Foodie Friday

This is not a photo of this slaw....but I thought any photo is better than none!

Well, this yummy salad is sure fire!  Great for parties because….the cabbage holds up under the dressing!!  And the dressing by the way is the reason this colorful Asian inspired salad is such a hit.   I will give you the straight receipe and then my modified version in parenthesis.  I don’t have peanut butter around the house because my son is allergic to peanuts!

Real Recipe Dressing (with my comments)

6 T rice vinegar (I use seasoned rice vinegar and skip the sugar)

6 T vegetable oil

5 T creamy peanut butter (I omit)

3 T soy sauce  (I omit sometimes too and just add salt)

3 T brown sugar (packed) (I omit becuase I use seasoned vinegar)

2 T fresh ginger (I use even more…yum!)

1.5 T minced garlic (Inever measure garlic and I use tons)

 

And for the salad…. I often will add carrots or jicama…just because!  I also sometime use red onion.

5 C finely chopped green cabbage

3  C finely chopped red cabbage

2  large red or yellow peppers (or those mini peppers are great!) sliced thin

8  green onions into match stick strips

1/2 cup fresh chopped  cliantro  

It’s truly awesome all summer long.  Let me know what you think!

Food Friday!

Picnic Day Weekend!! What a great time to be in Davis! It is supposed to be a warm one this weekend in Davis, so here are a few suggestions we have to make the weekend more fun AND more stylish! First, we have been getting some great dresses in the store that will keep you cool throughout the weekend.

First we have a couple great dresses from Utility. Utility makes their pieces from canvas and are durable and super cute!

Then we also have a couple cute dresses made out of organic cotton from Prairie Underground.

We also got a really cute jacket from Prairie Underground that is sure to delight and be a great layer for the cool evenings.

In addition, we are expecting some cute sandals and flats from Melissa Shoes PLUS some great new sandal modeled after 1970′s clogs by a company called Hasbeens!

So, now that we have you covered on the clothing front, lets see if we can keep your thirst and dehydration at bay. While hanging out in the heat this weekend, maybe this fresh lemonade will help keep you cool.

Classic Lemonade

If you like, scrape the pulp from a couple of the mashed lemon slices into a picher to make a more pulpy lemondae. Adding one tablespoon on grenadine turns the lemondate pink and imparts extra sweetness!

Yields about 1 1/2 quarts, serves 6-8.

10-12 Medium Lemons, scrubbed well, halved pole-to-pole, all halves sliced thing

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

Pinch of table salt (optional)

5 cups cold water

Mash lemons and sugar (and salt if using) in large, deep bowl or saucepan with potato masher or wooden spoon until lemon slices give up their juice, sugar is dissolved, and juice is thickened to syrup consistency, about 4 minutes. Pour half the lemon clices and syrup through large sieve over bowl or saucepan; press on solids with masher or back of wooden spoon to release as much liquid as possible. Discard solids; transfer liquid to serving pitcher. Repeat process with remaining lemon slices. Stir in water until blended. Chill well and stir to blend before serving, over ice if desired.

Have a GREAT weekend! Stay cool! Have fun!

p.s We are closing for Picnic Day in order to enjoy a Davis tradition! So drop in today to stock up on cute dresses, and then we will see you Tuesday.

Foodie Friday.

We went, we saw, we conquered! Went down to La-La Land (Los Angeles) to buy for Fall and Winter, and it was a blast! It is always great to see our old friends at some of Five Figs Favorites (babette, Casch, Clu, Neesh, etc.), plus we are considering bringing in a few new fabulous lines that we think you are all going to love. We looked very carefully for great clothes, but we also were very conscience of prices given the current economic climate. But the designers made it easy for us to find awesome pieces at prices you will love. Days and hours in the showrooms, we think we put together a fall collection you will be happy with. In the meantime though, we are still in spring!! We were able to pick up a few pieces that will be delivered immediately. Look for a few pieces coming by Kerry Cassill, as well as some great “boyfriend” cut jeans from Level 99. This is on top of all the great things we have coming for spring already. 

