Simply Satisfying – The Best Caesar Salad

Caesar salad has always been one of my all time favorite salads but I could never get the dressing quite right…..until I ordered it once in an Italian restaurant in Niagara Falls of all places. The waiter came to our table with this wooden stand and placed a huge wooden bowl on top and then started mixing from scratch right in front of us. He looked so professional doing so that I tried to memorize his every ingredient with the correct proportions. I don’t believe anything is left out, in fact I added another two ingredients.

Start with fresh ground pepper right in the bowl (preferably wooden) that you’ll be serving from.

Purists will tell you that Caesar Salad has to be made with fresh anchovies but I admit to using about 1 inch of Anchovy paste instead. A good quality one works as a nice replacement.

Crushed or finely chopped garlic (a couple cloves…or more)

About 1 tsp. of dried mustard like Keen’s

1 egg yolk

a few drops of Worcestershire sauce and Red Wine Vinegar.

Mix well.

Then:

Whisk in the juice of ½ fresh lemon. Add anywhere from ¼ to ½ cup of olive oil bit by bit – whisking slowly in with the rest. It depends on how thick you like the dressing. More often than not I end up using about 1/3 of a cup. Finally mix in ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Toss in enough romaine lettuce for the dressing, tearing it with your hands. Add more parmesan & pepper if you like once plated. Also bacon bits and croutons if desired.

NOTE: Since then I was at another restaurant where the waiter added some capers and a splash of Tabasco. You can add that before the lemon if you want – it’s a great addition.

For tasty croutons just cut up some bread into little squares and add it to a hot skillet with a bit of olive oil and Italian spices until they start to get crispy. You can also freeze them for later use.

**p.s. I thought yesterday was Wednesday so I posted something on design. Normally I post a recipe on Tuesday. Might have suffered a bit of heat stroke in Palm Springs. Does anyone really care? Do you bloggers follow some kind of format or just post haphazardly?

FUN

décor & design – It’s a Mod Mod World!

It’s Modernism week in Palm Springs. I think they invented Mid Century Modern.

It’s so opposite of my current home style but because it’s so different I kind of like it. Maybe I’ll even consider it for my next place – especially if that place is in Palm Springs.

Paris, Tokyo, New York, Rome……Just Kidding!

FUN

AWay with Words – LOVE ly quotes

I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear. – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead. – Oscar Wilde.

Immature love says: “I love you because I need you. Mature love says I need you because I love you” – Erich Fromm

“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” – Dr. Seuss

A true soul mate is probably the most important person you’ll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake. But to live with a soul mate forever? Nah. Too painful. Soul mates, they come into your life just to reveal another layer of yourself to you, and then leave. – Eizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love

“You don’t love someone because they’re perfect, you love them in spite of the fact that they’re not.” – Jodi Picoult, My Sister’s Keeper

Love means never having to say you’re Surrey….or something like that.

FUN

B Well – the health perks of bonding

I just picked up this book but I was sure it said “bondage.”

Daily Interactions with others – are they just as important to your health as eating well or going for a run?

In her new book, Love 2.0: How Our Supreme Emotion Affects Everything We Feel, Think, Do, and Become, Barbara Fredrickson, Ph.D, suggests that true love isn’t about romance, companionship, or fondness; fundamentally it springs from something else she calls “micromoments of shared positive emotion.” That the more loving you are in everyday life the healthier you could be. She believes that such moments have the potential to lower our risk for disease and may even influence how our cells regenerate.

From the body’s point of view: when the brain registers love, it triggers the release of the hormone and neurotransmitter oxytocin. Your emotions can trigger hormones that influence the way genes are expressed in the body. We know this happens with negative emotions: stress releases adrenaline, which can prime cells for inflammation, causing disease. She believes that positive feelings, which can trigger the release of oxytocin, have the opposite effect and set us up for a healthier life. Makes perfect sense.

Simply get out and be more social. Getting the benefits of love doesn’t require being in a romantic relationship or living near family or friends. Just make sure you’re connecting with others, whether it’s through conversation or eye contact. We tend to trivialize these interactions, but they’re important to our overall well being.

Or, get a rescue dog that you love and they’ll love you back tenfold

FUN

Personal Post-it – Product Review

Sephora Instant Nail Polish Remover – a Wonderful Product and makes life easier.I don’t know about you but I’m always taking off nail polish because it consistently chips. Have you ever spilled nail polish remover in your bathroom? It’s not a good thing. Worse is spilling a bottle of bright red nail polish on your white ceramic sink but that’s another story. A friend once brought me back from Japan a very similar product that I remember thinking was brilliant. Then once it was finished I forgot all about it – until Sephora came out with this one. Easy to use because you just dip each nail one by one into the jar and presto – nail polish dissolves in seconds. Hard to get off glitter polish too although you might have to do it twice or leave it for a few seconds longer. Great for travelling, lasts a long time (surprisingly I’ve had mine for a few months) and it’s inexpensive. Thanks Sephora!

Note: you cannot use this for removing gel polish

FUN

It’s Valentine’s Day and I’m in LOVE…..

……With a pair of SHOES

therealreal.com is a designer shoe website — therealreal.com is Luxury Designer Resale – it puts a **SMILE** on my face.

007 — therealreal.com is Luxury Designer Resale – it puts a **SMILE** on my face.

