Cirque du Soleil hits Santa Monica

Here's a fun thing to do in Santa Monica. Cirque du Soleil comes back to the Santa Monica pier 22 years after their humble beginnings to debut their new show, KOOZA. Select tickets are available at a 25% discount, which is a great deal given ticket prices. But as I was searching, I found few discounted tickets are left, so act fast! We'll be going in November with MetaBoy, so we're very excited.

Dining at The Yard with Kids

I cook for my family most days...at least I do when MetaDaddy's home. This week has been more about surviving, so I'll take up any offer to eat out. But I still go to my usual farmers' markets because it's a treat I just don't want to give up. The fruit, vegetables, and sunshine...it's just all too perfect.

My take on food is that if I buy something that's fresh and tasty, I'm better off doing as little as possible to it. Weiser Farms Cavaillon melons, Fitzerald Farms nectarines, Rutiz Farms Galante strawberries...how can I improve perfection?

When I see a restaurant that boasts of using farmers' market fresh produce, it makes me happy. I love seeing these wonderful ingredients incorporated into a clever ensemble by someone with much more culinary talent than myself. But I'm usually disappointed. I hear the word "farmers' market," but I don't see it on my plate. Grr.

Well...that brings me to a curious incident involving 3 things I mildly obsess about: the Santa Monica farmers' market, local restaurants, and Top Chef. And this is where I get sheepish. I'm generally just a reserved person. I keep to myself. As obvious by my wordy blog, I've got plenty to say, I just don't always say it in "real life."

So, I'm walking down the street in Santa Monica pushing MetaGirl in her stroller. I'm about to step off the curb onto the pedestrian street, but it's a tight squeeze since I'll be maneuvering through two parked trucks. As I'm managing, a tall someone comes walking through, and I decide it best to move...I didn't want a trampling incident. I look up (way up...he's tall), and I saw someone familiar. (This is where fame can be a pain in the butt.) "Oh!! That's CJ from Top Chef!" So, I ranted into the void that is Twitter, as one does.

To: CJ from Top Chef. Dude, I know you're tall, but really? Are you too tall to see some people, even if they have a stroller?

Then, I forgot about it. But a few days ago, I get a reply from...CJ! :-o

BigCeej: @MetaMommy I'm sorry. Come to my restaurant, The Yard. I'll cook for you.

After some hemming and hawing, I asked a friend who is similarly Top Chef aware if she'd like to join me and the wee twosome. She accepted, so we went. That's when I turned all shades of red. In the restaurant as I admitted to be the one, the only...MetaMommy. It's kind of a stupid name to admit to in "real life." I'm glad there were lots of other things to keep me distracted, like needy kids.

So we chatted for a bit, and he told us about his food. CJ, aka Chris Jacobsen, has recently taken over and has reworked the menu to feature fresh farmers' market food. He's minimizing freezer space, improving the look and ambiance of the dining room/bar, keeping prices reasonable, and generally changing the nature of what "pub food" is in Santa Monica. It doesn't have to be frozen or deep fried to be good with a drink.

We had a few small dishes. I'm not going to pretend I know food like some people know food. I don't have a refined palate, nor do I obsess about details. I just know if I like it or not, and I enjoyed the food. Though I was impressed by some of the lovely farmers' ingredients, like the Cavaillon melon (a super juicy, flavorful melon that looks like a cantaloupe, but puts it to shame...poor cantaloupe). I also know he shops from the farmers because...well, that's where we had our "run in." If he's shopping there, you know the food will be fresh and seasonal.

My personal favorite were the fish tacos, which I'm still craving. As my friend pointed out, it would be a lighter option if it was a soft taco, but it was still mighty tasty. And even closer to my heart is a restaurant's tolerance of young kids. Despite having 2 young kids in high chairs in a place that had previously been popularized as a bar with bar food, there were plenty of healthy options for them and I didn't feel like a nuisance for having my kids or stroller. The only way to survive eating out with young kids it to find a way to keep kids content, which is hard enough for parents without feeling challenged by staff. With us, all of the staff were great. And MetaGirl, always one to make herself known, got all sorts of wonderful attention.