Okay, so as Spring rolls in, fresh peas are beginning to make an appearance on the produce scene. We made this great risotto with a little grilled salmon, and served it with a Rochioli Sauvignon Blanc. Perfecto!

Risotto with Prosciutto and Fresh Peas

4 to 5 Cups homemade chicken stock or canned reduced sodium, reduced fat broth

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 leek, white part only, well rinsed and finely chopped

1 cup Carnaroli or Arborio rice

1.5 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, diced

3/4 cup dry white wine

1 cup young, tender shelled peas

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Extra Virgin Olive Oil for drizzling (optional)

Pour the stock or broth into a saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and adjust the heat to keep the liquid at a very gentle simmer throughout the making of the risotto. 

In a heavy 4-quart saucepan over medium heat, warm the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add leek and saute until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring often to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom and to make sure all grains are coated with hot oil, for 3 minutes. 

Add the prosciutto and continue to cook until softened, about 2 minutes longer. Then add the wine and cook, stirring, until it is completely absorbed. 

Add about 1.5 cups of the hot stock or broth to cover the rice barely. Stir to combine the ingredients, reduce the heat, and continue to simmer gently, stirring often. As the rice absorbs the liquid, stir in more simmering liquid, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring often. Continue to add the liquid, waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding more. Do not add more liquid than just enough to form a veil over the rice, and add it slowly. Never rush the process. The amount of stock or broth you will need will vary according to how the particular rice absorbs the liquid. Do not worry if you don’t need all the liquid.

After about 15 minutes, add the peas. Cook for 5 minutes more, then add the cheese. Taste for texture and seasoning. The rice should be loose and free of clumps and be firm yet creamy. The balance between liquid and grain is vital: too much stock and the rice will separate; too little and the rice will be sticky.

Transfer to a warmed serving dish an drizzle a little extra-virgin olive oil** over the top. Spoon into a warmed shallow bowl to serve. 

**We didn’t really like this step, so would opt out of it next time. But we wanted to let you know it was an option:-)

Happy Friday!!

Foodie Friday

For the last week or so we have had an absolute TON of lemons to contend with. But no complaints here, lemons are always a welcome treat as the months become warmer. Lately, we have been making a Meyer Lemon Marmalade that is the perfect blend of tart and sweet, and great on a piece of toast. But we were looking for an easy little dessert to offer friends on a warm evening with a glass of wine, and this recipe popped into mind. The great thing about this recipe is that you can interchange the marmalade with any spring fruit or jam that is coming into season. And of course, you can always buy jam or marmalade at the store or the Farmer’s Market. Paired with a Sauterne, this would make for a very pleasant evening!

Citrus Marmalade Tart7 Tbsp Sugar

6 Tbsp COLD butter

6 oz Flour

Dash of milk

1 1/2 cups citrus marmalade

Creme Fraiche

Preheat the oven to 400F. Grease a shallow 9-inch tart pan.

In a food processor, mix the sugar and butter until fluffy. Add flour until the dough forms coarse crumbs. Add milk and mix again. Press the dough into the tart pan until the surface is covered, forming a little rim all around. Bake for 20 minutes.

Take the pie crust out and lower the temperature to 350F. Pour in the marmalade and level with a spoon or spatula to cover the entire tart shell. Return to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, rotate and bake for another 10 minutes.

Let cool completely. Serve with a little creme fraiche. 

Enjoy!

Foodie Fridays

Ahhh…Spring is in the air. The clouds have cleared, the sun is out, and the chill seems to be exiting the air. One of our favorite things to do on a sunny weekend morning in Davis is to go to the Farmer’s Market! And we always look forward to the fresh eggs. Having often pondered raising chickens at home, it is a such a treat to have fresh eggs in the fridge, and  when you have fresh eggs, it is so nice to make dishes that really highlight the great flavors in fresh eggs. This is a great recipe we found in Sunset Magazine, and is sure to be enjoyed by all you serve it to.

