Peek at the Week - August 6

Peek at the Week - August 6 

Two weeks ago on the Peek of the Week, I mentioned the opening of Target City in Westwood. Today, I am delighted to have a wonderful guest piece written by the talented and extraordinary Erica Sardarian on Target City. Thank you Erica for your fabulous piece! Enjoy!!!!   

Expect More. Pay Less.  

By Erica Sardarian 

I need to make a confession. I’m slightly obsessed with Target. Okay, more than slightly. The bright lights and the wafting smell of buttery popcorn as I enter consume me. The convenience of finding everything from laundry detergent to cereal to nail polish is all very fascinating. You can imagine my disappointment when I moved to New York and discovered Target wasn’t the popular kid in school. Culture shockaroo. I could cope with walking instead of driving, extreme climate changes, and even the cost of living, but I wasn’t prepared to say sayonara to my $1 bins. Duane Reade, a mediocre store with overpriced products and a poor selection of sanitary items, was the star quarterback. I would trek the 30-minute train ride to Brooklyn just so I could get my fix. I got lost once and ended up in the Bronx, but that didn’t deter me from my once a month visit. No sacrifice was too large for my loyal friend. It wasn’t about the products. It was about the experience. The familiarity of the aisles and the signature sign that made me feel like I was back at home.

I recently moved back to LA and was thrilled to hear a City Target (Fact-The first City Target in the world) opened in Westwood, only two miles from me. I let the crowd of college students simmer for about a week or so before I made my strategic move. I drove over and was excited to discover a parking structure connected to the store. Parking in Los Angeles is a pita (pain in the ass). A sign read, “Two hours free parking with validation” as I approached the gate. Amazing. I walked in. There it was…the sign that made my heart flutter. The double doors opened and I pranced right in. Nearly 100,000 square feet of awesomeness. I contemplated getting a small basket or a large cart. I opted for the cart. I went in only wanting one item; my moroccan oil shampoo and I walked out buying nearly everything in the store. I had to refrain from buying the underpriced bike. There was also a big selection of UCLA gear from t-shirts, to hats, to baby attire-no surprise there. The cashier, who rang up my items and was secretly eyeing my eggbeaters and nightly facemask, was very friendly. He was probably a young college student taking on a summer job to pay off his excessive loans early. I left with six shopping bags and a smile on my face.

Overall, my experience was fantastic. It wasn’t crowded and they had a great selection of everything, except for home good items. That is the one and only downfall. There IS, however, a Starbucks located at the entrance in case you’re craving a caramel macchiato. Trader Joe’s, my second favorite store, is right across the street. Two buck chuck and four cheese pizza. Convenient and delicious! Check it out if you haven’t already done so.

Happy Friday everyone! Today, I must start with very important news, it is National S'mores Day! My head is filled of thoughts of fluffy marshmallows, crispy graham cracker and sinful chocolate. First appearing in the 1927 Girl Scout handbook, these little gooey treats are my personal staple for any outdoor fire. Traditional, s'mores brownies, s'mores ice cream, s'mores cake, s'mores cupcakes, s'mores cheesecake, I could give you "s'more" s'mores ideas all day. I do have to admit, Todd and I recently had a week full of s'mores on our vacation where I discovered he is a slow roaster and I am a char type of girl. I never thought of s'mores as an avenue for relationship insight, but it did indeed highlight Todd's incredible patience. I'm very particular about my s'mores, I have to use Hershey's milk chocolate (the only thing I will use Hershey's for, I'm a die hard Milka and Scharffen Berger dark gal) only Jet Puffed marshmallows and Honey Maid graham crackers, I always think I can taste the difference but perhaps it is nostalgia.  I'd love to hear your s'mores tactics or interpretations on the classic, feel free to comment or message!  

Last night was the kick off for the Los Angeles Food and Wine Festival. I was lucky enough to attend as Erica's (yes, the amazing Erica who wrote the Target piece) plus one where we navigated tasting offerings of 200 wines and noshes from 151 stellar chefs. Our minds were blown. I will be blogging about this extensively in the coming days. This is a must do for anyone who loves food, wine and amazing people watching. The below link takes you to a bevvy of events that are happening until the 12th of August. I'm so excited for tonight's Asian Night Market.  

http://www.lafw.com/

I'm in love with this photo Todd snapped while we were at Crafted (which I promise, a post is coming). 

It is so very summer in L.A. 

It's extremely hot here this week, which is the perfect time to cool down with frozen treats. This is red rose and saffron pistachio ice cream from Saffron and Rose in Westwood, one of my favorite treats!  

Have a great rest of the week! 

