Food 4 Kids Update and New Prizes!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Caron and I are thrilled to announce that The San Diego Food Bank and Food 4 Kids just received a donation of 1000 backpacks from professional skateboarder Tony Hawk, who lives here in San Diego! We still need the food to fill them up though, and your donations to support the program! Bring your kid-friendly packaged food items to the Little Italy Mercato on Date Street between Kettner and Union on Saturday, December 12 between 9 AM and 12 PM and receive an entry for the prize drawing for every four items donated. The drawing will be at 12:00, and if you are present, you will be able to choose your prize - first come first served. If not, we'll choose for you - but not to worry, there are nothing but fabulous prizes available!

Speaking of prizes - two more local restaurants, Bite in Hillcrest and Zenbu in La Jolla, have stepped up and offered gift certificates, and Urban Solace has agreed to collect backpacks and food, and is donating a dollar for every order of macaroni and cheese and duckaroni sold to the cause. Zenbu has also agreed to donate a dollar for every Hot Rock dish sold!

We're exactly halfway to our goal on donations right now, but I think we have enough prizes at this point for everyone to win one - so we need to keep things rolling in order to make the drawing interesting! Please visit our page at www.firstgiving.com/food4kids and spread the word to anyone who you think may be interested in helping out!!

If you have something to say about Food 4 Kids or want to spread the word, #Food4KidsSD is a trending topic on Twitter, and we have an event page on Facebook you can forward to your friends!

San Diego Food Bank Food 4 Kids Fundraiser Participants and Prizes!

"I like backpack because I can have food on Saturday and Sunday" - 3rd Grader, Bobier Elementary

That's "Can have food." Not "Can have free range, humanely raised, organic food" - just FOOD. Of any kind.

This is the kind of thing that makes me realize just how lucky we are who don't have to worry about the presence of food - and how far we have to go to get to our goal of clean, fair food for everyone. We'll never solve these problems if our kids don't have enough to eat. Without that they can't concentrate, they can't learn and they can't succeed, and the cycle of poverty continues. It really is possible to make a difference with just a little bit of effort. So let's get to it!

We've been thrilled with the response to our event so far - in just one day we've raised 33% of our goal, but we still have quite a ways to go! In order to give everyone a little extra incentive to donate, Caron and I put out the call to our fellow bloggers and members of the community to donate prizes for a drawing to be held at the Little Italy Mercato at our backpack and food drive on December 12. The response was tremendous and we have a truly exciting array of prizes to offer!

There are two ways to enter the prize drawing. The first is to donate on the Firstgiving page at www.firstgiving.com/food4kids before December 11 at 8 PM. For every $25. you donate, you will receive one entry in the drawing. Be sure to provide your email address when you donate so we can contact you if you win!

The second way to enter is to bring a backpack and/or at least four packaged, non-perishable kid-appropriate food items to the Mercato for the food and backpack drive on December 12 between 9 and 11 AM. For each backpack or four food items donated, you will receive one entry in the drawing.*

The drawing will be held at 11 AM on December 12, 2009, at our donation booth at the Mercato. You do not have to be present to win. BUT - if you are present, you will get to choose your prize, first come first served! If you AREN'T present, you will get whatever isn't chosen by those who are - so I think you know what you need to do if you have your eye on any one prize in particular! **

Here is the round up of prizes that will be raffled off at the Mercato on the 12th. There may also be some late additions!

Caron Golden, local food writer and blogger behind San Diego Foodstuff - and my illustrious co-host is donating three prizes: A $25. gift card for the Ivy Hotel's Ultra Lounge and Wine Bar; lunch and an afternoon tour of Balboa International Market or 99 Ranch Market; and a set of 3 cookbooks: “Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day” by Zoe Francois, Ralph Brennan’s "New Orleans Seafood Cookbook,” and “The Pioneer Woman Cooks” by Ree Drummond.

Alice Robertson - yours truly is also donating three prizes: 1) a copy of Heston Blumenthal's "Fat Duck Cookbook;" 2) Three pounds (roughly) of home-baked holiday cookies and treats, to be delivered anywhere in Central San Diego by December 20th; and 3) A copy of Chez Panisse Vegetables and a tour of either the Saturday Little Italy Mercato, or Sunday Hillcrest Farmers Market.

