Sushi Kiyono Date

 

Before a holiday weekend filled with long-lost San Francisco friends, the Fairfax flea market and 70's roller disco, Quinn took me out to a mellow sushi date at Beverly Hills' Sushi Kiyono. Smack dab in the middle of Beverly Drive, the restaurant serves sashimi, nigiri, and Los Angeles themed sushi with names like the Show Me The Money or The Godfather.

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Healthy Eats: Fettucini Alfredo with Spinach & Mushroom

 

At dinner the other night, my precocious little brother Louis asked me, "Why does it take adults so long to order?" I thought about that for a moment. When I was his age, the three main meals I accepted without a fuss were mac&cheese, spaghetti with meatballs and chicken tenders. I was not adventurous with my palette, nor did I find any reason to listen to my parents when they told me that I would like something new. I told him that as you get older, your tastes expand and so more items on the menu seem appealing. For example, I am currently addicted to mushrooms of any sort, so I took several minutes debating over my usual pick of pasta (carbonara, bolognese, amatriciana) or grilled veggies. (I ended up with the latter... summer is approaching!)

There is still the little kid in me that craves those rich, fattening meals I adored as a skinny-minnie string bean. (No, really. My family nickname was "Noodle".) Unfortunately, I can't scarf down high-calorie pasta the way I used to. Last night Quinn requested Fettuccini Alfredo for dinner, and I set out to make a lighter version -- while still retaining that abundantly creamy flavor.

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Healthy Eats: Arugula & Goat Cheese Pasta Salad

I've said it once, I'll say it again: there is something  so wonderful about cooking with friends. Opening a bottle (or 2, or 3) of wine, brainstorming dishes together, deliberating over spices, rubs and marinades... it can't be beat. This past weekend Quinn and I got together with two of his good friends from high school to grill high quality tri tip and chicken breasts purchased at the Los Angeles Original Farmer's Market.

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Iron Chef Potluck #1, Volume 4: Jamie's Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cupcakes and Quinn's Key Lime & Mint Cream Pies

There is something inherently cruel about serving desserts at the climax of a potluck. Stuffed to the brim with tuna tar tar, burgundy beef stew, rigatoni carbonara, creamy gnocchi and sweet potato fries, we were left with the painfully wonderful task of finding room in our stomachs for such scintillating desserts as Jamie and Quinn's.

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Sunday Seafood Paella

As the Santa Monica fog rolls in, I'll try to keep myself optimistic about the weather by reflecting on the freak-summer we had this past weekend. Sunday nights are often dinner at Quinn's house, where his mother Mado spends most of her day concocting something thoroughly delectable for the family (and sometimes me). I look forward to her meals every week, having sampled such dishes as grilled shrimp & fish tacos, red & black mole enchiladas and grilled Alaskan salmon with mango salsa and a chipotle sauce.

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