Overall, it was a pleasant experience. It's 1/2 a block from the beach with a patio, allowing a nice beachy view. Fresh, seasonal food that isn't too fussy. Yes, it's a bar, but don't be put off by it. And a nice getaway for a quick bite or a full meal, even if you have kids. The Third Street Promenade is a couple of blocks away (on Third between Broadway and Wilshire), but I can't think of one restaurant I would recommend to anyone. It's the little places, like this one, that are off the Promenade that are worth visiting.

In the effort of full disclosure, CJ did comp the meal (completely unnecessary, but very appreciated!). However, that was due to the above mentioned trampling incident. He was apologetic and really nice about it. And I'm pretty sure that I was more embarrassed about it than he was. After all, I'm the one who goes by MetaMommy ;-)

The Yard
119 Broadway (between Ocean and 2nd Street)
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 395-6037

Santa Monica Preschools: Oh, the Pain

As I've mentioned before, we live in Santa Monica. It's a nice area. The weather's pleasant, we tend to drive against traffic (people tend to drive to Santa Monica in the morning and vice versa in the evening), and the city has a lot of resources (it's a city independent of the behemoth City of Los Angeles). So MetaDaddy doesn't spend 3 hours commuting daily. And when there's a pothole or light out on our street, a quick call to the city gets the problem fixed within a week.

But I think a lot of people like Santa Monica. A lot of families, in fact. The real estate prices, even now, are a bit shocking. Some sellers are deluded. Did they not get the memo about the recession?

But I digress. My real point is: there are a lot of kids in Santa Monica. I found this out when I started looking for a preschool for MetaBoy. Knowing that I would be staying home to care for the kids, I didn't give it much thought early on. I'd get around to finding him a school when the time came. But when MetaGirl was on the way, we decided to find a place that would care for and stimulate MB earlier than I had anticipated. He was 1.5 at the time, and apparently, I was too late to find a school for him at the 2 year mark.

But there are few schools that allow kids to start at 2, which gave me solace. The number of schools from which to "choose" would vastly increase once he reached 3 years. So I didn't stress, and moved it to the back of my mind for a few months. After all, MetaGirl was my more pressing concern. Newborn! Eek!!

When I got back into the preschool groove, I refused to drive him very far, so I was really only interested in local options. I bought a guide with all of the local preschools listed; they weren't all there. I went to the library, but most of their resources were for K-12. I went online and found several websites promising me a comprehensive list of schools, but they didn't. Occasionally, I would drive by a place that had a sign: preschool. And of course, there's word of mouth. Essentially, I had to take all of these sources to find out which schools existed in our area. Then, the phone calls started.

I called dozens of schools, and I opted to tour the ones that seemed appropriate. I toured 13 schools. We submitted many applications, most requiring a fee. Ugh. One had an "admissions day," which required for the parents and child to show up for about an hour, play, and have a story read. Essentially, it was time to show pony. The only thing is...I think the parents were being judged, not the kids. "Are these the kind of people we want to deal with?" It was creepy, and we hated it.

When all was said and done, we were wait listed at 7 schools. I found a couple of schools that were acceptable and had space for MB, but at similar price points as others schools that had more bells and whistles (e.g., garden, music classes, fun art projects), we decided to wait and see if our position changed on any lists. I called the schools monthly for updates. Some appreciated my letting them know that we were still interested. Some were obviously annoyed by my persistence.

Finally, we were offered a spot in a sweet little school, and we're finally happy.

After this whole thing, I'm definitely annoyed at the mention of preschool admissions. Thoughts:

• There are very, very few schools that care for kids beyond a few hours (e.g., 9-noon or 1-4). That is, they're not intended to function as a day care. So if you work, you're going to have a really hard time finding a school that will be able to care for your child for the full work day. That's tough, and I'm grateful to not be in that position.
  
  
• Some of our local schools have a celebrity problem, in my opinion. There are a lot of parents who want to send their kids to the best schools, and if everyone's talking about a particular school, it must be the best. On that note, celebrities who live in Santa Monica send their kids to...preschools in Santa Monica! Everyone wants to send their little ones to the same school Ben & Jen sent their little Violet to. But really?!? I went on a couple of tours where you really got the impression that the director had some sort of superiority complex because of the power she wields.
  