Rachel Going, local pastry chef and writer of The Sugar Mama's Blog is providing several items: a gift certificate to U.S. Wellness Meats (a grassfed meat company out of Missouri); a handmade Swarovski Crystal necklace and earring set made by her fabulous mother; a gift certificate to Blind Lady Ale House; giftcards to both Leucadia Pizzeria and The 3rd Corner Wine Shop and Bistro; and hopefully a few more things that she's still in the process of negotiating - we will keep you posted! (Please also read her post - it's truly lovely.)

Mary and George of Taste Cheese in Hillcrest are supplying two tickets to any of their cheese classes, including their cheese and beer tastings - with a value of roughly $45. each.

Diane Stopford of In Your Kitchen is providing two $75. gift certificates that can be redeemed at Gringos, the Tower 23 Hotel or Moondoggies.

Matt and Young Mi Gordon of Urban Solace have donated a $75 gift certificate.

Candice Woo, San Diego Citybeat's Food Critic and local seafood purveyor Catalina Offshore Products are offering a $50.00 gift certificate and a VIP tour with Candice and Tommy Gomes - Catalina's Director of Sales.

Catt White, the Maestra of the Little Italy Mercato is offering a Mercato Market Bag (an insulated reusable shopping bag) containing a Mercato calendar, $20 in Mercato Money and assorted local food items (jam, vinegar, avocado oil, etc). A $75 value.

Kelly at Specialty Produce is donating a $30 gift certificate to Specialty Produce and an assortment of gourmet pantry goods including a jar of peppadew peppers, some Lemon Twist gourmet seasalt, a jar of Miel de Lavande (Pure Lavender Honey), some White Truffle Oil and Mexican Chocolate

Donna McLoughlin of our local Slow Food Urban San Diego Chapter is providing an autographed copy of "Flying Pans, Two Chefs One World," by local chefs Bernard Guillas and Ron Oliver of the Marine Room - a book Mario Batali has called a "Modern Masterpiece."

Adriana Zuniga of Adriana Zuniga Photography is graciously providing a one hour photography session and photos on disk

These participating food bloggers have also not only posted about the event on their blogs but offered up lovely prizes as well - please visit them to read more about the prizes they are offering and their stories about what motivated them to participate!

Leanne, the blogger behind Three Dog Kitchen is donating an autographed copy of David Leite's new cookbook, "The New Portuguese Table."

Jenny, the blogger behind Foray into Food: is donating a beautifully decorated custom 9" cake or dozen cupcakes.

Angie of Crazy Salad is donating a garden consultation with Urban Plantations, a local company that will transform your landscaping into an Edible Eden.

Howie at FoodieView is donating a copy of Thomas Keller's "Ad Hoc at Home."

Becky of Fruit Maven is providing a copy of The Fruit Hunters: A Story of Nature, Adventure, Commerce, and Obsession by Adam Leith Gollner.

Several other food bloggers are participating by helping us get the word out, donating their time and energy to the project!

Susan at Food Blogga

Amanda and Tyler of What We're Eating

Catherine of Koko's Corner

Heidi of Snook and Bubs

Maureen Clancy of Matters of Taste

If you have a chance, please visit all of our participants and thank them for their contributions!

*Suggested donation items for the Food and Backpack Drive at the Mercato include:
New, medium-sized neutral design backpacks, preferably red in color.
Toothbrush and kids toothpaste
Coloring books
School supplies (pencils, paper, pencil sharpeners, markers, crayons)
Nutritious kid-friendly foods, such as fruit roll ups, granola bars, boxed packaged food items like cereal, crackers, nutrition bars, pop top canned goods such as applesauce or other fruit, ready made macaroni and cheese and other easy convenient items.

**We are expecting that most of our donors will be local to San Diego - but everyone is eligible. Because out of town winners will obviously not be present for the drawing, we will ensure you receive something that can be easily shipped!

San Diego Food Bank Food 4 Kids Backpack Program Holiday Fundraiser!

This holiday season, several San Diego food bloggers and other members of the local community are coming together to raise funds for the San Diego Food Bank’s Food 4 Kids Backpack Program. The Food 4 Kids Program was launched in 2008 to provide food for chronically hungry elementary school students on the weekends. Every Friday, participating students receive a backpack with child friendly items such as peanut butter, pop-top canned goods, cereal, juice boxes, fruit cups, raisins, pudding cups, granola bars, shelf-stable milk and macaroni and cheese tucked inside.

