The Day After...

This weekend my two oldest girlfriends and I took a cooking class at eatzLA, this fabulous little cooking school in LA. It's the same place my mom and I took the Julia Child cooking class a few months ago. The theme of the course was "The Day After..." so, essentially, a good hangover brunch menu. Actually, it's just as delicious even if you're not hung over. The menu included a spinach and sun-dried tomato fritata, potatoes O'Brien, crepes Suzette, and eggs Benedict. It was one of the most fun-filled 3 hours I've ever spent. If you ever get a chance to attend a cooking class, no matter the theme, I strongly suggest you try it. Not only is it entertaining and a great way to meet people, but you learn so much about food and cooking that you never thought mattered (did you know how to properly peel garlic cloves off of the head? Me either!), and your knife skills. Here are some pictures of our fabulous girls day :) OH, P.S., give me a few days and I'll give you the recipes for each item!

the menu

did I forget to mention bottomless mimosas and bloody Marys?

mincing is not as hard as it seems! 

spinach, basin, sun-dried tomatoes, and asiago fritata 

 

crepes Suzette

need I say more?

Mason Jar Condiments

I don't really have much of a recipe here. but I just wanted to share with you the extent of my obsession with mason jars. They're really cute as vases and drinking glasses but at my mom and step-dad's 10th anniversary party, I removed the lids and used them as containers to hold the condiments (like the copycat In-N-Out spread). It was pretty darn cute AND inexpensive (especially if one of them broke. If it had been a nice glass container I'd have gotten pretty mad but they're like less than $1 each so I wasn't too afraid). Get them at your local hardware store, do NOT buy them at a craft store (they're MUCH more expensive). PLUS, you can just pop the lid back on and you have one less dish to wash after a party!

Ahi Tuna Tower

I'm so sorry I've been absent these past 2 weeks. Last weekend we had a big party for my mom and step-dad's 10th anniversary and then I had surgery this week (don't worry, I'm fine!). I haven't been cooking a whole lot lately and I realized that I just can't live off of frozen chicken sandwiches anymore. I was feeling a bit adventurous for my first meal back on here in a while and I had a weird craving for ahi tuna. I have had an ahi tuna tower about 1,000,000 times and it's always delicious. You really don't need a lot of seasonings because, if you have a good quality of fish, the fish will have the right amount of flavor that only needs a few things to compliment it. You sort of use the same recipe for tuna tartare but it's more broken down. First, you need to make some sushi rice (ok I think I watched about 14 Youtube videos until I got it right). Second, you need some ripe avocados, and finally you need a really good quality sushi-grade ahi (PINK!). Make it super fancy and drizzle some balsamic glaze over the top (the sweetness pairs very well with the tartness of the asian sauces).

What you'll need (this will feed 2 people):
short grain sushi rice (watch the above video for a great, easy recipe on how to cook it)
1 lb. sushi-grade ahi
1 ripe Haas avocado
1 tbs. lemon juice
3 tbs. low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbs. rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. sesame oil
black sesame seeds
balsamic glaze
crispy shallots
fried wonton chips (for garnish, or instead of a spoon)

1. Cook your sushi rice according to the directions. Chop the avocados into small pieces and drizzle with a little lemon juice so it doesn't turn brown.
2. Chope your ahi into small, bite-size pieces. Toss with the lemon juice, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and sesame oil. Let sit in the fridge for about 20 minutes so the flavors come together. 
3. Assemble your tower! Use a cookie cutter to make it easier on yourself and start with rice, then the avocados, then the tuna. Garnish with some black sesame seeds and crispy shallots, drizzle with the balsamic glaze and chow down!

enjoy :)