  
• Besides requiring fees just to apply to a school (I found they ranged from $50 to $125, but I heard one charged $200), the more popular ones have long, complicated wait lists. By long, I mean they pretty much tell you it's unlikely you'll ever be offered a spot. By complicated, I mean that some don't use the application date as the only deciding factor, but also take into consideration information the exact age, sex, and diversity of the child to make sure that s/he will fit into that spot just right (e.g., I need a boy who is 2 years, 7 months). Since there are a lot more boys than girls applying to start in 2009 in the area, this practice meant that it was harder to find a spot for MB than it would have been for a girl.
  
  
• I went on several tours where the child to attend was in utero. That's right! The child had not been born!! The most impressive one, though, was the guy taking the tour who said that he and his wife were trying to conceive. The director told him to apply now, if possible. Application fee? Ya, $75.
  
  
• The school that made us show pony was just wrong. We didn't know what to expect when we went, but in hindsight, it sounds like it's not far off from the experiences in this movie, which looks hilarious and I will have to see it...eventually.
  
  
• As I understand it, preschools didn't used to be this expensive or elitist. When parents started hearing that attending preschool increases kids long term success, all bets were off. That movie mentions a preschool in New York City charging $20,000 per semester (does that mean twice a year for a $40,000 total?!?) for what I'm assuming is 3 hours in the morning. Whoa!?! At that rate, college is a bargain!
  
  
• I had to remind myself to not get frustrated and keep the goal in perspective. I wanted MB to socialize, have fun, and learn some fun new things. Preferably, the school would provide him with projects and opportunities that we can't replicate at home due to a lack of space, materials, or experience. But at the end of the day, it's just preschool. If he learns to socialize and gets a head start on elementary school, then he'll be fine. All of the extra bells and whistles are more for the parents than for the kids; things to impress us and make us feel that our child needs these experiences. Some parents need to say "my kid goes to XYZ preschool." Some parents think that their kid will be missing out on too much if s/he doesn't get into the "best" school. It's important to sift out the child's needs...while trying to avoid putting yourself into debt for a 3 year old ;-)

I hope things are easier where you are, but I'd love to hear any stories! Oh, and if you can relate to this post at all, at least check out the trailer to Nursery University. It looks hilarious in an appalling sort of way.

Galante Strawberry at the Farmers' Market

I've been arriving to the farmers' market later than I'd like these days, which means I'm not getting some of the tasty treats I yearn for. Today, however, was a treat. I ran out of money before I ran out of wonderful options.

The best strawberries (in my humble opinion ;-) at the Wednesday market in Santa Monica are at Rutiz Farms. They're the only ones to sell the galante variety, and ... WOW! The difference between grocery store strawberries and farmers' market strawberries is dramatic. The word styrofoam comes to mind. And the difference between other strawberries and the galante? Ka-Pow!! Now don't get me wrong. The seascape and gaviota berries are nice, as are the other varieties that I'm sure are out there. But every time I taste the galante, I feel special. Like I've been let in on a delicate little secret. So shhhhh! But if you're in the neighborhood, do try them.

If you're wondering about it, I found an old article from Sage Restaurant that discusses the 'Galante.'

"Jerry Rutiz’s roadside strawberry stand attracts all the locals around his rural-residential corner of Arroyo Grande. That’s because he sells a variety called ‘Galante’ that a friend of his bred just for sweetness. It’s a garden variety without a long shelf life. It won’t last a week to ten days in a shipping container like commercial varieties, so it sells well in Europe, where markets are closer to the growers. It also yields less fruit, but since it was developed from older, more resistant varieties, it can be grown pesticide free—unlike commercial types, whose less disease-resistant roots only do well in fumigated soil. Chef Rich waited and waited to put strawberries on the menu until the sweetest, locally grown ones became available, and he buys them from Jerry at the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market. When you taste Sage’s strawberry ice cream or strawberry rhubarb turnovers you’ll thank them both for taking a stand."

Changing Your Look

This is kinda cool for locals.

Allen Edwards Salon, where haircuts usually start at $70, offers $25 haircuts in Woodland Hills and Brentwood, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, respectively.