These kids receive free or reduced cost meals while school is in session, but do not have food available on the weekends or school holidays for themselves and their siblings. Food 4 Kids provides food directly to them, without requiring their parents to receive a referral to a local food pantry, pick up food at the pantry or prepare it at home.

Right now, only a fraction of the eligible kids are receiving food, and the need is tremendous. The program costs a mere $6.00 per week per child to fund, and a donation of $250.00 will fund a backpack for a child for the entire 36 week school year. Giving whatever you can afford will help the Food Bank maintain the program and hopefully expand it to additional schools. This is more crucial now than ever, with families with children facing increasing food insecurity, as described in this recent Washington Post article. The economy has been hard on all of us this year, but it has been hardest on those who were already struggling. Charitable donations are down, and hunger in San Diego County is up. Those of us who love food and view it as a pleasure are so fortunate to be in that position. The least we can do is try to ensure the children of our community don’t – quite literally - go hungry.

There are two ways to participate in our fundraising event, by donating through our Firstgiving fundraising page at www.firstgiving.com/food4kids, and by bringing items to our food and backpack drive at the Little Italy Mercato Farmers Market on Saturday, December 12 from 9-12. All donors on the Firstgiving page will be eligible to win prizes sponsored by local businesses, bloggers and individuals. (Funds donated through Firstgiving will go directly to the Food Bank.)

When you donate, please be sure to enter your email address so we can contact you if you win! A roundup will be published here tomorrow to let you know which blogs are participating, and list the prizes sponsored by the blogs and other community members. Signed cookbooks, market tours, gift certificates and other items will be up for grabs.

If you would like to join us at the backpack and food drive at the Mercato, suggested donation items include:

New medium-sized neutral design backpacks, preferably red in color.
Toothbrush and kids toothpaste
Coloring books
School supplies (pencils, paper, pencil sharpeners, markers, crayons)
Nutritious kid-friendly foods, such as fruit roll ups, granola bars, boxed packaged food items like cereal, crackers, nutrition bars, pop top canned goods such as applesauce or other fruit, ready made macaroni and cheese and other easy convenient items.

Thank you so much for your contribution, and don't forget to check back tomorrow for the links to participating blogs and the prize roundup!

Lotus of Siam - Las Vegas

On our last two trips to Vegas we've gone "fancy" one night with L'Atelier at Joel Robuchon, and more casual on the other with Lotus of Siam - an unassuming Thai restaurant off the strip that has become a can't miss destination for foodies. LOS, as it's known for short, owes its fame not only to word of mouth, but to a series of rave reviews from food critics that began appearing shortly after it opened. The restaurant has thoughtfully lined an entire wall of the tiny waiting area with them, giving you something to read while you wait.

I can't claim to be a connoisseur of Thai food - but I do know what I like, and the food at LOS is better than any Thai food I've encountered to date. Some people feel it's a bit overrated, but if you aren't a connoisseur yourself or an implacable Chowhound, I think you will also be pleased.

We loved the Soft Shell Crab Salad, a pile of light and crispy fried soft shell crab, tossed with slivered green apple, peanuts, cilantro and onion in a slightly sweet fish-sauce spiked vinaigrette. It's a seasonal off-menu specialty, so you'll have to ask about it. We also enjoyed the popular Northern dish Nam Khao Tod, pictured below - crisp rice and Thai sausage with chiles, mint, onion, peanut and herbs in a tart and spicy lime dressing - and one of my favorite can't-miss-it-dishes at any Thai restaurant, Som Tam, or Green Papaya Salad. The Nam Khao Tod was crunchy, savory and tart - while the Som Tam was spicy, sweet and mouth-puckering - with the perfect amount of fish sauce funk.

After a successful run at the starters - on our first trip back in May with friends Lisa and Luis, we had a couple of minor missteps. The beef dish below was a little bland, and the calamari was a little rubberier than we'd hoped...

But we also had a lovely Choo Chee Shrimp - a sweet and spicy red curry that is one of my favorite dishes in Thai cuisine.

