LA Influence

I've been traveling a lot for work and recently enjoyed an evening in LA after some meetings.

The view was pretty nice.

And I enjoyed the dinner that inspired this post at The Fat Cow.  The Fat Cow is a fairly new restaurant from the chef Gordon Ramsay.  It is tucked into The Grove, a shopping, movie area not too far from downtown.

My dinner was very good.  I had the Salmon with White Beans and Smoked Pork and a side of the most amazing Brussel Sprouts roasted with Balsamic Vinegar and Hazelnuts. 

I'll have to try my own version of the Brussel Sprouts some time when Joe is gone, but my head immediately thought I could make the Salmon at home.  Hmm, what would I do to change it?  Well I wanted to do it with lamb and thought of adding kale to the white bean ragout.  Because it's winter and there's kale in everything if I have anything to say about it! One would think that alone would encourage Joe to want to cook every now and then... but apparently, he's good with it.

So this week I bought some lamb, thinking I already had some dried white beans around.  Hmmm, maybe not...  You see where this is going don't you?  You're thinking does she ever make sure she has all the ingredients beforehand?  How is what she's going to make even remotely close to what she had in that restaurant? 

But isn't that the joy of cooking?  Finding one little thing that peaks your interest and then making it your own? 

Ta - Da!  Seared Lamb Chops served over a Lentil, Kale, and Brown Rice  Pilaf.

We've covered this before, you can make anything into a pilaf, just start with your flavors.  For me this means sauteing, onion, celery, and carrots.

Then add the additions, such as kale! 

Oh and you can always make a dinner feel special by adding just a few pieces of bacon or pancetta to add that depth of smoky meat flavor.

Next add your rice and saute a bit before adding the lentils (if desired) and appropriate amount of broth.  Cover and simmer while making the other parts of your meal.

Next time you enjoy something in another city or a restaurant, whether it's a flavor or an ingredient, don't feel like you have to recreate it from scratch, just use it for inspiration.