For $25, You Can Change Your Look

Recipe: Green Zebra Gazpacho Soup

Here's a recent find from The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook, by Amelia Saltsman. I've had this book for over a year, but I always seem to find some lovely treat when I'm in the mood for something new. A favorite then, a favorite today.

Case in point, Gazpacho. The name doesn't do it for me, and the thought of a cold tomato soup feels...well, kinda blagh. But I keep forgetting that because it's a raw soup, it's almost more like a salad than a soup. The flavors are so fresh, and when you leave the right amount of texture, there's even that bit of crunch in each spoon. I had gazpacho in Spain, and it completely changed my perception of it. But I left that behind when I left Spain. I decided to give it another chance with this recipe as my inspiration, and I'm hooked again!

There's a decent amount of prep work involved in this recipe, the worst of which involves the tomatoes. As for everything else, remember that it's all going to get blended in the end, so don't worry too much about chopping. Oh, and when you do start blending, cover up. This soup has more jump than Splash Mountain.

You have been warned.

Lastly, flavors are best when the soup is left to sit for a bit, so don't plan on eating it right away. And because it's served cold, leave seasoning for when you're about to serve. Cold food needs more seasoning.

Green Zebra Gazpacho
2 lbs ripe Green Zebra or Evergreen tomatoes
2 Persian cucumbers (about 10 ounces total)
1 small white onion, coarsely chopped
1 cup seedless green grapes
2 cups torn, crust-free, stale French bread
Juice of 2 limes
1/2 to 1 small jalapeno chile, cut into small pieces
Leaves from 8 to 10 sprigs cilantro
Leaves from 8 to 10 sprigs mint
2 tablespoons canola or other mild cooking oil
Kosher or sea salt
1 1/2 cups water
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch dice
Snipped fresh chives for garnish

Peel and seed tomatoes, reserving the juices that collect in the bowl. Coarsely chop the tomatoes and add them to the bowl. Peel the cucumbers, cut them in half lenthwise, and use the tip of a spoon to scrape out the seeds. Cut the cucumbers into chunks and add them to the bowl. Stir in the cucumbers, onion, grapes, bread, juice of 1 lime, 1/2 chile, cilantro, mint, oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and water.

Puree the soup with a stand blender, leaving the texture a little chunky. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt. If the soup is not zesty enough, grind the remaining 1/2 chile with a little of the soup and stir it into the soup. Garnish each serving with the avocado, chives, and an extra sprinkling of salt.

Summer at the Farmers' Market

Oh, how I love the farmers' market during the summer. Well, I love it and hate it. There's so much beautiful food, that I have to work hard to stay on my list. It's really quite easy to overspend. My summer downfall: fruit.

Cherry season is about mother's day through father's day, so they're long gone. But they overlapped nicely with peaches, my current obsession.

My favorite peach stand has the best peaches, nectarines, plums I've ever had. Ever. High end local restaurants haul away crates of Fitz's fruit, but he always has time to shoot the breeze and answer my silly questions. He's big into grilling his peaches these days. His recommendation is to take a full-flavored peach, which is usually a yellow fleshed peach; their acid content provides a more balanced flavor than white peaches, which tend to be much sweeter. Cut it in half, and take the pit out. Add a few drops of balsamic vinegar and smear it on the flesh. Put the peach flesh side down on the grill and cook it for 3-5 minutes. Flip it and cook it on the skin side for another 3-5 minutes. Feel free to add a few more drops of balsamic vinegar, and serve.

When we grill peaches, we don't bother with the balsamic. Honestly, they're so good they just don't need it. We grill them, and if you have some pound cake lying around, toast some up on the grill. Pour over a little honey, syrup, cream, ice cream...whatever floats your boat. The result...O...M...G...So simple, so easy, so delicious. How did I not know about this sooner? I'd be bitter if I wasn't so happy.

But now I find out Fitz is only expecting to be at the market for another couple of weeks. This saddens me. Last year, I went cold turkey on peaches when his season ended. I actually did a little dance when I saw him this year, and I've been loyal all summer. I suspect I'll be peachless again once his season ends. He's truly spoiled me with those Carmen Mirandas nectarines.