Creamy Baked Eggs with Asparagus and Pecorino

Time: About 1 hour. Serve these smooth, rich-tasting eggs as soon as they come out of the oven, with toast.
Yield: Serves 2
Ingredients
* Butter for ramekins
* 6  thin asparagus spears, ends trimmed
* 4  large eggs
* 1/4  cup  milk
* 1/4  cup  lightly packed shredded pecorino
* Pinch of sea salt or kosher salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
1. Preheat oven to 275°. Lightly butter two 4-oz. (1/2-cup) ramekins or ovenproof bowls and set in a baking pan just big enough to hold ramekins.
2. Slice asparagus thinly on the diagonal. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add asparagus; cook until just tender-crisp, 1 to 2 minutes, and scoop out into a colander. Keep water boiling, covered.
3. In a bowl, beat eggs with milk until smooth. Stir in cheese and salt. Divide mixture between prepared ramekins. Top each with half the asparagus and sprinkle with pepper.
4. Set ramekins in baking pan and put in oven. With oven door open, carefully pour hot water into baking pan up to the level of the eggs in ramekins. Bake until eggs are set in centers (touch to test), about 45 minutes. To remove ramekins, carefully pull oven rack out partway; lift ramekins from pan with tongs and set aside. Push rack with pan back into the oven to cool. Serve eggs immediately.

In other news, we got a shipment this week from Matta and from Tucker! Two lines we are excited to have, and are showing excellent pieces for spring including blouses, sun dresses, scarves and really cute necklaces. We are hoping to put up some images tomorrow. If you are downtown for Farmer’s Market this weekend to pick up your eggs, make sure to pop in and say hello!!

Foodie Fridays

We apologize for the lack of posting yesterday, we were super busy in the store and honestly just never got around to it. But we did see lots of good friends, and we got to share lots of fun new pieces. We got a shipment from Rundholz yesterday, as well as a new Israeli label called Ido. Great pants that look great on! Plus, we got some cute shorts from Worn which are going to be fun for spring. On top of all that, in the next couple days we are expecting Prairie Underground, Matta,  and Tucker. Whew! That was all a mouth full!

We also had an exciting visitor in the shop. For those of you who are Mondavi Center regulars you are probably no stranger to the name Nnenna Freelon.  This Five-time Grammy nominee stopped by the shop to pick up a few things while she was in town to perform. She was just the sweetest person, and we encourage everyone to try to see her this weekend, but better hurry because the Mondavi Center’s Website says that they are almost sold out for Saturday!

Okay, now down to the real Friday business…Soto Ayam (Indonesian Chicken Soup With Noodles and Aromatics). First a disclaimer: this is a more advanced recipe than you might usually see on Foodie Fridays, but it was just soooo good we knew it had to be included. Another NYT find, Pam saw this one and couldn’t get it out of her head. After hunting down all the recipes, she made the soup and loved it! Soon after, she made this delectable meal for a dinner party where it was met with rave reviews. For the dinner party she began with a little edamame and then after the soup, she wrapped up the meal with baked pineapple. The flavors of the pineapple were delicious after the soup. This was well worth the effort it took to make, and can even be made ahead of time.

Soto Ayam (Indonesian Chicken Soup With Noodles and Aromatics)

Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

1 free-range chicken, about 3 pounds, quartered
2 stalks fresh lemon grass, bruised with the handle of a heavy knife and tied in a knot
6 kaffir lime leaves, fresh or frozen (optional)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 1/2 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
5 shallots, peeled and halved
3 cloves garlic, peeled
2 teaspoons finely minced fresh turmeric, or 1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 tablespoons finely minced ginger
3 tablespoons peanut oil
4 ounces glass noodles or thin dried rice noodles, called vermicelli, bihun or bun
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped celery leaves, mint, Thai basil or cilantro leaves
2 shallots, thinly sliced and fried in vegetable oil until brown (optional)
Quartered limes and chili paste (such as sambal) for serving

Cooked white rice (optional).

