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.

Teapot for the Tea Drinkers

I just received this adorable little teapot as a gift and I just love it. It's made by FORLIFE and comes in a variety of colors. The company makes ceramic ware specializing in tea pots and cups. I love their simplistic designs. A perfect gift for the holidays.

What to Make for Dinner?

At about noon, I start asking myself this. I ask my husband but his usual answer is, "I can't think about dinner, I just had lunch." This is no help to me at all so I go at it alone, each and everyday trying to figure out a meal that is balanced, healthy and tasty to two young children.

I came across Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express a little while ago and I have had success with the recipes. Now this is not the cookbook for beginners. If you are comfortable in the kitchen and can chop and prep as you go, then this is for you. The recipes are short and to the point, add a teaspoon of this and a half cup of that and saute. The recipes are organized by seasons and there's even an introduction that explains how to use the cookbook.

If you're looking for something different, give this at try.