PhotoStory Friday: Santa Monica Parade

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

We don't get some things here in Santa Monica. Parades are one of those things. I guess someone figured that we needed to partake in parade season. So for the second year in a row, the Annual Santa Monica Fourth of July Parade. MetaDaddy led the way with MetaToddler, and we got lost in the fray, so I didn't get to see the wee little reactions. But I know they were probably entertaining. I mean, the kid goes nuts when he sees a mee maw (i.e., fire truck) driving quietly down the street. Nevermind when the sirens are blaring.

On that note, our humble little parade.


That Santa Monica tractor being put to good use again.


And the requisite Prius for all Santa Monica events. Sometimes, I think there are more Priuses than residents in Santa Monica.


And of course, no parade is complete without a "mee maw."

Hope you all had a great July 4th!

Los Angeles: Discounted Baby & Kid Gear

If you're in the Los Angeles area, here are a couple of bargain-hunter's dreams that might come in handy for keeping your wee one's closet and toy chest brimming with joy.

California Kids Consignment
May 30 - June 1 (Friday-Sunday)
Where: Residence Inn Marriott - Conference Center
25320 The Old Road, Santa Clarita, CA 91381
This sale has been much farther west in the San Fernando Valley in the past, but is now trying out Santa Clarita for a change. Sellers hand their gently used stuff over to them, the stuff sells at very reasonable prices (some toys are new in the package), and the seller gets their money. They have tons of clothes, as well as toys, cribs, chairs, etc. What's left of their stock is 50% off on Sunday. It's too late to sell for this sale, but if you're thinking about it, you might want to check it out for future sales (~4 times/year). Click through for more details on buying, selling, or just plain browsing. Warning: It can get very, very busy. Just show up with cash (or MC/Visa for a $0.50 fee) in hand and a fistful of patience.

Flap Happy Outlet Store
May 30-31 (Friday-Saturday)
Where: 2330 Michigan Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90404
This store carries a selection of great hats for protecting wee delicate skin from the sun. They also carry clothes, swim suits, etc., though given the ridiculously bright colors and patterned prints, they tend to work more for girls than boys. That said, I've found some great stuff for MetaBoy, and all at bargain prices. This weekend from 10QM-5PM, they're having an annual sale where they slash their outlet prices. Mmm...sale...

Santa Monica: The Good, the Bad, and the Diva

Santa Monica's great, when it isn't being an overpopulated diva.

Things that have bugged me recently:

• I went tour a preschool. A person in our group asked "I was told to come do the tour because we're trying to get pregnant. At what point can I actually apply?" Apparently, getting on the wait list in utero is not uncommon.
• I parked on a street where the sign said something like *no parking from 7-2, except by permit.* This isn't uncommon. It's to discourage people from parking overnight unless they're residents. Well, that's how I read it, anyway. It turns out that it was 7AM to 2AM. WTF?!? Why not just say "No Parking." That's what they mean. I mean, who's going to park there from 2AM until 7AM? So, ya...I got a ticket. I'm not the first, and I'm not the last. It's how the city makes the gagillion dollars that it uses to fund the meter maids.
  
• The local community college has a public parent & me swim class. It's a nice idea, except there are 40 spots for thousands of interested residents. At least that's what the most unhelpful employee told me. He couldn't have cared less about my questions, nor about my application. Apparently, just submitting the thing was an exercise in futility.
• How much does an annual membership for a family membership to the YMCA cost in other places? Here? $900.

But on the bright side, cherries are in season at the farmers' market. The season is essentially mothers' day to fathers' day. And the peaches...oh, the peaches are marvelous. I haven't had a nectarine since last July, and I've been jonesing for one like you wouldn't believe. It turns out it was absolutely worth the wait.

And I heard on the radio the other day that the wait list for getting a pothole fixed in the city of Los Angeles is about 85 years. I kid you not. Here, if I call and complain about a street lamp on the blink, pothole, or any similar problem, it's usually fixed within a week. Big difference!!

Still, ugh.

Around the Internet

ABC news video on helping kids sleep: Parents Prolong Problem Sleepers - It turns out that it's really important to teach babies to fall asleep on their own because it impacts their sleeping habits as adults, too. It makes sense, doesn't it? From what I've learned, everyone occasionally wakes a little in the middle of the night, so it's not unusual that a baby does it. But if he can sooth himself back into sleep instead of relying on his parents, he's better off...heck, everyone is! Personally, MetaToddler's ability to self-sooth has been crucial in his tendency to sleep through the night, and we consider ourselves tremendously lucky. Especially after those first few (um...6? 9? 12?) brutal months.