On our second visit a few months later, the four of us returned with our friend Tracy and placed our fate in the hands of our waiter, Tony, who Lisa and Luis had met before. After repeating our three favorite starters from the previous visit (and after contemplating the lobster special - a huge pile of the beasts for $125.00) we let him choose our entrees. He brought us Sweet and Sour Sea Bass, Grilled Shrimp with Lime Sauce, Green Curry Duck, Drunken Noodles with Pork, and Beef with Eggplant.

While he didn't bring us the most adventurous dishes on the menu, we ate very well. The Sweet and Sour Seabass was irresistible, with its crisp shell and flaky flesh, and the Green Curry Duck (pictured below) was a universal favorite - the best-loved dish of both our visits. The sauce on the shrimp was tart and interesting, but the shrimp themselves were a little tough, and the Pork Drunken Noodles were as good as any I've had elsewhere but not remarkably better. I have to confess I hardly remember the beef with eggplant dish, which must mean it wasn't remarkable either.

Don't get me wrong though. Even the dishes that weren't "exceptional" were delicious here, and we thoroughly enjoyed it all. I'm looking forward to a return trip to try some more of the Northern Menu and some of their specialties - maybe even that lobster. (If you go, be sure to ask about their specials and off-menu items - they seem to have a lot of them.)

We trusted Tony to choose our wine, and he brought us a 2005 Emrich Schonleber Riesling, which was absolutely perfect. They specialize in matching appropriate wines to their dishes, so don't be shy about asking for a recommendation. The service is very friendly and the servers have very obviously worked there for years.

One of the best things about dining at Lotus of Siam is, of course, the price - especially compared to the luxury dining destinations of Vegas. Our meal for 5 - three starters, five entrees and two bottles of wine was only $160.00, and $76.00 of that was the wine.

Now, aren't you going to go there on your next trip to Vegas? I hope so. Just make sure you make a reservation - otherwise you may find yourself hanging out in that little lobby reading Jonathan Gold's fawning review from 2000 for a long, loooong time.

Lotus of Siam
953 E Sahara Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89104
(702) 735-3033

Zirk Ubu "Adrift" at Sushi this Weekend

If you're in San Diego and looking for something cool to do this weekend, consider checking out Zirk Ubu's show "Adrift" in Sushi's performance art space downtown. Zirk Ubu combines performance art, circus skills, puppetry, and story-telling to create a wacky, artful, sexy, shocking, delightful and impressive show. We became instant fans after seeing them at the Sushi Red Ball this summer.

Despite the fact that it's a circus, it's not for kids - 18 and over only. Thursday night is a "pay what you can" preview, and they're doing shows on Friday and Saturday night at 8, and Sunday at 7. Tickets are $20. for the general public, $15. for members and students, and can be purchased here.

Hope to see you there!

Nikki McClure

I've fallen in love with the work of artist and illustrator Nikki McClure. She works in papercuts, which I find impossible to resist, and I love her simple but evocative themes: family, crafts, tasks, the weather...

... they convey such beauty and emotion ...

Recently, I picked up this accordion foldout postcard book at the SF MOMA. When I unfurled it in the store, a woman immediately walked up to ask me where I found it. I don't think I will ever be able to bring myself to tear any of the cards out - they look so beautiful together.

I've since found a great source for her merchandise online at Buy Olympia a website promoting local artists from the Northwest.

If you think her work looks familiar, she has illustrated at least two childrens' books, including "All in a Day" and she did the cover art for Slow Food Nation.

A full collection of papergoods with her illustrations can be found here on Buy Olympia
The postcard book is here
The mini gift cards pictured above are here
Buy Olympia carries goods from a number of local artists - a full list can be found here
Nikki's current portfolio can be viewed here


images from Buy Olympia and Nikki McClure.com

Two Decadent Vegan Dessert Recipes - Twix Bars and a Bonus Surprise

As promised, I am back with the recipe for the Vegan Twix Bars. As a bonus, I also have another decadent vegan dessert that might actually be better than the Twix. If you can believe that.

It's a pity I don't have a picture, but it was a Chocolate Pudding Pie, based on this post from Deb. It involves copious amounts of coconut milk - the rich, full-fat kind - so neither of these are diet recipes, but they're not meant to be. Dessert is an indulgence and should be enjoyed as such, even by vegans.

