Cooking Stuff #130

Sometimes the internet rocks

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These last two weeks have been nonstop and sitting down to write has felt impossible. After announcing BACKYARD to everyone, Marco decided he was going to have our outdoor kitchen built by the first dinner. This was a project that we weren’t planning to do for a while but he was determined to complete it in just three weeks. Pallets of blocks and bags of mortar were delivered, a concrete foundation was poured, and little by little it started to come together.

Just to remind you, Marco does not know what he is doing. He has learned everything from Youtube and this is his first time doing all of this, which makes this whole project wildly impressive.

I have a lot of hosting supplies but I don’t have everything I need for full dinner service for 13. The cost was starting to add up and I got a little crafty with sourcing my supplies. First I headed to eBay and found an 8-pound box of mix-matched vintage flatware for $40. The pictures consisted of giant piles of utensils and I really didn’t know what I was getting. Three days later a very banged up package arrived with 15 dinner forks, 13 salad forks, 6 spoons, a ridiculous amount of knives, and some unexpected serving utensils. To my luck, they are beautiful!

Then in a deep internet search, I found an online auction for TV props and set dressings. One of the shows they shot must have been a cooking show. There were all types of commercial appliances, unopened OXO kitchen products, and…PLATES! Bundles of 200-ish that looked decent from the single poorly lit photo they had posted. I watched like a hawk and was the winning bidder on a bundle with 6 sets of plates. Now I am stocked up with more plates than I know what to do with.

Probably the most exciting thing to happen was I got to meet one of my internet friends in real life. This sounds weird but it wasn’t at all. We have followed each other for three years and you have even seen her in this newsletter way way back. Finally, we were able to meet and she even helped me taste some recipes for my upcoming dinner. Having a food friend to bounce ideas off of is something I desperately needed. I’m headed into this upcoming week feeling great about what I am going to serve.

I dislike a lot of things about the internet but those are all reasons why the internet rocks!

I have crunched every number and written my detailed timeline (three times) for my first dinner, next Friday! I’m as prepared as I’ll ever be and beyond excited. See you on the other side with recipes and all the details.

If you want to attend one of my summer BACKYARD dinners, grab tickets at the link below.

• June 17th *2 available!

• July 22nd

• August 19th *3 available

• September 7th – Sold out

Nectarine & Beet Salad because nectarines are so good right now.

Sheet Pan Roasted Sausage with Broccolini, Feta, and Crunchy Chili Oil – Craving California

I bought sausages this week and all I wanted to do with them is make a cozy sheet pan meal. June gloom has been real and it feels like fall! This is a recipe from my friend Leigh that is so easy for a weeknight.

• No, Disinfectant and All-Purpose Cleaner Don’t Do the Same Thing – Dwell time?! I probably learned about this at some point but I definitely forgot that dwell time was even a thing! You must read this article!!

• The new L.A. sandwiches I can’t stop eating – Added to the list.

• Why American Cooks Can’t Quit the Paper Towel – We are a big rag household and we use them for lots of things but I can not live without paper towels. They are a kitchen necessity! I also don’t want the recycled kind because they don’t absorb and I end up using 3x. Bounty for life!

• Check Out the 6 Los Angeles Restaurants That Just Got Added to the Michelin Guide

@brendenandellieMan’s best fruit 🍎 #schoollunches #parentlifebelike #lifewithkids

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LA Colombe – I know you know La Colombe cans of coffee but did you know they have physical locations?! I learned this a few months ago while running down the LA River bike path in Frogtown. I’m sending you here for two things, first get a vanilla latte and then sit by the river. It might be a concrete river but it’s surprisingly lovely. Except for the trash. It’s very green right now and there are tons of bird varieties to look at. We go early on Sunday before the farmers market and if you haven’t been, you should!

I’m going to Lingua Franca on the river tonight. I’ll report back next week with a review.

Marta Tasting Glasses from CB2. I’ll be using this for cocktail/wine glasses at my dinners. The quality is better than I expected and they are beautifully thin. I’m a sucker for thin glass. They are on sale for $1.56 each right now.

The supervisor

Anyone have Tel Aviv restaurant recommendations?!