Fat isn't flavor - A clever commentary negating the common phrase "fat is flavor." There are a lot of wonderful, beautiful, delicious flavors that make for mouth-watering treats. Do they replace fat? No. Does fat replace them? Duh. No.

Santa Monica to ban the bag - Santa Monica's all abuzz with the the progress to ban the one-use plastic bag and biodegradable plastic-like bags. Paper bags would still be allowed, but ideas are being thrown around to reduce their use (e.g., a small fee). A halt in the waste of the bags at supermarkets and farmers' markets alone would be a huge improvement, so I'm really looking forward to see this pass.

First Puzzles via Dooce - Oh, I so have to get these. How cute is the Peter Rabbit one!?! Um, for MetaToddler, of course ;-)

Santa Monica Farmers' Market: Frank

I was saddened to hear of the passing of a farmer at the Santa Monica Farmers' Market. Tsugio Imamoto, who I knew as Frank, had one of the smaller stalls, but had some really nice produce. I made it a point to seek him out every Wednesday. His mint was the best, in my humble opinion.

I didn't know him as long as so many other shoppers loyal to the FM. I regret not having gotten to know him better. An old article in the Santa Monica Mirror mentions a few things about him as a Japanese American. His father brought the family from Hawaii to California, where they learned to farm. He spent years at Manzanar during World War II, where he met his wife. And he lived his 80 years as a farmer in Southern California with his big family, which includes 10 grandkids. What a life!

I miss seeing his table. We will be making a donation to a charity in his memory.

My sincere condolences to his family, friends, and everyone who will miss his stand every Wednesday.

A Beach, A Book, and A Pie

A day filled with interesting novelties for us.

• Went for a walk on the beach and actually walked on sand. It was too cold for us to get in the water, though that didn't stop local surfers from taking the challenge. Instead, we scurried up and down the sand with our camera. Once MetaBaby got used to walking on the wettish sand, he was running and giggling like a pro.
  
  
• I'm in the groove of my bookclub book, Middlesex. After having it on our "maybe" list for years, we finally gave in. It's a great read, and I'm at that stage where it's hard to put it down. In another lifetime, I'd be staying up until the crack of dawn to finish it.
  
  
• We made Nigella Lawson's Chicken Pot Pie. It wasn't quite express as far as I'm concerned, but it was really tasty. In terms of prep, we only had to chop the bacon, mushrooms, chicken, and coat the chicken in a flour & thyme mixture. Honestly, the hardest part was managing to get the puff pastry on the ready dish.

Don't you love weekends?

Fun in Downtown Santa Monica

All sorts of fun stuff happening in Downtown Santa Monica. From a man-made ice skating rink, to a snow hill, it looks like the city's trying to bring everyone here for a good time. No, seriously...everyone!

Sure, it sounds like fun, but get there early to avoid traffic, as it's usually intense without this fanfare. You've got restaurants, movies, shopping, and the beach all within blocks. And now, snow in 70 degree weather. What more could you ask for?

Note: While this all sounds like fun, I will not say I'm proud of Santa Monica's efforts. Some events, like the ice rink, all seem like a significant and unnecessary drain on energy and resources. For a city that proclaims itself to be green and eco-friendly, I don't see how these actions fit with that model.

Oh, and it's brought to you by Starbucks.

Los Angeles Air Quality

We went to Carson this morning to visit Ikea. It was a relatively quick trip as we had to pick up something to finialize MetaBaby's costume (ooo...exciting!!), but it always feels like a journey. Everything does when you take the 405. You never know if you'll get stuck in traffic and end up cursing your stupid decisions. Not that I'm one to regret things...I'm just saying.

What struck me was the air. It's not very pleasant in Santa Monica right now, but we can walk to and from the car without gagging. I can't say the same for Carson. When I got out of the car, I smelled smoke. It was bad. I practically sprinted to and from the store (with my wee lad, of course). I feel like I can still smell it, but that's probably my paranoia playing games with me. Not cool, paranoia. Not cool.