Vegan baking and dessert-making are of course hampered by the fact that no butter, cream, milk or eggs are involved. I gave myself a head start by choosing two desserts that don't include eggs and aren't baked (except for the cookie crust) so I didn't have to worry a whole lot about structure or texture - two major challenges vegan bakers face. (In other words, don't think me a hero, I cheated a bit!)

The Twix bars were inspired by Sherry Yard's recipe. The cookie crust seemed simple at first, just sub Earth Balance (or other trans-fat free margarine) for the butter - but it didn't quite work out that way. The margarine and sugar never quite whipped to a fluffy texture, and by the time I was done with it, the dough texture was elastic, which is not a good sign. You want a tender, crumbly dough when making short crust - a stretchy one will be tough. I threw the whole thing out and started over, changing the ratios to create a formula I hoped would work better. Luckily, it did.

The caramel was the most nerve-wracking part. I started with a traditional method - cooking the sugar with water and a bit of corn syrup, thinking I'd add the soy milk and other ingredients after it had caramelized. But then I started to wonder - what would happen if I added soy milk all at once to hot sugar? Would the moisture content cause it to crystallize into a mass? Would it never thicken?? Panic set in. The vegan recipe I had looked at said to cook everything all at once - margarine, soy milk and all - so I went ahead and dumped everything else in there with the sugar.

I thought my pot was big enough, but once the mixture came to a rolling boil, it wanted to roll right out of the pot, so I changed to a bigger Le Creuset. Here it came again. I couldn't get the temperature over 220 with the flame at that level, so I dumped the whole thing into my 8 quart stockpot, and brought the heat back up again. It looked pathetic at first, coming only about 1/8 of the way up the pot, but when it came back to a boil, it climbed about 3/4 of the way up. I share with you here what I wish I'd known. Be patient and use a very big pot.

Here, without further ado - are the recipes. Enjoy them in good health (for our animal friends at least) this holiday season!

Vegan Twix Bars
adaped from Desserts by the Yard by Sherry Yard, and this vegan caramel recipe from Dog Hill Kitchen

Caramel:
3 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup corn syrup
2 1/2 cups plain soy milk
1 stick Earth Balance margarine, cut into four pieces.
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt

Crust
1 1/2 sticks Earth Balance margarine at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 /2 vanilla bean
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 Tablespoons ground rice
2 cups cake flour

Topping:
5 oz dark chocolate - chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
2 tsp trans fat free vegetable shortening

coarsely chopped salted peanuts

Bake the cookie crust:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x14 inch baking pan with baking spray or vegetable oil and line with parchment paper. Oil the parchment.

To make the ground rice, grind about 1/2 a cup of white rice in a food processor until fine - sift and grind again. The texture should be like whole grain flour. Set two tablespoons aside.

In a stand mixture fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the Earth Balance with the sugar until light and fluffy (or as light and fluffy as they will get.) Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean pod with a paring knife, and add to the mixture along with the salt. Beat until incorporated. With the mixer on low, add the rice and blend in the cake flour 1/4 cup at a time. Mix just until incorporated. Press evenly into your pan, flattening the surface. Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes, until set and lightly browned.

While the crust cools, make the caramel.
Put the sugar, water, corn syrup, Earth Balance and soy milk in a large stockpot and heat, stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a boil and the sugar is dissolved. Boil rapidly, stirring with a wooden spoon - until the mixture reaches 245 degrees on a digital thermometer. Stir in the vanilla extract and salt. Pour over the cooling crust.

For the topping, melt chocolate with shortening by heating for 30 second intervals on 50% power in your microwave, stirring after each round. When it's good and warm, just stir to melt the remaining chunks. (Use 20 second intervals to speed things up if you still have some large chunks in there.) Pour over the solid but still warm caramel and spread to the edges of the pan with an offset spatula. Sprinkle the top liberally with chopped salted peanuts. Let cool completely, or place in the refrigerator to set. To cut, lift the whole plank out of the pan using the parchment and cut with a chef's knife.

****************

Vegan Chocolate Pudding Pie
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Crust:
1 store bought 9 inch graham cracker crust (those Keebler crusts are vegan!) or a homemade one made with margarine instead of butter.

