Forbidden Fruit

Next up in my garden of dreams and reality is the wonderful, bodacious Pomegranate. Oh the Pomegranate---there are plenty of words that come to mind when I think about this extraordinary fruit. Bold. Vibrant. Passion. Luscious. Sensual. Sexy. Promise. Unique. You just feel good inside and out each time you indulge in this beautiful, special fruit. The Pomegranate tops as one of my favorite fruits. I always look forward to it every year around this time. I'm glad its juice is being used more often nowadays and that people are really taking advantage of its flavor, beauty, and many health benefits.

Quick facts on the fruit I would say most people are in love with:

♥ There are different varieties of the Pomegranate: The more known Pomegranate (Red to deep purple), Black Pomegranate, and the White Pomegranate
♥A very popular fruit and addition to many dishes in the Middle East, India, and the Mediterranean. Later shined in the United States in early 2000
♥In season towards the end of September through winter; Picture above was taken in August and not ready to be picked
♥The flavor of Pomegranate is, when fresh and ripe, very sweet. Of course there are different varieties that offer different flavors from very sweet--tart--bitter
♥High in Vitamin B, C, Potassium, and Polyphenols
♥"The forbidden fruit"
♥Symbol of abundance, fertility, marriage, and good luck
♥"Grows in the garden of paradise"
♥Used for natural dyeing (ALWAYS remember that once a Pomegranate stains, you can't get it off! I say when you eat it, wear something that you don't mind getting messy in if you aren't an expert Pomegranate eater such as myself!)

I am going to make this short and sweet...

Buy the fruit from your local supermarket if you don't have the tree and add to many wonderful dishes and desserts such as:

-Breads, drinks, soups, salads, main courses, appetizers, sweets, gravy, sauces, and garnishes to many dishes
-Turn Pomegranate juice into gravy and sauces to compliment any meat dish.

I did look online and found a recipe I really would like to try: Mango Pomegranate Guacamole on epicurious.com. Doesn't that sound just lovely and different!

And honestly, I do have many Pomegranate recipes but I do not use them and that is why I am not listing any particular recipes to try out. They are easily available online throughout many food websites and in cookbooks. My reason for this will be fully explained.

For those who are fortunate to have a pomegranate tree, this is what I do. The reason why I don't use any pomegranate recipes is because I just enjoy them! I enjoy pomegranates so much that I won't ever spend my time in the kitchen making something when I would rather JUST EAT THEM! I refuse to mess with them! You have to be lucky to get the perfect pomegranate tree to do this. I have seen many houses in my area who do have the tree but whose owner lacks in the knowledge of taking care of it. My neighbors tree produces more than my own, but they are smaller, yellow, and don't ripen up to their potential. They end up being sour. While my own are huge, very sweet, and it is heartbreaking when the tree is empty! So with the above said, the tree requires some special tlc for it to grow and bloom to its fullest potential. The more tlc you give, the more love you get! And I can't wait to see how much lovin' I'm getting this year! I'm thinking they will be ready to eat by the beginning to mid-October! Oh yeah!

So there you have it! If you have the tree and it produces flavorful pomegranates, just eat them! And if you don't, buy the tree! Trust me, this is a money-saver and a smart investment. When in the kitchen, I guess it's your own preference if you want to add pomegranates to a dish. My opinion--The pomegranates at any supermarket are not as sweet to me and would much rather incorporate the store bought fruit into homemade dishes. But don't let that stop you from going to the store and experimenting in the kitchen.

All You Can Eat LOBSTER!

Every year around this time, millions of Maine lobsters are flown in to LA for the largest lobster festival in the world. The lobster is discounted making it impossible for you to not want to miss out on this great opportunity to stuff yourself with good Maine lobster. This year they are even trying to make a World Record for busting out more lobsters than ever before. They chose their day to make this happen: Saturday, September 19, 2009 and still waiting for their results if they made the record. I'm sure they did just that. I contributed to this yesterday!



I started coming here three years ago and have yet to be disappointed. I love the prices---$17 for one lobster and two-on-a-plate for $31, basically you get 2 lobsters for the price of 1. No complaints here! With these prices, I have no need to go to Red Lobster and spend ridiculous amounts of money for just half a lobster.

This year we did things differently. We came at night to see the action versus going during the day when it is crowded and very hot. Well, the night time is no different than the day. Just go when you can, there will be a full crowd at any time over the course of the weekend.

So it first starts with you getting onto 22nd and Marina to hop onto the trolley that takes you to the Port.




I just love the Old Fashioned Ads that they have all around the trolley.



Then you show them your discounted ticket that you found online, pay to get in, and while you are there, pay for your tickets for the food item you made the drive for--Lobster!