1. Place chicken in a medium pot with lemon grass, lime leaves (if using), salt and 2 quarts water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Skim off any foam and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer until chicken is tender, about 45 minutes, skimming as needed to make a clear broth. Remove chicken pieces from broth and set aside. Remove and discard lemon grass and lime leaves; reserve stock in pot. When chicken is cool enough to handle, discard skin and bones and shred meat into bite-size pieces.
2. Meanwhile, combine peppercorns, coriander seeds and cumin seeds in a small food processor. Pulse until ground. Add halved shallots, garlic, turmeric and ginger and pulse to a thick paste. (Add a little water if needed.)
3. Heat peanut oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. When very hot, add spice paste and cook, stirring until paste is cooked and beginning to separate from the oil, about 5 minutes.
4. Add cooked spice paste and chicken meat to stock. Bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes.
5. Cook noodles according to package directions.
6. Turn off heat under soup and stir in lime juice. Taste for salt.
7. To serve, divide noodles in large soup bowls. Ladle chicken pieces and soup on top and sprinkle with celery leaves or herbs, and fried shallots, if using. Pass lime and sambal at the table.
8. Eat from soup bowl, or serve a scoop of rice on a side plate, sprinkled with more shallots, and put a mouthful of noodles and chicken on rice. Combine on a spoon, dab with sambal, and eat.

Yield: 4 servings.

Reminder that tonight from 5-7 you can bring in wardrobe problem pieces for some thoughts from Pam and Linda at the Wardrobe Rx!

Wow, that was a lot of information for one post! I guess this should be a lesson to us to post everyday:-)

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!

Foodie Fridays

Okay, okay, this is technically being posted on Saturday morning, but only because there were internet

Super Rich Chocolate Cookies

connection issues last night. Ususally at the Five Figs blog, we are going to post things about food on Fridays! You may think, “hmmm, do food and fashion go together?”. They do for us! If you are in the shop in the afternoons you might hear Pam musing about what to make for dinner, and you can often hear us chatting about successful recipes and planning dinner parties. Food inspires, so we want to share some of our experiences with food. You might find a favorite recipe, a discussion on food trends, or a review of a recent bottle of wine, but on Fridays check in for a chat about food.

Today (pretend you are seeing this on Friday), we are posting Pam’s Famous Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe, otherwise known and as the Super Rich Chocolate Cookie. After finding the recipe in the New York Times, she has really made it her own. Not only do her husband and son love these cookies, but our UPS guy has become quite a fan!  You will be hard pressed to be in her home and not find these cookies, they are a must there. Pam has tried using both Scharffen Berger chocolate as well as the Trader Joe’s Belgium Bittersweet One Pound Bar.  And while she is known for using Trader Joe’s more often in her own recipe, the Scharffen Berger chocolate has a fruitier and more mellow taste, and might be worth a try! Let us know how they go for you.

Super Rich Chocolate Cookies
1//2 lb. bittersweet chocolate
3Tlb. Butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
¾ cup ground almonds
powdered sugar

1)    Melt Chocolate in double boiler set over simmering water. After melted, remove from the hat and cut butter into a few pieces and mix into the chocolate until melted.
2)    Beat Eggs with electric mixer, gradually adding sugar until ribbons form (5-10 minutes)
3)    Fold in chocolate butter mix
4)    Gently add the almonds
5)    Cover and refrigerate overnight.
6)    Heat oven to 325o, line baking sheet with parchment
7)    Scoop the batter into 1” balls and roll in granulated sugar, place 2” apart on the cookie sheet and put into the oven immediately
8)    Bake 9-12 minutes, when slightly cooled, dust the cookies with powdered sugar.

Happy Baking!