D&D | Los Angeles: Ben & Bradley of New Era

I have no excuse for not posting lately so lets make this a big one! I am happy to report that I have been on vacation. ALOT of vacation! Things are about to change for me both personally and professionally and in preparation of these small life-changing events I thought it would be nice to take some time off and visit with family and all of my best friends along the west coast! Since July I have gone to Palm Springs, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and my beautiful hometown of Seattle (I just got back).

This particular post is dedicated to my wonderful and talented friends Ben and Bradley in Los Angeles. Ryan and I recently visited LA to spend time with mutual friends - including Ben and Brad - and we were lucky enough to spend our last night in the city at their beautiful home in Echo Park. I recently wrote about the boutique grocer Cookbook they took us to down the street from their house, which brings me to my subject... their house! We had such a great time with them. Ryan and I felt so special for getting to stay in their incredible home! See what I mean:

The house is half of a small duplex built entirely of 2 foot thick concrete walls, allowing for deep windowsills which the boys have covered in interesting objects and exotic plants potted in a mix of glass containers and assorted ceramics designed by Ben and Brad. The boys run an online store called New Era: a resource for an evolving audience of observers and buyers, working within concepts of nature and science, promoting a tradition of work utility and function.

Inside and out, Ben and Brad's house is full of little treasures... most of which were made by the boys themselves. Whether it's an iron skull, a ball of actual gold, or a sample of bedrock core, you can't wait to see what gem might be tucked away on the back of a bookshelf. It truly was one of the best 24 hours I've had in a long time.

I even had a chance to cook brunch for the boys! We enjoyed Mimosas and a Leek, Asparagus and Golden Cherry Tomato Frittata. Here's Ben helping me in the kitchen and a shot of Brad and Ryan relaxing in their yard. Why can't everyday be like this...

Dish | Risotto with Shrimp & Asparagus

What a perfect day yesterday turned out to be. It's June-Gloom around here - or "2nd winter" - and I was craving some sunshine. If it's cold in San Francisco you can usually count on it being warm everywhere else. I spent the afternoon at Stinson Beach with Henry and Alyssa. Stinson is roughly 30 minutes north of San Francisco and it's a picture-perfect little beach town nestled in a beautiful valley surrounded by hills and wildflowers. Warm weather, good friends, and the breeze on the beach inspired me to make this comforting dish for dinner.

RISOTTO WITH SHRIMP & ASPARAGUS

5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 1/4 cups Arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/4 cup grated parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped thyme


1  |  Bring broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Add asparagus and simmer, uncovered, until just tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer asparagus with a slotted spoon to an ice bath to stop cooking, then drain. Keep broth at a bare simmer, covered.

2  |  Cook onion in 2 tablespoons butter with 1/4 teaspoon salt in a 4-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add wine and simmer, stirring constantly, until absorbed.

3  |  Stir in 1/2 cup broth mixture and briskly simmer, stirring frequently, until absorbed. Continue adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until rice is creamy and tender but still al dente, about 18 minutes.

4  |  Stir in shrimp and cook until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in asparagus, zest, remaining 2 tablespoons butter, parmesan, parsley, and pepper to taste.

Dish | Roasted Asparagus + Grilled Chicken with Peach BBQ Sauce + Strawberry Compote with Mint

I feel like a bad San Franciscan! After living here for nearly 2 years I finally made my way over to Falletti Foods. It's only a 15 minute walk from my house and although the market is relatively small, the selection is sufficient. I can't use the excuse that it's uphill anymore. The produce was both fresh and beautiful and the meat selection was impeccable! I was able to pick up everything I needed for my spring inspired menu.

First up is the Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan and Balsamic Vinegar. This is one of those simple Spring/Summer dishes that require very little work but has great flavor and looks surprisingly impressive.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS

24 large asparagus spears (about 2 pounds), trimmed
Olive oil
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Balsamic vinegar
Parmesan, for shaving

1  |  Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange asparagus spears in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle oil over asparagus and turn to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Roast, turning occasionally, until lightly browned and just tender, 18-20 minutes.

2  |  Transfer asparagus to a platter. To serve, drizzle vinegar over hot asparagus and use a vegetable peeler to shave Parmesan over the spears. 

In the previous post, my inspiration for the Mango Coolers came from Bon Appétit's feature on Gwyneth Paltrow. Well, this delicious dish comes from the same article! Paltrow's Grilled Chicken with Peach BBQ Sauce is easily going to be a go-to dish for future dinner parties. The sauce takes a little work but it's totally worth it!

GRILLED CHICKEN WITH PEACH BBQ SAUCE  |  Recipe inspired by Bon Appétit June 2011

1 cup chopped peeled fresh peaches

1/2 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons adobo sauce or 1 teaspoon soy sauce

Course sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Vegetable oil

1  |  Combine first 5 ingredients in a small saucepan. Season lightly with salt and pepper and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer until peaches are very soft and flavors meld, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat; let cool. Pour peach mixture into a blender and purée until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place half the sauce in a medium bowl; add the chicken and turn to coat. Let marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes, or cover and chill for up to 8 hours, turning occasionally. Cover and refrigerate remaining sauce.

2  |  Prepare a grill to medium-high heat. Brush grill rack with oil. Grill chicken until browned and almost cooked through, 4-5 minutes per side. Brush on all sides with reserved sauce; grill until glazed and cooked through, 1-2 minutes per side. Slice crosswise. Serve remaining sauce alongside.

Now for the dessert! I tend to favor savory foods but some combinations of sweets can be so good that they (almost) take things to a whole new level of bliss; and apparently, they can make you giggle at the sight of them! My Strawberry Compote had a very exciting reception when my dear friend Henry burst into laughter at the sight of it.

STRAWBERRY COMPOTE WITH MINT

1 1/2 pounds strawberries, stemmed and cut lengthwise into 6 segments
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon sugar
6 mint leaves chopped, plus extra for garnish

1  |  Combine berries, Grand Marnier, zest and sugar in a medium bowl. Toss; let stand 30 minutes.

2  |  Bring juice to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat; reduce heat, and simmer until liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool. Pour over strawberries, and toss to combine.

Add the mint to the compote right before you serve! Spread the compote on cake or with vanilla bean ice cream like we did! I'm starting to think I make this too much.