cilantro pesto

i am about to jump in the car and head north to san francisco for a weekend visit with my little brother in his new city home. but first, i couldn't resist making one more batch of farm-fresh greens. (this week my life has involved an endless puree of greens and garlic.)

a few days ago, i made this pesto with a big bunch of cilantro from last week's CSA bushel. the pesto was a huge hit with friends at a "homemade happy hour" night. and so i was excited to find another cilantro bunch in this week's bushel. this pesto has a big fresh zesty taste with an awesome punch of garlic. if you like cilantro, you will love this.

cilantro pesto (an estimated recipe)
+bunch of cilantro
+5 cloves of garlic
+1/2 cup of olive oil
+juice of half lemon
+some parmesan cheese
+salt & pepper
(optional) chopped nuts--pine nuts, walnuts, etc.

rinse the cilantro, and try your best to remove the softer leaves and steams from the hard, lower stems. then mince the garlic. put cilantro, pesto, and all other ingredients into a blender. puree until smooth. eat on pasta, toasted bread, crackers...or eggs!

more soon with reports from the beautiful city of san francisco!

listening to: oh what a world by rufus wainwright (listen)

:: photos from lillieinthecity / flickr

white bean and kale soup

last week i received my first bushel of farm fresh produce through my local CSA program (more on that soon). this first box was a mix of winter root vegetables and a wild assortment of mixed greens--some still unidentified.

in my race to cook the greens before they wilted away, i made a yummy soup that turned out to be creamy, delicious, tangy, and garlicky. it totally hit the spot.

my version of this soup is based on the recipe at mothering. i love pureed soups in the winter, so unlike the original recipe, i put the entire soup through my blender. a messy process, but well worth it!

white bean & kale soup
+ 2 cups kale, washed and chopped
+ 2 large cloves garlic
+ 3 cups cooked cannellini beans
+ 2.5 cups vegetable stock
+ 1 tablespoon tomato paste
+ 4 fresh sage leaves
+ 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
+ olive oil
+ salt & pepper
+ grated cheese

in a soup pot, heat olive oil and briefly saute garlic. add the cooked beans and vegetable stock. heat for a few minutes, and add in tomato paste and sage leaves. add salt and pepper to taste. mix kale into soup and simmer until kale has wilted (10 to 15 minutes).

then, working in small batches, puree the beans and stock in a blender. add lemon juice and enough water to give the soup your desired consistency.

serve topped grated cheese and a piece of crusty, buttered bread. delicioso!

:: image from lillieinthecity / flickr

sun after the rain

it's hard to stay grumpy in los angeles. even though it's been raining here off and on for too many days. and the heat in our apartment is only sometimes working. and it's february, the dreariest month of the year, agh.

but even after it rains all day, the sky here clears up just before the sun sets. and in that moment, you get the most gorgeous views: blue skies, soft clouds, golden rays, and a glimpse of the snow-capped mountains that surround the urban jungle of LA.




hope your days are ending with a little bit of sunshine.

listening to: for beginners by m.ward ( listen)

:: photos from lillieinthecity / flickr

keep calm & carry on

hello! it's been a while, once again. and although things have been quiet here, some good little projects are in the works--and i'm excited to get back online to share more of them!

this week marked the second anniversary of life in the city of los angeles. two years ago, allison & i landed at the beach in santa monica at sunset. and wow, when i stop to think about it, the time here feels like both forever, for all the changes & ups & downs--and then, like no time at all, as it still feels like college just ended. but i'm happy to say that this ongoing california adventure has been unfolding in the best (if sometimes unexpected) ways possible. and i'm excited for year #3, whatever it has in store.

just about a year ago, i bought this keep calm poster for its upbeat message and sunny color and solid design. february is a good time of year for a cheerful pick-me-up, right? it's based on a british poster from WWII. [poster is available here & here.]

one of my latest little "projects" is a new site for collecting the photos / words/ links that i find on the web : lillieinthecity.tumblr.com. if you ever considered blogging, then you should really check out tumblr. or at the very least, come visit me there!