Pudding filling:
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder such as Valrhona or Scharffenberger
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups almond milk
1 cup of coconut milk - or an additional cup of almond milk if you prefer.
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (not more than 60% cacao), finely chopped

Whipped Coconut Cream:
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
2 cups chilled coconut cream (Chill 2 cans overnight, or for at least a few hours and use the creamy solid part on the top)
Bittersweet chocolate shavings for garnish (optional)

Make pudding filling:
Whisk together cornstarch, 1/3 cup sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, then gradually whisk in almond and coconut milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly - then boil, whisking, two minutes (until mixture thickens). Remove from heat and whisk in chocolate and vanilla until smooth. If there are any lumps, press the mixture through a sieve.

Pour filling into shell and cover the surface with wax paper if you want to prevent a skin from forming. Chill until cold - at least two hours.

Just before serving, beat the coconut cream with two tablespoons powdered sugar and vanilla until it holds soft peaks. (It takes a while, but it will get there!) Spoon onto slices of pie as you serve, and top with with bittersweet chocolate shavings or a dusting of cocoa.

Homemade Twix Bars and 100 Other Vegan Delights

While I can't honestly say I'm giving serious thought to going completely vegan, I am the first to admit that I think we should treat the food we eat from animals with greater reverence. It's all too easy to forget about the messy process that comes before that hunk of flesh (or butter or cheese) hits the table, and that's the way most people like it, frankly.

For those who know the truth and have given it some thought though, it's more complicated. If we can't hand feed our own pigs or milk our own cows, the best we can do is buy the most conscientiously prepared animal products we can find and make more room in our diets for non-animal based foods. I've heard Mark Bittman's personal system is to eat vegan for breakfast and lunch. Michael Pollan's tells us to "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants," and Jonathan Safran Foer has a new book out called "Eating Animals," wherein he says of my generation: "We are the ones who will be asked, what did you do when you learned the truth about eating animals?"

Personally, I struggle with this quite a bit. I was brought up in a family where meat was the centerpiece of every meal, three times a day. It's a hard habit to break. I keep telling myself that there are plenty of delicious things out there that don't involve animal products, but I sometimes have trouble remembering what they are. In an effort to remind myself that vegan food can be "craveable," as those terrible chain restaurants like to say, I set out to make a list of 100 Vegan foods - both dishes and ingredients, that are utterly delicious. I listed things that satisfy me in the same way that butter, cheese and burgers do. Things that I am thrilled to eat. That I, ok, crave.

I thought someone else wondering about or struggling with the same thing might want to see it, so here it is:

1. Granola with Almond Milk
2. Fried Zucchini
3. Watermelon
4. Crusty French Bread
5. A pot of Rancho Gordo Beans
6. Ma Po Tofu (made with mushrooms)
7. Caramelized Roasted Root Vegetables
8. Fried Shallots
9. Avocado Sandwiches
10. Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
11. Dark Chocolate
12. Garbanzo Bean Curry
13. Jasmine Rice
14. French Potato Salad
15. Peanut butter and Jelly sandwiches
16. Humphry Slocombe Jesus Juice sorbet
17. Alesmith Old Numbskull Barleywine
18. Eggplant Stir Fried with Garlic, Ginger, Soy and Mirin
19. Falafel
20. Pico de Gallo
21. Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce
22. Lucques olives
23. Tapenade
24. Roasted Garlic
25. Pickled Vegetables
26. Hummus
27. Tortillas and Tortilla Chips
28. Patatas Bravas
29. Daal
30. Tomatillo Salsa
31. Corn on the Cob
32. Steel Cut Oatmeal with brown sugar, golden raisins and cashew or almond milk
33. Dried Mango Slices
34. Oven Dried Tomatoes with olive oil, garlic and basil
35. Champagne
36. Mary Jane candies (molasses taffy filled with peanut butter)
37. Black Truffles
38. Maitake Mushrooms
39. Black Trumpet Mushrooms
40. Curried Pumpkin (or any other squash) Soup
41. Caramel Corn (most is without butter)
42. Braised Kale with Garlic, Pine Nuts and Raisins
43. Pommes Frites with ketchup
44. Peanut Coleslaw with Asian Vinaigrette
45. French Lentil Soup
46. Roasted Chestnuts
47. Forked Avocado on Toast
48. Peppadew peppers
49. Radishes with olive oil and salt
50. Arugula Salad with Grilled Peaches and Balsamic Vinaigrette
51. Hot Chocolate made with dark chocolate, coconut milk and almond milk
52. Churros
53. Fried green tomatoes
54. Spiced pecans
55. Polenta
56. Risotto (made with vegetable broth)
57. Lentil Berbere stew
58. Edamame
59. Baba Ghanouj
60. Roasted Chickpeas
61. Braised Leeks
62. Carrot Ginger Soup
63. Preserved Lemons
64. Crisp, Juicy Apples
65. Orange Blossom Honey
66. A Perfect Espresso
67. Cold Sesame (or Peanut) Noodles
68. Lotus Root Chips
69. Smoothies made with soy protein, frozen banana, almond milk and almond butter
70. Panzanella salad
71. Fried Sage Leaves
72. Spicy Pan-Roasted Cauliflower
73. Asian Grilled Green Beans
74. Chimichurri Sauce
75. Poached Pears
76. A glass of Tokaji
77. Carrot and Edamame salad
78. Pan-roasted Brussel Sprouts
79. An Ice Cold Vodka Tonic with Lime
80. Pomegranate seeds
81. Mint Chutney
82. Dark chocolate covered frozen bananas rolled in chopped peanuts
83. Chocolate Pudding pie made with almond milk in a graham cracker crust, topped with Whipped Coconut Cream
84. Roasted Beets with olive oil, thyme, garlic and orange zest.
85. Thick Cut Potato Chips
86. Sangria loaded with fruit
87. Glenmorangie Scotch - aged in port barrels
88. Green Papaya salad (made with vegetarian fish sauce)
89. Cippolini Onions
90. African Peanut Soup
91. Warm Chickpea Salad on a bed of Arugula
92. Kettle Corn
93. Japanese Hot Pot with Mushrooms
94. Fava Beans
95. Pea Tendrils
96. Oreos
97. Sweet Potato Fries
98. Biscuits (made with shortening)
99. Fresh-squeezed lemonade
100. Heirloom tomataoes off the vine

