Chef Connie Tran’s bi-monthly pop-up exploring Vietnamese food traditions brings together classic Vietnamese dishes with a smattering of twists that a Vietnamese grandma probably wouldn’t approve of, in a good way. Filing my second Scouting Report, “BEP Kitchen is for Vietnamese food lovers seeking to go beyond pho,” on the Los Angeles Times‘ Daily Dish. Bon appetit.
Making preserves has always held a fascination for me, but so far I’ve shied away because it seemed like such a to-do. To avoid the fussiness of traditional jam making, Ruth Reichl suggests making small, “dangerously delicious” batches that can be consumed within the span of a few weeks, thus eliminating all need for special materials and specific methods. Win, win. I’m in.
After procuring two pounds of apricots and setting aside an evening without commitments, I set out to make my first lazy man’s jam. First, I pulled apart the fruit using my bare hands, leaving the skins on and removing the pits, then I made a simple syrup and macerated half the fruit in it. More fruit, a whole vanilla bean, and a squeeze of lemon juice later, I had a dangerously delicious apricot jam on my hands. I couldn’t believe how awesomely simple it all was.
The Astronomer and I have been slathering this stuff on everything from traditional toast to gio chao quay (Chinese fried crullers). The crullers’ salty notes play well with the jam’s intrinsic sweetness. Additionally, I’ve been jazzing up my plain Greek yogurt with a generous dollop.
This jam is our jam.
Pull apart the apricots using your hands, leaving the skins on and removing the pits.
Stir the sugar and water together in a small heavy bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring until clear, 1-2 minutes. Add half the apricots to the syrup. Simmer until they disintegrate, stirring, for about 10 minutes.
The gift of goat is one that keeps on giving—just ask The Astronomer. In celebration of his 29th birthday this past June, I planned a wood-fired goat supper at Chef Andrew Kirschner‘s Tar & Roses in Santa Monica.
I’d previously dined here when the restaurant first opened and had a splendid time grazing over small plates. I was excited to be back, with three scientists in tow, to partake in this festive family-style dinner.
Since we were celebrating something pretty special, our table shared a bottle of the Cascina Ca’ Rossa ($56), an Italian red made of Nebbiolo grapes. We thought it appropriate since the restaurant is named after the tasting notes characteristic of wines made from these grapes.
Supper, which was priced at $44 per person, began with a very delicious charred gem lettuce salad with crispy pancetta, dried dates, and pungent blue cheese. There were smiles all around with this starter.