SHOULDER TO SHOULDER
We found ourselves in Los Angeles. Not abducted then released by aliens … but plane tickets. Nancy’s lovely guesthouse was available, and that is where I’d be getting my Amazon deliveries [wink].
David would stay for a few months for shoulder surgery and recovery; I’d be in town for 4 weeks, then go home … to herd cats and start this year’s summer garden. The cats were cooperative, but L.A. wasn’t the only place with excessive precipitation this year … rain, more rain, followed by additional rain postponed plowing, then delayed planting for a month.
Our first foray was to Long Beach. While David and Rich golfed, Leslie and I lunched at LOLA’S MEXICAN GRILL. Drizzling even now, we skipped the patio and sat at the bar, and enjoyed watching the lovely barmaid mix colorful and exotic drinks.
I enjoyed a Mango Avocado Salad piled high with romaine, real bacon, asparagus, toasted pistachios, queso fresco … plus pistachio vinaigrette on the side. Leslie picked the Citrus Crunch Salad with red cabbage, romaine, orange, avocado, cucumber, queso fresco, pepitas, blood orange vinaigrette. She loves creamy avocado dip (scooped by crispy corn chips), but some we-never-tell ingredient made it not guacamole, so I declined.
That evening for dinner with Leslie and Rich, we satisfied our notion of noodles at MANGOSTEEN VIETNAMESE.
David ordered an appetizer of Spring Rolls in a see-through wrapper. Though they were colorful and pretty, the tuna was puréed and dry, rather than chunky, and veggies uninspired.
Leslie and I both had a very good grilled salmon on rice noodles with lightly sautéed diced onion and bean sprouts; the flavorful broth was on the side, making it pho-adjacent. David and Rich enjoyed pho full of tender pork and dark greens in flavorful broth. Since the cilantro was boiled, rather than raw, the soapy taste was mild and pervasive.
A couple of rainy days later, we had dinner with Barbara and Peter at SHIN-SEN-GUMI HAKATA on Sawtelle Boulevard. We shared an assortment of Japanese and Asian-inspired dishes. The spicy tuna bowl was indeed too spicy for moi … the Hawaiian classic spam musubi was surprisingly good, with the rice offsetting the porkiness-saltiness of the famous ingredient … the Ramen with greens, mushrooms, ginger, and scallions was in a very flavorful (non-cilantro!) broth … a tender salmon filet was yummy with mango and sweet-soy glaze … a green gyoza had a too mild, nondescript flavor … the beef and pork gyoza were tasty, savory morsels. Surprisingly, they don’t have hot green tea (only iced) … regular tea sufficed to slake our thirst.
On Saturday afternoon, I went to lunch with Susan at PRIMA CANTINA in Pacific Palisades. I was happy with 3 salmon tacos with red cabbage, lime, rice, pickled onion, guacamole, and boiled pinto beans. Note to other restaurants: salmon in tacos, give it a think. Susan said her mahi mahi tacos were too spicy, but “ate around” the heat to happily enjoy her meal.
Sometimes get-togethers need to be quick, and I was so glad to see Olga … and hear her wonderful laugh … after years of just writing back and forth. We got together at the Pacific Palisades Village location of ALFRED’S COFFEE, where we enjoyed very good lattes … people-watching and reminiscing on a sunny afternoon. I remember when her son was born … a party when he was about 4 years old, and he gave all of us ladies a diamond ring (which I still have!) … he’s now a junior in high school.
3/27 … David & I heard the siren song of McCONNELL’S ICE CREAM became too strong to resist. We shared a large cup with rich Chocolate-Chocolate-Chocolate, flavorful (and espresso fleck-filled) Coffee, and irresistible Salted Caramel. The coffee reminded me of Baskin-Robbins/31 Flavors’ delicious, but rarely available, Espresso … my dad’s fave.
I drove up toward Mulholland for a girls lunch with Doreen at BEVERLY GLEN DELI. I knew I wanted rye bread, but it took me a few minutes to decide how to enjoy it. I opted for a ham and jack cheese patty-melt … it hit the classic sandwich spot all gooey/melty-porky/salty-chewy/carawayeee, and the accompanying French fries were nicely crispy. Doreen opted for Chinese Chicken Salad, and since I had been so enthusiastic about my bread pick, ordered some rye bread, too.
FARMSHOP at BRENTWOOD COUNTRY MART on 26th Street is where we met Wendy, an elementary school friend. She and I both had the fresh and flavorful Endive Chicken Salad. A colorful plate with radishes, peas, and bacon, it was a nicely unusual combination of crunches and flavors. David was super-happy with his generous grilled pastrami with cheese on rye, and enjoyed the coleslaw on the side.
Part-way through our trip, we had eaten across the globe.
To be continued …
OATMEAL COOKIES
8 oz. butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 oz. (2 Tbl.) milk
2–1/4 cups flour
2–1/2 cup oatmeal
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
Pinch salt
1 cup raisins
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (170° C). Line 2 cookie sheets with silpats.
- In a small bowl, combine flour, oatmeal, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar, then blend in eggs, vanilla, and milk.
- Stir in dry ingredients. Add raisins last.
- Using 2 teaspoons, scoop/shape into walnut-size pieces … drop onto cookie sheets.
- Bake for 7–8 minutes, until just firm … do NOT overbake (the cookies should remain soft).
Makes about 72 (6 dozen) cookies.
Enjoy!