You can then check out what they are offering for that day. Plenty of different eats to suit those who do not eat lobster..SHOCKING I know! But I forgive if you do go to Lobsterfest with someone who does eat it. They also have art, concerts, the same ol' pirate show that we missed this year, and shops.



When we arrived to the Lobsterfest, they said it would be a two hour wait for the lobster. Apparently, they made a mistake and should have said it would be a wait for the funnel cakes! I thought this was Lobsterfest? When we arrived there, there was surprisingly no line for the lobsters but there was a huge one in front of the funnel cake stand. Okay then.

Of course always love the fresh squeezed lemonade.

After looking around the festival, this year I finally just bought the lobster hat! I know, I know, I'm weird, but I think it is fun to go a little crazy when you get there and I'm not the only one who did this!



So next up we finally have the lobsters! I got a total of six this year. The extra were requested by the fam, so here I have a "to-go" box for them.



Now the meal starts--my Lemonade and Two Maine Lobsters, which I was excited that this year I got bigger lobsters--which means, more meat! Oh and for the record, eat with your hands! This isn't fancy--fork and knife lobster weekend!



Seriously, look at that lobster on the left. Tell me that it isn't huge!

As requested by my friend Eunice, I really tried not to eat as slowly as I usually do with the lobster! Hey, I'm just trying to take it all in!

Well there you have it, the ride stops here.

Come back next year!



Lobsterfest is located at the Ports O' Call Village, Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, CA. http://www.lobsterfest.com/index.php

Tandoori Grill

2006 Best Food Award according to the LA Times. www.tandoorigrill.us
If Indian food is that good, I think I would like to go to India sooner than later!

My friend Nicole and I checked out Tandoori Grill yesterday to see what it is all about. And the fact I decided that I am no longer going to those restaurants that offer the same things everyday. I think I'd rather go to the restaurants that offer only one cuisine than a mix. I think it gives you the opportunity to try out new things and familiarize yourself more with that particular cuisine. And just the fact that the food is better too!

So this is how our dinner went...

Started off with a wonderful basket full of PAPADUM! Made up of Lentils flour with spices.



Here we have the lovely dipping sauces (clockwise from top left): Pickled turnips and carrots, Raita (Made up of yogurt, cilantro, cumin, mint, cayenne pepper, and garlic), and a sweet dipping sauce. I've never really been a fan of pickled turnips, the Raita was full of flavor, but the mint was a little overpowering, and I actually really enjoyed the sweet dipping sauce. Sweet, but not too sweet. We dipped our Papadum into the different accompaniments.



So while we were looking through the menu, we decided on ordering Garlic Naan. It's a leavened flatbread topped with garlic and herbs. It was good. And the fact that I knew I was going on a walk after didn't make me feel guilty at all after snacking on all that Papadum and Naan!



After looking through the menu, I realized I was having a hard time deciding on what I wanted to order! Not that it was hard to choose something because they didn't have variety, but because they have too much variety and I wanted it all! I went back and forth with the Tandoori Chicken, Achari Lamb Chops, Tandoori Prawn, Lamb Rogan Josh, Lamb Shahi Korma, Lamb Tikka Masala, Garlic Prawn, and everything with Prawn in it!

After a little deliberation, I decided to go with the Lamb Tikka Masala...AND WOW, I MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE! It was so delectable, so savory, so loving, made to perfection, and made my heart and my stomach VERY happy! One thing I'd like to point out is that it was not spicy at all, which I rather enjoyed being able to really take in the flavors of the dish. The lamb is cooked in tomato curry full of herbs and spices. Nicole tried it and loved it as well.



Nicole easily went with the Yellow Dal Tarka, a Vegetarian dish. She thoroughly enjoyed it. I tried it but found it to be quite spicy--too spicy for my taste. But it wasn't bad at all. It also came with rice, so we shared the rice for both dishes.




Prices are very reasonable. Service is wonderful and friendly. The atmosphere is chic, but gives you the feeling of openness to family and everyone who walks through their doors. I give it 5 hearts ♥♥♥♥♥. If you aren't able to fly over to India now, I really suggest going to the Tandoori Grill for now!

Basil Fresh From The Garden

I said I would make time to notice all the things my backyard offers and come up with fun recipes as a way to show that we should all take advantage of what we have in order to not only bring organic foods into our daily lives, but it is also a way of getting friends and family involved, save money, and appreciate fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

BASIL. I just absolutely love basil.

BASIL:
-Very aromatic, zesty, clove/mint, anise, licorice, cinnamon, lemon
-Pairs extremely well with tomatoes
-Aides in many health benefits--from the common cold to stomach issues
-Herbal Tea
-Salads
-Soups, Sauces, and Pestos
-Desserts
-Essential oils in perfumes
-Faithfulness
-Symbol of love
-Protects from the negatives in daily life, clears toxins, protects from infidelity in marriage
-I found that you should not use basil essential oils if you have liver problems, during pregnancy, or while breastfeeding---due to its high carcinogenic content. (http://www.answers.com/topic/basil, 2009). I did not know this at all. Learned something new today!