Tastes of the Tasting Kitchen

Baby Bird - Lavender Tonic Vodka

Tortelli, Hen, with Hen of the Woods

Lasagnette Bolognese

Gigli Luciana with Squash Blossoms

 Abbot Kinney in Venice, CA is one of my favorite places in the city to go out. Back about five years ago, I would frequent the area much more than I do now, just because of geographical convenience. It had a very bohemian, artsy feel, since then, I feel that Abbot Kinney has had a little shift. My past visit, it had a beachy and still somewhat bohemian feel, but more of a bohemian- living off of daddy’s trust fund feeling. Don’t get me wrong, this is not a negative connotation, Abbot Kinney over the years has changed as everything does. I saw more beautiful people than I do in a night out in Hollywood with more Gucci bags than the expected dreadlocks. My night began with a meal at the Tasting Kitchen, which, interestingly enough, EaterLA did rank as a top ten restaurant with the hottest waiters. All superficiality aside, I came for the food. I have been hearing a lot about the Portland based chef Casey Lane and the rustic chic meals that come out of this kitchen. On a girls' night out, we of course started with cocktails, mine was lavender tonic vodka and was very refreshing. Artisan bread with sea salted butter and olives then made their way to our table. We sampled many of the pasta offerings, for, the pastas are made in house, and oh boy, am I glad that we did. Everything I put in my mouth that night was incredible. Our desserts were the Peach Crostata with marcona almonds and frangipane burbon gelato with thyme and the Bread Pudding with pecans and caramel. My favorite was the Gigli Luciana with Squash Blossoms and the Bread Pudding. I wont lie, we waited until the day before to try for reservations and they were all booked up, but we got there when the doors opened at 5:30, took a place in the common dining area and noshed away. By the time we were done with our meal, the place was packed. I hope to return soon to tackle some more of their delicious menu offerings.

Bread Pudding with Pecan and Caramel

Peach Crostata, Marcona, Frangipane Bourbon Gelato with Thyme 

Cafeteria Chic - Lemonade Date

Salads! Salads! Salads Galore! 

Sandwiches!

Last week, I had a wonderful date with my dear friend Erica. I always look forward to my time with her, she is one of the most inspiring, kind and gifted people I know. Our dates are too few, she is a busy entertainment professional always bouncing around the country, though when we do get time, our dates always consist of delicious-good for you food and deep discussions that span in to the wee hours of the night. The other evening,  we took a stroll in her Brentwood neighborhood to Lemonade. The air was balmy,  fresh and heavy with summer aroma, there seemed to be a blanket of calm over the city. I hadn't tried Lemonade and it has honestly been on my list for some time. I'm the biggest sucker for cold salads and sides, which the menu is full of. Lemonade proved to be just the perfect spot for Erica and I, good, wholesome, healthy food, fresh with a casual environment, perfect for our weeknight. I ordered the Orecchiette, asparagus, perlini mozzarella, with sorrel vinaigrette side which was creamy, fresh and delicious with a seasonal, cedar smoked salmon ‘nicoise’, basmati, egg, green bean side, in which the salmon flavor was perfectly balanced with the green bean, not dominating the whole dish. Since my date at Lemonade, I have been obsessed with finding locations near my apartment or on my usual path just so I can pop in for the deliciousness. For a casual, easy, healthy and reasonably priced meal,  I highly recommend that you try it out. My tip if you visit the Brentwood location: eat outside, along the right of the building, you will find a cute, quiet, somewhat secluded alcove for dining.

**Also, since I raved about Erica so much, I thought I should share her latest project with you as well, check it out, it's a documentary on the people of Crossett, Arkansas who have fallen victim to pollution caused by a nearby corporation:

http://www.indiegogo.com/crossettdocumentary


Lemonade can be found:
Downtown
Venice
Beverly
Moca
USC
Pasadena
LAX
Manhattan Beach

Gorgeous Desserts! 

