top at this point if not added already)
• Cut each disc into 6 “pie” slices and then bake in the centre of the oven for 15 to 17 minutes – transfer to a cooling rack and serve warm.

Optional ingredients: berries – 1 cup, chocolate chips ¾ cup

Recipes adapted from The Allergen Free Bakers Handbook by Cybele Pascal.

Click to print

Cookbook extraordinare: Ms. Moskowitz’s Appetite For Reduction

Prior to the release of Appetite for Reduction, I worked up my appetite for Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s new vegan cookbook by making one of the sneak peek recipes off her website. The Baked Onion Rings turned out fantastic and upped my anticipation for the cookbook by 100%.

The first recipe that I tried from the actual cookbook pages were the  Chipotle Lentil Burgers.  They are spicy and delicious.  One of the big problems with vegetable burgers is that they do not hold together well.  Even if they taste great, but fall apart while cooking or while eating, they get a failing grade from me.  Moskowitz’s  burgers held up to cooking, despite begin flipped numerous times, and while begin squeezed between two halves of a whole wheat bun.  The recipe made 6 well-sized burgers and 1 each was all EPC and I needed, along-side our roasted vegetables, to be satisfied.   In addition the burgers are darn easy to make – another plus.

Now I had to decide what to make next.

I had a couple of ripe mangos in the fridge which prompted me to make Mango BBQ Beans and the suggested accompaniment, Fresh Corn and Scallion Corn Bread.  Both were good; however, EPC couldn’t get enough of the corn bread and for me the beans stole the show.  You know that rhyme that ends “and betwixt the both of them they licked the platter clean”, or something to that effect, well in the end it worked out well: neither of us fought over the leftovers. The recipe also prompted me to purchase my first bottle of liquid smoke.  I put in half of what the recipe asked for, because I was a little apprehensive of “smoking out” the beans, but I think Ms. Moskowitz got it right.

Sigh – I should have known better.

Finally, and best of all, the beans and the corn bread were both dead easy to make!

Her falafel recipe is fantastic too and best of all (like the onion rings) does not rely on a deep fryer for flavour.   The falafel came together in no time flat and I took her suggestion and served them atop organic greens, tomatoes, grated carrots and cucumber.  I probably took away the intended low-fat component to this recipe by topping the falafel patties  and greens with a tahini sauce, but I can’t have falafel without tahini!  Oh yes, I realized half way through my meal that I had forgotten to take a photo – I guess I was just too excited to get down to eating!

Next on my list was an easy choice: Curry Laksa.  You can never go wrong with coconut milk, veggies and curry!  And this recipe is oh so right!  The red curry paste, lime juice, ginger and garnish of cilantro quickly add flavour and pizzaz to this time saving meal.  I am a huge fan of coconut noodle soups and this is one of my favourites.  It is delicious and very quick to make.  Both EPC and I absolutely loved it.  I think the author is right when she says that this dish may not be authentic, but with the speed and flavour the lack of authenticity hardly matters.

Now that I have sufficiantly raved about the recipes I should talk a little bit about the overall content of the cookbook.  Appetite for Reduction contains 125 recipes divided into 8 sections: salads, sides, vegetables, beans, tofu and temeph, pasta, soups, and stews.  She also includes a special section on sandwiches and bowls.  In addition, the recipes are reviewed by a registered dietitian who also writes a introductory segment on vegan nutrition, containing info on vitamins and minerals and the scoop on good and bad fats.  Moskowitz also makes choosing a recipe easier for us by using icons with each recipe to identify it as soy or gluten-free and indicate whether the recipe can be made in 30 minutes and under and whether or not the recipe has “downtime”.  She also includes useful information and tips throughout its pages.  Best of all, the cookbook is written in Moskowitz’s standard cheerful and witty banter.

All and all I think this cookbook is fantastic.  I am not going to include any recipes because the cookbook was just released and I think you should pick up a copy for yourself or a as gift for a friend (and then borrow it!)  If you do want to give some recipes from Appetite for Reduction a try take a look at the website.  I think the Chickpea Picatta looks divine!

Click here to purchase from Chapters online, or Amazon.ca.  Just a note that on Amazon.ca you can take a look inside the cookbook!