The Twix bars are not on the list, but they certainly could be. Some good friends of ours recently went vegan, and I was challenged with making an indulgent dessert when we had them over for dinner last week - on Halloween to be exact. (Hence the candy - get it?)

I bastardized the recipe based on Sherry Yard's recipe in her cookbook and a vegan caramel recipe I found online. They wouldn't fool you for the real thing, but they were very, very, good. There is quite a bit to be said about the recipe, so I will post it separately.

Sorry to be such a tease, but you won't have to wait long. I promise!

Koffi Coffee - Palm Springs

Seeing this fabulous Design Sponge city guide for Palm Springs the other day reminded me that I have been meaning to tell you about Koffi in Palm Springs for a while now.

My job takes me out to the desert a few times a year for early morning court appearances. Whenever I have the time, I turn it into a little mini vacation - spending the night before and cruising through Palm Springs for a quick peek through the some of the best thrift and vintage stores to be found. I'm not one of those people who would NEVER go to a Starbucks, but I do like to frequent the local joints when I can, and Koffi makes this easy.

It's every bit as serious a coffee bar as you will find in San Francisco or Los Angeles - and the happening heart of the town's social scene in the mornings - when everyone, it seems, is parked on their courtyard lawn out back sipping their morning joe.

They make their own pastries and a few decent pre-made panini sandwices - they're nothing to write home about, but they'll keep you going. The real draw though is the coffee. They brew ground coffee by the cup, and their baristas pull shots to rival the best I've had anywhere.

I'm heading out there again in a couple of weeks, with Grace's list in hand. I'm hoping for another breakfast at the Parker, but if I can't quite swing that, or decide to spend all my time at the Angel View Thrift Mart and Revivals (the Palm Springs AIDS project thrift stores) - I know I'll be perfectly content with my morning cup of Koffi!

Koffi
(near Trina Turk and downtown PS on Palm Canyon)
515 North Palm Canyon Drive at Alejo
Open 5:30 a.m to 8:00 p.m.
760.416.2244

2nd location (across the street from the Ace Hotel)
1700 South Camino Real at East Palm Canyon Drive
Open 5:30 a.m to 8:00 p.m.
760.322.7776

Other Palm Springs posts:
A Weekend in the Inferno
P.S. I Love You Part I - the Viceroy and Palm Canyon Drive
P.S. I Love You Part II - the Parker Palm Springs