Salads up close and personal 

Healthy, Fast and Easy: Shrimp, Mandarin and Asparagus Whole Wheat Couscous

I'll be honest, I've always been one who has to keep a really close eye on my weight. I've fluctuated up and down my whole life and have really had to come to terms with the fact that I will never be a 110 pound beauty but a curvy goddess is my ultimate, healthy goal. As a woman, I have come to love and embrace my body the way it is but I know, I can only achieve this security when I am taking the best care of myself. I have to maintain regular exercise and a low fat diet, almost always in order to maintain the weight I like to be at. There are times where I am lazy or stressed out and then up goes my weight. At the end of the day, I am somewhat grateful for these struggles. It's taken me about 15 years to figure out my body and what it takes to lose and maintain weight, every body is different and there is not fail proof formula to solve what oh so many of us struggle with. I am glad I have figured this all out by this stage in my life and I don't have to deal with it later on, because as anyone has had these struggles knows, they are not easy. Before my vacation, I had lost 15 pounds, I stayed away from my food blog, firstly, because I was busy but I also think a little subconsciously because I did not know how to balance blogging and my strict diet. After my vacation, I took it easy on the diet and focused on having fun and sharing some of my favorite recipes with you, which happen to be very fattening. This week, I start back to my normal healthy habits and exercise. I don't want to drop the forbidden word: diet, (though I am antsy to get rid of 10 pounds) just healthy. I'll blog as normal, I still have plans for some sweets to bake for friends in the future so fear not, but I will also be sharing some of my healthier favorites as well - today is one of them. This is a super easy and quick to prepare dinner, its perfect for week nights or as lunches for the work day. It also is very filling and packed with protein!

Shrimp, Mandarin and Asparagus Whole Wheat Couscous
1 cup of dry whole wheat couscous
1/2 of a bunch of asparagus
1 11 oz. can of mandarin oranges
8 oz of thawed, cooked, cleaned, medium shrimp, more if desired  (I used Trader Joe's)

Prepare couscous as directed on the box. Prep asparagus, wash and snip the bottoms. In a large sauce pan, bring three inches of water to a boil, add the asparagus, cover and cook until al dente, about 6-8 minutes. I always stop the cooking of my asparagus by throwing them in an ice bath right after cooking. Just fill a bowl with cold water and ice cubes, this will keep your asparagus al dente and a nice bright green color. Chop asparagus into about 1 inch pieces or larger if you like. By now, your couscous has been sitting on the oven, covered but done for a couple of minutes. Lightly stir in the asparagus and the mandarin oranges. Take the shrimp and rinse under water, drain. Add to couscous. Salt and pepper to taste. Viola! This whole dish takes about 15 minutes from prep to cook!

Peek at the Week - July 30th

Peek at the Week, July 30: 




Happy Birthday Martha Stewart! It's my idols birthday today!

 

 L.A. doesn't have much in terms of changing seasons, but there are some things that I always change up with the months regardless of the 75 degree weather: my wines, my clothes, my shoes, and my nail polish. Every summer I look forward to sporting Essie's Fiji. It always gives the illusion that I actually have a tan when I really don't. This week was a hot one, so I ran out and had my toesies painted my favorite summer hue. I have to credit my dear friend, Nicole Broyles- this is her signature color, that we are all going to steal from her! 

Todd and I are hoping to make it to see RED at the Mark Taper Forum on Sunday which runs from August 1- September 9th. I am a huge fan of Rothko's work and I have heard that this play is phenomenal. Here is a link to the MOCA blog with information on discounts and the Rothko work on display at the MOCA. This is extremely exciting! 

http://www.moca.org/audio/blog/?p=3545

  

This amazing summer neon pink sums up the week perfectly. I love the color, not sure if I would sport it on my car but awesome for whoever is! I saw this car driving on the 10 freeway in L.A. I really should have rolled down my window before taking the picture  :/




This past Sunday kicked off the first Movie Night and Sunday Supper with Bouchon. Bouchon will be serving comfort food favorites with movies shown right next door at the Beverly Canon Gardens.  Todd and I are die hard "picnic-ers" and paired with Bouchon deliciousness and  Casablanca? This is a must do.  Champagne in the park anyone? 
241 N. Canon Dr., b/t Dayton & Clifton Ways, Beverly Hills (310-271-9910).

July 29: Clueless 

August 12: Casablanca

August 26: Mirror Mirror

September 9: TBD

Since Crafted opened up, I have been dying to go. A year around craft market that happens to be the largest in the nation? I feel like it's going to be Etsy, meets real life, which to me = heaven.  I'll definitely blog about this one, I'll be visiting this weekend. 

http://craftedportla.com/

Happy IPA Day with IPA Homebrewer Todd Bjurstrom

Happy National IPA Day everyone! If you are a regular reader here at The Bleu Goose, you know all about Todd, my amazing boyfriend, whom I just cant stop talking about in my posts. Well, since today is National IPA Day, I thought it would only be fitting to have a guest post by the most talented and gifted homebrewer I know. Todd's Edith IPA is absolutely phenomenal, behind that, is an extensive knowledge and understanding of IPA. What is IPA anyway? IPA stands for India Pale Ale, in short it is a varietal of beer that was originally created to withstand long ocean journeys back in the 1700's. To make a beer that would preserve long voyages with extreme weather,  (heat and more heat) a lot of hops and a lot of alcohol were added to the brew. Thus, we have the IPA. 
I am thrilled to introduce: Todd Bjurstrom, Home Brewer extraordinaire!