Maybe I’m feeling a bit jaded because I’ll be in Hollywood soon and just read a funny column by Jackie Collins wondering if Valentine’s Day really matters? We can leave that up to you. Her real real favorite story goes like this:

One very beautiful Hollywood wife – married to a man 20 years older than she – is having an affair with a hunky young actor who’s just hit it big on a TV show. Valentine’s Day is approaching , and both men want to buy her something substantial. “An important piece of jewelry,” offers her husband, fired up with Viagra. “Whatever you want,” says her young lover, fired up with testosterone. The Hollywood wife thinks about this. Surely she has been presented with an opportunity to score big-time? Advantage must be taken, so she visits a fancy jeweler, picks out an exquisite yellow diamond cocktail ring, and proposes to the jeweler a deal: Her husband buys the ring for her, paying full price. Then her boyfriend buys the same ring, except the jeweler gives 90 percent of the price to the wife without anyone knowing. So now both men have bought the same ring, and not only does the Hollywood wife get the bauble but she gets to wear it with either man because each is under the impression that he gave it to her as a special Valentine’s Day gift. She’s happy with plenty of extra spending money. Hunky lover is delighted he gave her such a magnificent present and so is hubbie. And the jeweler walks away with a handsome profit. Satisfaction all around. Valentine’s Day – Hollywood Style!

I love a storybook ending!

Wishing you a lovely day filled with sunshine and exquisite jewels (but I’ll be happy with just the sunshine).

FUN

Simply Satisfying – put the lime in the coconut and mix it all up….

Sablefish (black cod) with Lime and Coconut

Why not try making this dish for a special Valentines day dinner?

This recipe was originally inspired by “pescado con coco” – fish with tomato, garlic and coconut from the Dominican Republic.

I’ve made this on several occasions and if you love Black Cod otherwise known as Sablefish (one of my favorites) and the best replacement for Chilean Sea Bass which has been endangered for some time now, then this recipe is sure to be a hit.

Recipe:

1 ¼ pound skinless black cod fillet

4 tsp. fresh lime juice, divided

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 ½ cups chopped leek (white and pale green parts only; about 1 large)

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup canned unsweetened coconut milk

1 tsp. (packed) grated lime peel

1/3 cup chopped cilantro (and a sprig or two for garnish)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper, place in 11x7x2 inch glass baking dish. Drizzle with 1 ½ teaspoons of lime juice. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add leek and garlic; sauté 7 minutes. Add coconut milk and remaining lime juice; boil until thick, about 4 minutes. Stir in lime peel.

Spoon sauce over fish. Bake until fish is just opaque in center, about 20 minutes or until there is no resistance when pierced with a fork. Transfer to platter. Whisk juices in baking dish. Spoon around fish; top with cilantro. Makes 4 servings.

ENJOY with jasmine rice and a green veggie like string beans or asparagus.

FUN

AWay with Words – chocolate quotes

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” ― Charles M. Schulz

“There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate.” ― Linda Grayson

“My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far today, I have finished 2 bags of M&M’s and a chocolate cake. I feel better already.” ― Dave Barry

“Your hand and your mouth agreed many years ago that, as far as chocolate is concerned, there is no need to involve your brain.” ― Dave Barry

“Don’t wreck a sublime chocolate experience by feeling guilty. Chocolate isn’t like premarital sex. It will not make you pregnant. And it always feels good.” ― Lora Brody

“If there’s no chocolate in Heaven, I’m not going.” Jane Seabrook, Furry Logic Laugh at Life

It’s not that chocolates are a substitute for love. Love is a substitute for chocolate. Chocolate is, let’s face it, far more reliable than a man.” – Miranda Ingram

This guy found a bottle on the ocean, and he opened it and out popped a genie, and he gave him three wishes. The guy wished for a million dollars, and poof! there was a million dollars. Then he wished for a convertible, and poof! there was a convertible. And then, he wished he could be irresistible to all women… poof! he turned into a box of chocolates.

Koko Monk – Giftbox of 16

FUN

B Well – the healthy (thank you god) benefits of dark chocolate.

CHOCOLATE AND YOUR HEALTH

The Basics:

It’s more than wishful thinking — chocolate can be good for you. Studies show that eating chocolate, primarily dark chocolate, may contribute to improved cardiovascular health. Packed with natural antioxidants, dark chocolate and cocoa sit in the same good-for-you category as green tea and blueberries. That’s because chocolate comes from cacao beans (or cocoa beans), which grow on the cacao tree and are full of natural plant nutrients. Most of the studies to date highlight dark chocolate’s health values because it has the highest percentage of cocoa solids, therefore more flavanol antioxidants.

My late afternoon snack will now consist of a cup of green tea with dark chocolate over blueberries. What time is it?

An Antioxidant Powerhouse

Dark chocolate and cocoa are rich in cell-protecting antioxidants — natural compounds found in fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts. Read what scientists are studying regarding antioxidants and cardiovascular disease & premature aging.

Matters of the Heart

Recent studies have shown dark chocolate and cocoa may be good for your heart. In short-term clinical trials, dark chocolate has reduced blood pressure, improved blood flow, showed mild anti-clotting effects and may help prevent plaque formation in arteries.

Okay so it's not dark but it's Beckham. Try to take a bite out of that! — Okay so it’s not dark but it’s David Beckham. Try to take a bite out of that – I’m sure he’s very good!

Sweet News For Managing Blood Sugar

Despite its sweet reputation, dark chocolate has a low glycemic index similar to that of oatmeal — meaning it does not send your blood sugar spiking. Find out more about the surprising chemistry behind your favorite treat.

Vital Minerals

Like any plant-based food, chocolate naturally contains an array of minerals.

Chocolate and Your Brain

Is it more than just the taste? Why does chocolate make us feel good? This is what they do know: chocolate contains more than 500 natural chemical compounds, some of which have been categorized as mood-elevating and pleasure-inducing.

Emerging Science

Buoyed by positive findings, more research is being conducted on chocolate’s health benefits, including potential cancer-fighting abilities and improved cognitive function. Learn about chocolate’s future in health studies. Taken from allchocolate.com