I was a little surprised at how bad the air quality seemed in Carson. Yet, it made sense when I thought about it. The erratic winds push all of the smoke westward. As you can see from these pictures, coastal cities are heavily affected, and much like with the fires, there's little predictability of impacted areas.




Imagine being in the line of a smoke of that Malibu fire. Or any fire for that matter.

That said, my obvious concern is for MetaBaby. LA Public Health suggests that sensitive groups (e.g., elderly, very young) avoid prolonged exposure at this time. As a result, we've been avoiding being outdoors, and will continue to do so until the dust settles, so to speak.

Traffic in America

Averages are so much more succinct when they're spread out over the year. Consider this.

Commuters in Los Angeles experience the worst congestion in America, resulting in an average delay of 72 hours per year. It was followed by Atlanta, San Franscisco, Washington and Dallas.

Personally, having been born and bred here, I'm used to the traffic. I don't like it, but I'm used to it. We're lucky enough to live in Santa Monica which means we're usually driving against traffic, though we're not immune. I know that going anywhere after 3PM is a gamble. And there had better be a really good reason to brave traffic once 5PM rolls around because there is no question as to the severity of traffic. I don't like driving far on Thursdays or Fridays. This is my life.

But traffic is bad everywhere, and its only getting worse. More people are commuting farther distances on an aging network of highways that aren't built to sustain this level of traffic. And many cities, Los Angeles included, have mediocre public transportation. The whole thing spells disaster.

Happy Driving!

Santa Monica Vegans

I have a pretty hard time managing to feed our 3-person household healthy food, while being conscious of both cost and ingredients. And we're not even vegetarians. I can't imagine how this person does it.

The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook

After much hemming and hawing, I finally decided to get The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook, by Amelia Saltsman. My initial hesitation was because I worried that despite cooking often and having access to the same farmers' market, I would find the recipes too difficult or labor intensive. Well, I'm glad I bought it. There is a degree of labor involved, but nothing too scary. A bit of chopping, mixing of dressings/sauces, and other such prep work, but that's to be expected. I have found no recipes that start "Day One."

To date, I've made the following, all of which have been successful:

• Shrimp, Mango, and Avocado Salad
  
• Melon, Cucumber, and Mint Salad
  
• Tomato and Cucumber Bread Salad
  
• Indian-Style Cauliflower Soup with English Peas
  
• Halibut with Fennel
  
• Roast Pork Loin with Red Currants and Provencal Herbs

She designed the book so that with the exception of certain pantry items, everything can be purchased at this particular farmers' market. In the back of the book, she breaks down the recipes and crops by season. Several topical informational references on foods like citruses, apples, and tomatoes are included, which provide the reader with an understanding of how to choose and work with the best ingredients at his/her disposal. You'll also get tips on how to shop at the market, basic kitchen techniques, ideal pantry items, and so on.

Overall, I've gotten some great recipes and culinary ideas out of this book, as well as a greater appreciation for the changing supply of food I find at the market. As a relatively new FM shopper, I'm used to having certain foods year-round, so the lack of certain foods as seasons change is quite a dramatic thing for me to accept. It's nice to have a bit of information on when to expect certain foods, and even better, how to use new and unknown foods like sapote (a "custardlike South American native with hints of pineapple, citrus, and banana"). I'll let you know how that one goes ;-)

As for our favorite recipe thus far, here it is. It was so good, I made the salad 3 times so we could use up the dressing. Once without shrimp, once without basil, each time delicious! The dressing feels very Thai, which we love, and the mango and lime compliment each other very well. On that note, this past week was the last of the mango crop at the market, which saddened me. Hence, the picture...golden, delicious lovelies.

Shrimp, Mango, and Avocado Salad
1 large mango, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 tablespoons canola or other mild cooking oil
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
Grated zest and juice of 2 limes
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Thai chile paste
1 pound shrimp, grilled or boiled and peeled
1 large head butter lettuce, torn
1 cup sugar snap peas, strings removed and cut into bite-sized pieces
3 green onions, including several inches of green, thinly sliced
1 Reed or other avocado, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup small cherry tomatoes, preferably Sun Gold, stemmed
1/2 cup each fresh mint and basil (preferably Thai or opal) leaves, torn
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, torn

To make the dressing, put one-forth of the mango, the oil, vinegar, lime juice, fish sauce, and chile paste in a blender and process until smooth. You should have 1 cup; set aside.

