Elf Cafe

The latest and greatest Eastside LA restaurant (that has food I can eat) goes to (drumroll please).....

Elf Cafe!!!

http://elfcafe.com/☼

Truly outstanding. I had the pleasure of eating dinner at this Echo Park restaurant last night with a group of friends. Even though I was the only one with strict dietary requirements, everyone loved their food.

The menu is all vegetarian. And most dishes are vegan and gluten-free. Everyone's meal had such rich and earthy flavors. (The photo above is of their Stuffed Mediterranean Dolma.) The menu has no fake meat. Everything is all-natural and beautifully prepared. Great atmosphere to boot.

I will happily be returning, and quite possibly skipping all the way.

Chapter 16: Smashing Pumpkins

Autumn is undoubtedly my favorite season of the year. I'm pulled towards cool weather, overcast days, football, soup, and root vegetables. I love love love root vegetables! Potatoes, carrots, beets, garlic, sweet potatoes, yams and onions. Yum!

Did you know that these food plants are not annuals, but rather biennials? This means it takes 2 years to complete its biological lifecycle. They intend to grow all summer from a seed, lay low through the winter, then flower the following spring. In order to fulfill such a destiny, they store the sugars they've manufactured all summer in a bulky tuber or bulb that hides underground waiting for spring. In essence, we are cheating them out of their intended destiny by uprooting these root crops for our culinary pleasure.

...So be it.

Today's Rewards

Lo and behold, I made it to the Los Feliz Farmers' Market before yoga today! Phew...

Apples, Brussel Sprouts, Corn, Sweet Potatoes, Spinach, Carrots, Garlic, Potatoes, Broccoli, Eggplant, Yellow Squash, Zucchini, Eggs, Green Beans, Shallot, and Pumpkin. And yes, I will eat all of this in one week.

Rock n' Roll Marathon

When I literally woke up to a marching band outside my bedroom window this morning, I shot out of bed and went exploring outside in my pajamas to investigate this peculiarity. I discovered a half marathon route right on my street. So cool. These things are generally designated to the Westside, so I was thrilled to eat my breakfast outside and watch the runners go by.

That was until I tried to drive to the Farmers' Market and realized it was truly impossible to drive West. And then once I resigned to the fact that I couldn't go to the Market, for the life of me, I couldn't figure out how to get home. Suddenly the Marathon was really cramping my style. So today has become the first Sunday since I began this blog, that I couldn't make it to the Market. What will I do for the next week of food? Stupid Marathon.

Artisanal LA

http://artisanalla.com/

I'm so bummed to have to miss Artisanal LA this weekend. Please go for me and share any information you can with me after. Also, I will take an apron. Thanks!

Today's Rewards

Beets, Honeydew, Parsley, Fingerling Potatoes, Apples, Lemon, Corn, Eggs, Tomato, Broccoli, Asian Pear, and Zucchini.

How lucky am I?!

Ayurveda

As I have been training to be a yoga teacher for the last seven weeks, the term Ayurveda has presented itself in a number of different ways throughout my studies. Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word meaning the "science of life" and is a system of medicine native to India. Ayurveda is grounded in the belief that everything in the Universe (including the human body) is composed of the 5 elements: earth, water, fire, air, and ether. It deals elaborately with processes of healthful living based on balancing the 3 Doshas of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Each person embodies a unique combination of the Doshas and by bringing them into balance we help achieve our optimum health. Means of balancing the Doshas is largely through diet but also includes a number of varying lifestyle choices.

It turns out I'm Pitta Vata.

How about you? Take this short quiz at the following link and learn tips to achieve your optimal balanced health.

http://www.banyanbotanicals.com/constitutions/index.html

Butternut Squash Cubed

So last week I posted on how to roast a butternut squash. But while enjoying my tasty squash, I found that I didn't know what to do with the rind on the squash sections. Sometimes I might just want my roasted squash cubed. You know? Here's how to do it...

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Slice the stem and the bottom of the squash. With a strong vegetable peeler, remove and discard the squash's skin.

3. Cut the squash in half down the middle. Remove and discard the seeds.

4. Cube squash and place on baking sheet lined with foil.

5. Liberally drizzle with olice oil and season with salt, If desired, sprinkle with herbs or drizzle with honey or syrup. Toss to combine.

6. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes (tossing once to rotate) until the squash is tender.

Today's Rewards

Kale, Carrots, Eggs, Butter Lettuce, Spinach, Fingerling Potatoes, Onion, Reed Avocado, Heirloom Tomato, Peaches, Corn, Cilantro, and Butternut Squash.

Butternut Squash

One of my thrills in the kitchen as the weather begins to change is roasting vegetables. Here's a simple guide to how to roast one of my favorites...butternut squash. Bring on Autumn!

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a piece of aluminum foil and spray liberally with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Using a sturdy knife, cut the stem portion from the squash and cut it lengthwise in half.

3. Scrape the seeds and pulp from the center of the squash and discard. Cut each portion in half again to make 4 wedges.

4. Place the wedges on the baking sheet with the cut side up. Coat each piece of squash with melted butter or drizzled olive oil.

5. Make sweetened roasted squash by sprinkling with brown sugar and cinnamon. Make savory roasted squash by sprinkling with salt and pepper and herbs of your choosing (rosemary is good!)

6. Cover pan with foil and roast for 45 to 50 minutes or until tender. Ladle syrup over the sweetened wedges prior to serving. Enjoy!

Today's Rewards

Banana Chips, Butternut Squash, Peaches, Broccoli, McArthur Avocado, Tomato, Almonds, Corn, Garlic, Eggs, Lemon, Eggplant, Herb Salad.

Squash Blossoms

Have you ever eaten a squash blossom? I had never tasted or even seen this beautiful edible flower until visiting the Hollywood Farmers Market a couple weeks ago. I was instantly drawn to these beauties. The vendor explained to me that they are often prepared by being stuffed with cheese and fried. Although this sounds WONDERFUL, alas, I am currently not including any dairy in my diet. I didn't buy any blossoms that day but I did not forget about them.

With a little interested research, I discovered that there are male and female blossoms of both winter and summer squash varieties. The male blossoms appear at the end of a thin stem and in food preparation, you must remove the stamens first from the blossoms. The female blossoms form at the end of the buds that grow into the squash and are often harvested with the tiny, baby squash still attached. Squash blossoms are extremely perishable and once harvested, only have a shelf life of a couple days (if you are lucky.)

So, lo and behold, I saw a squash blossom salad on Animal's menu shortly thereafter. It was scrumptious and I knew I must go back to the Hollywood Farmers' Market asap to purchase some and throw them in my next non-dairy meal. Suddenly all the stars aligned when I went last weekend and they were available (the male, summer variety) and the vendor suggested I throw them in my eggs. So I took her advice and included them in a veggie scramble I had for dinner last week. They truly were wonderful and so pretty. I recommend you do not miss an opportunity to try these delicately tasty flowers.