Posts in "Spotlight On"

The egoist in me likes to think that some of you dear readers have been wondering where I was these past couple weeks months. Perhaps you thought I'd thrown in the towel. Got lost in the wild world of wedding planning.

As some of you know, mor.sl was founded with social responsibility in mind. Thanks to a tradition in my family, whereby a portion of every first investment or paycheck (and each thereafter) is contributed to charity, we decided to invest a percentage of our founders' money towards a cause we believed in.

Editor’s Note: Every Friday, we send out an email newsletter to our fans (sign-up for mor.sl to be added to our email list!). In them, we offer nerdy debates around the week’s events/news/scandals — of course, we always tie them back to food.

With fall sports season in full swing and a bumper crop of anaheim chiles in the garden, home made "jalapeno poppers" have been on our grill quite a bit. I don't think anaheims are technically jalapenos, but they are green, peppery and fillable, so go with me here.

I don't have too many vices: I don't smoke, I hardly even drink anymore (not happy about that one); I don't even drink coffee (also unhappy about that one)! I may not eat as healthily as some (I definitely enjoy my fair share of mac and cheese and pizza.

Do you ever look through recipes and notice a mysterious ingredient pop up across them? It's like the universe is trying to tell you something. It is time for you to experience this ingredient, little chef.

After my recent success with tomatillos, this week I once again went for a wild card vegetable at the market. A bulging bin of super green padron peppers caught my eye and I was quickly stuffing a bag with a few handfuls of the little guys.

If you were not unplugged on a summer getaway, it was hard to miss the news a few weeks back that Nora Ephron had passed away. I, sheepishly, was not all that familiar with Nora and her work, but as I read her list of things she wouldn't miss (dry skin, email) and what she would (waffles, the concept of waffles), I decided to top off my summer reading list with her books.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Restaurant recipes are ripe for the reaping. We have been frequenting Square One, a delicious brunch spot in our new hood, and I am addicted to their stone ground grits and, separately, their fruit bowl.

Raw kale salads are suddenly everywhere in Los Angeles. The first bite is always a shock - I've never fully processed how tough kale is somehow transformed into delicious salad green.

48 hours in NYC. You can imagine my belly's joy! On this trip, I made a beeline for Mario Batali's Eataly, a food hall dedicated to all things eeeeeetalian. Every corner of the hall revealed another culinary haven, from a prosciutto and cheese plaza, to a gelato station, a pasta production facility, a rotisserie station and a fish monger overseeing acres of branzini.

So, remember when I said I was trying to shift towards the Hunter, Gatherer's way of eating? I really meant it. It's a slow transition and it's very imperfect, but at the very least I'm consciously buying leafy greens, sulfur-rich veggies, and bright colored produce when I'm at the supermarket.

Editor's Note: Today’s post is contributed by guest blogger, Jon, self-proclaimed "expert in delicious" and former Chef de Cuisine at Market Restaurant and Bar. While Jon is trained in the French style of cooking, and his roots, heart and kitchen bleed Italian, he is also well-versed in North American and Mediterranean flavors.

Herbs are a necessary evil. So delicious, but oh so difficult to use up. In a fit of allaying my yuppie guilt, I fixated on using up a somewhat sad bunch of cilantro. After consulting my trusty Hot Sour Salty Sweet cookbook, I had a plan.

Spring is sprung - my allergies have confirmed it. But no matter how much my sinuses suffer, it's my favorite time of year. Maybe it's cliche, but the flowering trees and bright colored wardrobes that come out from hibernation make me happy.

Why do people like going to baseball games? For me, it has nothing to do with the game. It's all about the $10 hot dog and beer, sitting in the sun and enjoying the company of friends, while periodically pretending to care about the game.

Make this before it's too late! Inspired once again by Bi-Rite's cookbook, I made this and felt like I had nailed the essence of winter. Get a perfect winter Haas avocado, 3 blood oranges and one fennel bulb.

You know the neighborhood is a-changing when a $8/pop juice shop moves in. This self-admited yuppie couldn't be happier. I've popped in to bask in the glory of the propietors' glowy skin and to indulge in concoctions such as carrot coconut lime that purports to be "fat flushing, virus fighting and body strengthening".

Lizzy, my grill and pizza guru, taught me my latest and greatest trick: grilled middle eastern flat bread. I never thought to try grilling dough, but oddly, it works. If you have a gas grill, I cannot recommend this kitchen hack highly enough.

There was a definite heaviness hanging in the air when the credits rolled on the season finale of Downton Abbey last night. The fiancé and I sat silently, perhaps pondering the fate of Mr.