Torched Peeps?!

Did you see the article by Francis Lam on Peeps Brulee? What a great idea! Not a fan of the Peeps but this definitely sounds interesting. Now I wish I had a torch.

Cooking Class at Roy's

I took a cooking class at Roy's Hawaiian Fusion Restaurant. What a great idea for customers who love the food to come in and learn how to make it directly from the chef. Definitely enjoyed the experience and was told they will be holding more classes in the future including one each on sushi, vegetarian dishes and sauces.

The class I took was a three course meal which included the Lobster Potstickers, Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi and Hot Chocolate Souffle (my favorite). It also included one Hawaiian Martini. But be warned, any additional drinks are not covered in the class fee. I left feeling very full and happy.

LA Street Food Fest

Been hearing about the street food scene, here's a chance to sample of the foods. Saturday, Feb. 13, is LA Street Food Fest. They'll be gourmet trucks, street food delicacies and more. Admission is $5 and food ranges from $1 - $5. Check out their site for more info.

Gourmet Food Catering Trucks

They're the lastest craze and the food sounds fabulous. From Kogi BBQ to Frysmith, even the Too Hot Tamales (Border Grill) has a truck. Can't any of them come into the Conejo Valley? Guess I'll just have to make that trek into the West side.

Nikau Juice Glass

My daughters love these glasses. Just the right size for young children. Available at Anthropologie.

Fun and Whimsical Measuring Spoons

These adorable measuring spoons are available at Anthropologie for $18. Just got them today and can't wait to use them.

Kitchen Knives

Ask any professional chef and the one thing they can't do without is their knives. Having a good, sharp knife is essential to food preparation but most of us never learn how to care for them. We may spend big bucks for a knife but if we don't care for them, you might as well have just bought a $20 knife. Not that there's anything wrong with that $20 knife but if you're going to buy an expensive one, by learning to take care of them properly, they can last a lifetime.


We've all seen those chefs using a honing steel, moving their knives quickly from one side to the other but do you know what they're doing? They're honing their knives, not sharpening them. If you looked at the blade of your knife under a microscope, you'll see that it's not straight but made of crissed-crossed metal teeth. Every time you use your knife, the teeth flattened and the honing steel will lift the teeth. Ideally you should hone your knife after every use but who does that? No me, so I've been told to hone it as often as you would fill up your gas tank. Click here to see a video on how to use a honing steel.

Sharpening is required when the teeth on the knife has been flatten completely and cannot not honed (lifted). When you sharpen a knife, you're actually removing that flattened teeth (metal edge) so you need to be careful and not sharpen too often. To sharpen, use a sharpening steel that is coated with industrial diamonds.

Note: Most knives are made at a 22-23 degree angle but some are made at a 16 degree angle. When honing or sharpening your knife, you want to maintain that same angle so check to see what angle your knife is before you hone away.