Handsome Devil

Todd and Daisy

DRINK THIS: India Pale Ale

Written by: Todd Bjurstrom 

In honor of National IPA Day, I’ve decided to take my palate on a short tour of the California coast, from San Diego to Petaluma and right into my own kitchen.  Hold on tight, it’s going to get hoppy.  (Also, don’t drink and drive.)

SAN DIEGO:  This is the first time I’ve sampled the Tower 10 IPA from the Karl Strauss Brewing Company and it put a smile right on my face.  The more I drank, the more I felt like I was in San Diego.  Everything seems a little nicer with 22oz of Tower 10 IPA in your tummy. Packed with Chinook, Cascade and Centennial Hops, the Tower 10 is has notes of citrus and pine; it’s sweet and floral with an earthy, almost bread-like aftertaste.  With a respectable 7.0% alcohol, the Tower 10 is best enjoyed icy cold and in small doses.  (Or, large doses… whatever.) 

ESCONDIDO:  Ah.  Stone IPA: The old regular.  I’ve been a fan of Stone Brewing Company for many years… I remember feeling challenged by the words “you’re not worthy” and “you probably won’t like this beer” emblazoned on the bottle of Arrogant Bastard.  At the time, in Seattle, Stone Brewing was largely unheard of and Arrogant Bastard was the only Stone beer (that I knew) that was available.  It wasn’t until a few years later that I came to know Stone’s IPA…  Nowadays, if there is Stone IPA available I will drink it: no matter where I am, no matter what time of the day -- I will pour it into my face.  (Who’s not worthy now!?!)  Any hop-head will start salivating at the mere mention of this devilishly crisp, wickedly bitter brew.  Loaded with Columbus, Chinook & Centennial hops and sporting 6.9% alcohol, Stone IPA will always be a go-to beer for this guy.

PETALUMA:  While Kendall and I camped out down the California Coast, Lagunitas Brewing Company’s Hop Stoopid Ale was my sole beer of choice.  Hop Stoopid’s 8% alcohol is guaranteed to keep you warm on those cold, misty summer nights in the redwoods -- no matter how long it takes to get the fire started.  The malt characteristics in the Hop Stoopid are much richer and deeper than your average IPA, thus resulting in the higher alcohol content and an early bedtime.

LOS ANGELES:  The first time I made my own beer, it sucked.  It’s taken me years to admit it, but its true… homebrew should bring joy to those who drink it, but my first beer turned all of my friends into liars.  “Wow… it’s uh... good.”  Dave said, “...why does it have a metallic aftertaste?”  I’ve made many batches of homebrew since that first one in 1999 and I’ve learned a lot, too; I’ve made porters, stouts, ales, steam ales, ciders and my favorite: India pale ale. My latest, Edith’s IPA, is a tribute to an important figure in my life:  Edith Skinner.  Loaded with hops and naturally infused with oak and real sour mash Tennessee whiskey, Edith is still driving me crazy after all these years.  Edith is the first homebrew I’ve made in a while, and is the first to come out of the Marathon Street Brewery. (That’s what I call my kitchen…)

Champagne Sangria

I am beyond excited to share this recipe with you today. As a lover of all things sangria, I was hit with a dilemma the other day,  red sangria sounded great, but in this heat, I wanted something a little lighter, more crisp and cooling. Then it hit me, why don’t I meld one of my all time favorite flavors and beverages with sangria!? The results: Champagne Sangria! The outcome has sparked a new love affair with this refreshing summer drink.

I used flavors that I felt would enhance the champagne flavor, not cover it up but after sipping I got a million ideas: Strawberries? Blueberries? Mangoes? What if I used sweet champagne or a Lambrusco? I have all summer to find out, although this is pretty incredible just as is. 

Lavender Infused Champagne Sangria

2 peaches, cubed

2 nectarines, cubed

10 fresh lychee nuts, torn into 1/3 sized chunks

About 3 cups of triple sec

¼ cup of granulated sugar

¼ cups of water

2 lavender sprigs torn in half

Ice

A bottle of chilled champagne

Put the fruit in a container (I used a mason jar) and pour in the triple sec to cover fruit completely. Seal and macerate over night. In a small sauce pan over low heat, pour in the water, sugar and lavender. Stir until sugar is dissolved, about three of four minutes. Chill. Remove the large pieces of lavender. Open the fruit container and give it a little smash with a wooden spoon to release some flavors but don't smash all of the pieces. Pour in to your favorite pitcher, add champagne, stir lightly, add simple syrup to taste. Enjoy!