more soon. xo lil

:: images from lillieinthecity / flickr

welcoming the new year

hello 2009!

this new year has had a slowwww start--or maybe it's just me. i am still trying to get a handle on all of the projects and adventures and plans and resolutions for the next 12 months--while cleaning and organizing and making sense of the clutter left in the wake of 2008.

but i'm feeling optimistic.

i will get to writing more soon.
for now, a few favorite photos from my time at home...





see more photos of my holidays at home at lillieinthecity / flickr.

another library list

on tuesday night, i went to my local city library branch and had one of those awesome moments when every book i came across seemed just right. the library (any library) has been a favorite location of mine for as far back as i can remember. wandering the shelves, amassing a pile, and checking out a stack of new-to-me books gives me a strange but special thrill.

often the subjects are totally unrelated, many of the books i never read from cover to cover, but always i am delighted by all the text and images and ideas and inspirations that a pile of books can offer.

here is my library list from tuesday:

+ alone in the kitchen with an eggplant (hilarious essays on cooking solo.)
+ the girl with the gallery (the title caught me, and the topic's held me.)
+ what i talk about when i talk about running (haruki murakami is fantastic.)
+ paris cafe: the select crowd (illustrated thoughts on the paris cafe scene.)
+ superman: the complete history (for an upcoming exhibition at work.)
+ armageddon in retrospect (kurt vonnegut is genius.)

what books are piled up on your nightstand at the moment?

clementine cupcakes

life has felt especially busy lately. but still good. last night, i made a batch of clementine cupcakes with chocolate buttercream frosting to bring into work today. perfect for a december birthday!

this recipes uses the whole clementine--skin and all. it makes a dense, moist cake with little flecks of orange and a tangy sweet taste. i think the rich chocolate frosting (my addition) turned out to be a perfect topping.

i started using nigella lawson's clementine cake recipe, but revised it with some suggestions from her web reviews.

except for the whole cupcakes-sticking-to-their-liners issues (how does one avoid that??), these turned out great.

clementine cupcakes
+ 5 clementines (about 1 pound)
+ 6 eggs
+ 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
+ 2 1/3 cups ground almonds (or flour equivalent)
+ 1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
+ 1-2 tsp vanilla extract

place clementines in a pot of cold water. bring to a boil, and then turn down the heat and simmer for 2 hours. drain the fruit. once it's cool, cut in half, remove any seeds, and then pulverize the fruit/skins/pith. you can use a food processor for this--or a good knife.

preheat the oven to 375F. butter your pan of choice and line with parchment.

put the fruit pulp in a big bowl, and mix in the sugar and vanilla. add one egg at a time, mixing well. in a small bowl, combine the almond/flour and baking powder. then, fold the dry ingredients into the wet. mix completely, but don't overstir.

pour the cake mixture in your pan, and pop it in the oven. bake for 40-60 minutes until golden brown. enjoy!

:: photo from lillieinthecity / flickr

thanksgiving in los angeles : a day in photos

:: thanksgiving breakfeast with holiday magazines.



:: out for a walk - glorious cloudy blue skies.



:: crowds at the grocery store.



:: apron from grandma.



:: pie from nana. my first solo pie-baking : success!




:: sunset - more gorgeous clouds.



:: giving thanks chez schwartz.



:: and one more slice of pie.


see more photos of my thanksgiving day in LA at lillieinthecity/ flickr.

happy thanksgiving!

in my family, thanksgiving is all about the pies.
and today, i will be making a pie (or two) of my own!

:: images (top) from my mom and (bottom) from me

national day of listening

storycorps has declared the first annual national day of listening on friday, november 28.

each day this week, npr has been playing a story from a different person/place, and on friday, they will play stories throughout the day. this is a "call to action" for americans to take time on friday to sit down with someone you love, ask a question or two, and really listen. read more in this interview.

for today's story, george w. bush's sister doro interviewed the outgoing president and first lady about what they will miss about life in the whitehouse, and like most storycorps responses, the answers were surprisingly sweet.