My thoughts on Basil.
I have always been in love with it's flavor. I prefer my basil fresh, not dried. I feel the freshness of the herb brings a dish to new and higher intensities than the use of dried basil. I read somewhere that basil is soon becoming a fad..I DON'T THINK SO. I think more people are realizing its flavor and utilizing it more. Me, I've always used it and definitely not something that I have recently picked up. I like trying new things and the one thing I have been curious to try lately is basil ice cream. I bet it is fantastic!

So I thought I would come up with recipes on my own for basil, but I really don't think I need to. Basil is easy to incorporate into many recipes or just make the many easy dishes that you can find all over the internet, food network, or cookbooks. So this is what I have in mind...

I love the combination of the tomato, basil, and mozzarella salad. There are some recipes that involve combining the ingredients and heating them through in the oven, and although I do like it this way, I prefer it fresh.

♥Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella Salad
Just slice tomatoes, top each tomato slice with a slice of fresh mozzarella, and top that off with fresh basil. Drizzle with olive oil and top with fresh cracked black pepper. Sometimes I like good balsamic vinegar on the side. You can also add lettuce to this salad, if desired.

♥We had fantastic Caprese Empanadas in Buenos Aires, Argentina and I would definitely recreate that meal. Find the recipe for empanada dough. Combine fresh tomatoes, fresh chopped basil, and mozzarella. Season with salt and freshly cracked pepper. Add to make the empanada whole and bake until nice and golden.

♥Plenty of internet recipes of Basil pesto.

♥Before baking pizza in the oven, top off with fresh basil.

♥Salmon (or Trout) Basil Tarragon Cream Sauce --I love this recipe!

Melt 2 T butter in large frying pan, cook fish (4 fresh pieces of salmon or trout, filleted and removed skin) for about 6 minutes total, turning once. When done, remove fish from pan and cover with foil to keep warm. Add 2 large, chopped scallions and a cucumber (that has been peeled, deseeded, and cut into sticks) into the pan, cook gently until soft. Remove from heat and stir in 1 tsp cornstarch. Return to heat and pour in 2/3 cup cream and 1/4 cup water. Simmer until thickened and continuously stir. Add 2 T chopped basil, 2 T chopped tarragon, and 1 tomato that has been chopped and deseeded, into the sauce. Season to taste with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Spoon over fish and serve with a carb/starch and colored veggies.

♥Salmon Risotto with Cucumber, Basil, and Tarragon

Heat 2 T butter in large saucepan, add a small bunch of chopped scallions and 1 cucumber (peeled, deseeded, and chopped). Cook for a couple minutes. Add 2 cups short grain rice, 3 3/4 stock, and 2/3 cup water. Boil than simmer uncovered for 10 mins, with occasional stirring. Stir in 1 lb diced salmon (or 2 cans of salmon), 3 T chopped basil, and 2 T chopped tarragon. Continue cooking, covered, for about 10-15 minutes. Then enjoy the goodness!

Those two recipes above came from 20-minute cookbook by Steven Wheeler. I changed up the recipes by actually adding the basil on my own and adjusting some ingredients and some of the amounts. Both family dishes, friendly dishes, and fancy/nice dishes.

♥I love basil pesto on top of cooked pasta. I also like adding chicken to it, freshly grated parmesan, and toasted garlic bread on the side.

♥I've heard Basil ice cream is good. I would suggest maybe looking for recipes or finding a restaurant that has it.

♥I saw a lovely Strawberry and Fig Basil Salad online

♥I also saw a Strawberry-Basil Iced Tea recipe online

♥Blueberry Basil Granita

♥Blueberry Basil Sauce and Pouched Salmon (I noticed there was honey in this recipe, so I'm thinking of substituting sugar or something else for it!)

♥Blueberry Basil Spritzer

♥Thai Basil Blueberry Crumble

♥Chicken Basil

♥Chicken and Basil Stir Fry

♥Grilled Beef with a Hot Basil and Chili Sauce

♥Roast Beef Blue Cheese Basil Sandwich

♥Duck with Peaches and Basil

♥Cinnamon Basil Pesto

♥Lemon Snow Pudding with Basil Custard Sauce

♥Honeydew with mint, basil, and lime

♥Search basil desserts at epicurious.com

Not only did I just search online for basil recipes, I also discovered new recipes that I have not ever tried and am completely willing to start researching into new ones and trying them out!

Now there you have it--no excuses! Plenty of ways of enjoying basil--through my favorites, recipes that I have, and by just playing around on the internet. Basil is a versatile herb and you can definitely just add it into plenty of dishes.