Seaside Supper: A Curated Dinner & Demo in Ventura County

OurLocaltopia headed to Ventura County to cook for an ocean front retreat!

This week, OurLocaltopia was invited to a seaside vacation home in Ventura county to curate a meal for the Sew n’ Sews, a group of avid quilters who take this yearly retreat to work on projects and bond with their friends. We were thrilled to be cooking in a gorgeous kitchen that  had panoramic coastal and ocean views. The menu for the night featured a variety of locally sourced produce, including delicious Ventura County strawberries and included a demonstration of the prep and execution of Fritto Misto. Below is our recap of the evening, including photos and recipes. If you are interested in having a similar event at your next getaway, party or gathering, don’t hesitate to contact us!

A Gourmet’s Guide to Gourds, Pumpkins & Squash

Pumpkins, winter squash, and gourds are inseparable from the autumn season. They fill our pies, form the foundation of our soups, and adorn our tables as the days get shorter and the holidays approach. In this gallery you’ll find cucurbits (the general term for these fruits of the Cucurbitaceae family of plants) for all purposes. With a little hunting, you should be able to purchase all of these at local markets and grocers…

Thursdays Recap: Early Fall Dinner Party!

Thanks to everyone who came out tonight for our first Thursdays in the Kitchen cooking class of the fall!

Inspiration in Simple Ingredients, for a Simple Sunday Meal

Prep your flour in this fashion, so the eggs and spinach can be placed in the hole.

The ingredients are now ready to be combined.

The resulting dough ball! Be sure to keep it well floured while kneading.

Rolling the dough through the pasta machine

This is what the dough looks like after being run through the pasta maker several times.

Noodles have been cut into thick, flat strips.

The boiled noodles are now ready for sauce!

Noodles, ricotta, tomato sauce and seasonings. All the components are ready to come together!

Voila! A colorful, delicious meal is served!

This past week, amid the buildup to the 4th of July holiday, family gatherings and time spent with friends, Our Localtopia was at work putting a video together featuring fresh local figs paired with homemade ricotta.  We gathered in my kitchen to film and make ricotta cheese; creamy, warm and decadent.  It had been a while since I had made homemade ricotta, and our video shoot reminded me how just a few simple ingredients, thoughtfully prepared, truly come together to make a great dish.  A dish that is at once completely homey, and at once truly sophisticated.  Pure ingredients allowed to shine in their own radiant light — creating harmony on a dinner plate.

Making Your Own Preserved Lemons

People who like to eat and to cook are crazy about preserved lemons, but I must confess that before the “Thursdays in the Kitchen: Cooking with Lemon” class at the Fullerton Arboretum,  I had never even eaten them. With a heavy lemon crop on the branches and the need for a subject to film in my kitchen at home, I decided to make this short film. Thanks to Jonathan Dye and Alicia Hitchcock for the inspiration!

Want to make your own batch? It’s easy. Follow these short directions and watch the posted video…

Inspirational Reading – The Canal House Series

Highly suggested reading.

This week I find myself returning to pour over my Canal House books – which come as semi-annual publications from authors Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton. To say that I’m enamored with the Canal House is an understatement.  The passion that is thrown into each book is UNREAL. Not just a great resource for recipes, these books are excellent reading, offering little tidbits that…