Place the shrimp, lettuce, peas, green onions, avocado, tomatoes, remaining mango, lime zest, basil, mint, and cilantro leaves in a large bowl. Toss the salad with just enough of the dressing to coat well. Reserve the rest for another use; it will keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

How To Choose Mangoes: Seek out fragrant, smooth-skinned fruits that give a little (like a ripe avocado) when cupped in your hand. Ripe mangoes will keep on the counter for up to 1 week, and in the refrigerator for up to 1 month with some dehydration (skin will start to shrivel).

I have yet to see a bad review of the book. Here are a few others I've found: Cook's Library, Sustainable Table, The Boston Globe, and an interview on Good Food.

Peet's Legacy

Oh, the whole coffee thing is so amusing. Sure you need your cup of joe, but the prices some places charge is just highway robbery. But some people need it. I'm fortunate enough to not be one of those people, so I'm not going to pretend to relate. I've been caffeine-free for a long time now (thanks to MetaBaby), but my husband's not. He's a scary man before his cuppa. Not scary, scary...but you're better off talking to him after, or at least during his morning coffee. And if he's getting ready for work, just get out of the way. He's in work-mode and you're just likely going to get steamrolled. He's mellowed since MetaBaby, though, so mornings aren't as dramatic as they used to be.

So, he needs his coffee. And his coffee of choice is Peet's, which is fortunate because there are a couple of Peet's in Santa Monica. It's pretty strong coffee, though, so it's not everyone's cup of...err...tea. Well, I just heard that the founder, Alfred Peet, passed away. An obituary to the man who fed Starbucks their wee little coffee beans in their infancy.

"His reputation in the coffee business was well in place in 1971, when he was approached by a group of entrepreneurs who asked him to provide his roasted beans for their new venture, Starbucks, in Seattle.

"Peet supplied us with roasted coffee, and he taught me how to roast coffee," Baldwin said. "He was very generous."

There ya go. So if you like Starbucks, he's why.

Why I Like KCRW

KCRW is a great local radio station. It's public radio, and the varied schedule of shows keeps my curious mind entertained all day. Personally, I've always been one to have the radio on (I'm not a fan of silence), and commercial pop stations tend to bore me with the same music on rotation. News stations tend to spew the same news in cycles, too. KCRW, however, airs a fun and diverse music selection in the morning, followed by news and other talk shows until the evening when music starts again. I'm sure I sound like an ad, but when I like something, I like it lots :-)

As a public radio station, they depend on donors to contribute to their operating costs. My husband and I each pledge, and have been doing so for years. It's not entirely altruistic, though. They offer "premiums" on the air, donors call in and pledge the amount for that item, and everyone wins. The station, the donor, and the business that offered the premium (e.g., advertising). For example, a gift certificate of perhaps $35 or $50 to a particular restaurant might go for a pledge of $50. With that pledge, the station gives you a discount card that we actually take advantage of. There are some cute kids stores offering discounts, though most are a bit pricey for my taste. There are a few cooking classes which I'd really like to try, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. That and a sewing class...I REALLY need to learn to sew. Museum discounts are also enticing, though moreso when our little guy's a little older. We mostly take advantage of restaurant discounts (~10-15%) on places that we would have gone to regardless of the discount.
The other perk is that if you listen, which I do, they have giveaways throughout the day. They usually have 5 of something (e.g., CDs, pair of tickets) available to the first 5 members who call in. In the past, I've won pairs of tickets to concerts (some were sold out), CDs, and admission to a wine tasting with snacks.

Between the money we save with our discount card, the loot we've carted off, and the daily value the station provides us with on a daily basis, I figure we've more than recouped our contributions.

Each of their programs is online, too. Which means that if I miss an interesting news segment, I can catch it later. It also means that if you're interesting in tuning in, you can :-)

To listen online, click on one of the boxes at the top of their website. Fair warning: They're in the middle of a pledge drive, which is what motivated me to write this post. So if you listen between now and Monday 8/13 (I think), you won't be getting a good sampling of the station's offerings.