ImPRESSED

Health nuts and anyone who is seeking to make a healthy transition will fall in love with West Hollywood's latest retail operation. It's called Pressed Juicery. They have existing locations in Brentwood and Malibu. They sell fresh pressed juices which you can consume at your leisure or use as a meal replacement or buy a kit for a cleanse. You might be thinking, "I can just buy a juicer. What do I need to pay them for?" Well their claim is that their "juices are produced on a hydraulic press which extracts straight from the pulp, minimizing oxidation and releasing vitamins, minerals, and enzymes into each juice that are impossible to yield from a normal juicer (up to 400% more!)." They offer individual juices, packages (monthly sets delivered to your door), kits (gift sets...celebration, kids, get well) and supplements (liquid vitamin concoctions). I tried the Greens 2 (kale, spinach, romaine, parsley, cucumber, celery, apple, lemon). It was delicious. This place is a little pricey though. Check out the menu here. Individual juices are priced at $6.50 a bottle, packages start at $130 for a 16 bottle variety pack, kits start at $130 and supplements are $10. They also have signature drinks made with coconut meat and almond milk ($8 each) as well as specialty waters (chlorophyll, coconut and aloe vera) starting at $3. This place is worth a visit otherwise you can purchase via phone or online here.

Butta' Baby. Ohhh Yeah.

OK. So we all know that two things make restaurant food taste better, salt and butter. A more specific explanation specifies clarified butter. Clarified butter goes by the name of ghee in South Asian circles. It is butter that is simmered until golden and filtered of the solids that settle at the bottom. I feel like I have broken a culinary code but the difference became so apparent to me this week when I made homemade buttermilk pancakes last week. I love a pancake with crispy edges, the appearance of splattered webbing and a oh so fluffy interior. I fear and loath non-stick pans but opted to use one and the results were my definition of perfection. Here are the results.

Again the primary contributor to my delicate and delicious creation was clarified butter which I found at Whole Foods. You do not need to use much but it really adds a delicate crispiness to anything you cook. I used it pan fry some salmon. The skin came out super crisp and delicious. Remember a little goes a long way. If you do not have a Whole Foods in your area you can order some here or here.

Taco Tuesday

I could eat Mexican food in the morning in the evening and all day long. One of my favorites is shredded beef tacos. I have always indulged in this gut buster at restaurants and was too terrified to cook them at home. Well those days are over mis amigos. I recently decided to bite the bullet and make some meat magic happen in my cocina. My primary motivation was for a tailgating obligation. I liked the results enough that I tried it again. Muy sobroso! Here are the final results which include my guacamole for which I do not have an official recipe. Hint: Use a little more onion than you think you should if you are tempted to use less than instructed to use in most recipes or if freestyling.

If you are interested in giving it a try here is a great recipe for "Pot Roast Tacos". It's a great one to start with and to tweek to your taste, courtesy of Tyler Florence. I added a tablespoon of oregano and juice from two limes. I didn't have ancho chili powder so I used regular old chili powder. I fried corn tortillas and roasted some on the stove top (pictured). I also let the meat cook for about 5 hours or until it broke apart when I tried to lift it up with a roasting fork. I topped it with my guacamole (similar recipe included with the roast recipe above), pre-shredded cheese (pretty much an abomination but worked with this...I also did some with queso fresco) and labne (Middle Eastern yogurt which tastes just like sour cream or Greek yogurt but better...great sub for Crema Mexicana). Be brave, be patient and braise well!

Baking 911 To The Rescue

I was just randomly on Saint Oprah's blog and saw something that many holiday baking warriors may need. It's a list of baking industry company phone numbers that you can call for tech support. Hopefully you will not need these numbers but, just in case...

Crisco's Pie Hotline
1-877-FOR PIE TIPS
Monday to Friday: 8 AM to 8 PM EST

Fleischmann's Yeast Baker's Help Line
800-777-4959
Monday to Friday: 9 AM to 4 PM, CST

King Arthur Flour Baking Hotline
802-649-3717
Monday to Friday: 8 AM to 9 PM EST
Saturday and Sunday: 9 AM to 5 PM EST

Nestle Toll House Live Chat
Monday to Friday: 8 AM to 8 PM EST
Saturday: 8 AM to 4 PM EST

Hershey's Consumer Hot Line
800-468-1714
Monday to Friday: 9 AM to 4 PM, EST

Chug-a-lug

My latest obsession is so campy I should be ashamed, but I'm not. It is a beverage serving vessel known by several names: The Glug Jug, The Gurgle Pot, The Gluggle Jug or The Gurgling Pitcher. It is a pitcher molded in the shape of a fish and when you pour out your beverage it makes a "gulp, gulp, gulp" sound that I find so satisfying. My Mother-in-Law who is a entertainment and dinner party maven introduced them to me. Apparently these tabletop gems have quite a legacy dating back to the 1870's in England. They became a popular novelty item when a pair of these jugs were presented to Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip in 1958. Another theory connects their origin to France but I'm betting with the English on this one (too kitsch to be French). Anyway this is a great addition to any table setting and they come in a variety of styles. The classic one is in the shape of a fish. But I found others in the shape of orcas and gators. Roosters are also available. To see these finds in action click here.