Wind Whipped Beach Stroll in Pacifica

This past weekend, we had a quick couples' trip up to the bay area with Carolyn, Mr. J, and another one of our favorite couples from med school/college (get ready for a guest post from the lovely and fashionable JY!).  The sleepy beach town of Pacifica was the perfect setting for a relaxing weekend of catching up, grilling up a storm, playing board games, and soaking in the breathtaking views from the backyard of our vacation rental.

Towards the end of the day, the wind picked up...a lot, and brought a huge piece of tumbleweed into the backyard.  Maxi dresses are perfect for these days when you don't want to risk revealing your undergarments with a passing gust of wind.  We've all been there, riiiight?   

That's Sarah, Carolyn, and JY.

Silk orange maxi dress: Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent (similar here).  Contrast leather sleeve tweed jacket: Theory.  

Silver flip flops: TKEES.  Floral scarf: from Mom from Korea (similar here).  Fedora: from random hat store in Charleston, SC.  Sunglasses: Chloe.  Bracelets: Anthropologie and Vita Fede. 

Spring Tweed

I bought the dress on major sale during my shopping trip to South Coast Plaza with Sandy a while back.  The fit on this wasn't perfect but with the extra 30% off sale price plus the 15% education discount, I decided the fit issues were acceptable for the price and not worth the extra alteration costs.  Another selling point for me was the fact that this dress can be worn 3 seasons in California -- bare-legged for spring and with a blouse or turtleneck and tights for fall and winter.

I wore this to work a couple weeks back and swapped out flats for heels and my white coat for this white blazer for dinner with friends.  

White blazer: Zara (old. Similar here and here). Tweed dress: J. Crew. Black pumps: Zara (old. Similar here). 

Necklace: Ann Taylor Loft (old). Black caviar quilted shopper tote: Chanel.

Baked Sea Bass with Walnut-Breadcrumb Crust and Zucchini Carpaccio Salad

Here it is!  The last and final post from our dinner a few weeks back.  

For our main entree, we wanted something filling but light.  Since we didn't make the cauliflower soup ahead of time, we needed our stovetop free so we opted for a baked fish.  We picked up some super fresh sea bass filets from the Fisherman's Outlet downtown.  It's a restaurant as well as a seafood market.  Even though we had both just eaten lunch, the masses of people chowing down on some seriously delicious looking seafood made us hungry again.  And the long line snaking out the door further confirmed that this is the place for fresh seafood in downtown LA.  If you're just there for the market like we were, you can bypass the long line and head straight to the counter to order.

We had leftover crust and sauce, which we enjoyed with some baked chicken for a quick and easy weeknight meal.  

Zucchini Carpaccio Salad

(adapted from this recipe)

Ingredients

1 1/2 pound zucchini (about 3 large or 5 small zucchini)

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 pound baby arugula (about 6 cups)

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Juice of one Meyer lemon

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions

Cut zucchini crosswise into paper-thin slices with Mandolin slicer (we used the 1/8" setting). Toss zucchini slices with one teaspoon salt in a large colander set over a bowl and let drain 20 minutes.  Rinse zucchini slices well, then drain, pressing gently on slices to extract any excess liquid. Pat zucchini slices dry with paper towels.

Whisk olive oil and lemon juice in a bowl and set aside.  Put arugula greens in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Drizzle with half of the lemon vinaigrette. Arrange zucchini slices over arugula greens, then drizzle with remaining dressing.  Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan and top with freshly ground pepper.

Baked Sea Bass with Walnut-Breadcrumb Crust with Lemon Dill Sauce

(adapted from this recipe)

Ingredients

4 6-ounce sea bass fillets

1 cup Panko breadcrumbs

3/4 cup walnuts (about 3 ounces)

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons prepared horseradish

1 1/2 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 3/4 ounce)

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

4 teaspoons olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Butter a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. Arrange fillets in prepared pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

Mix breadcrumbs and walnuts in a food processor (we used a Magic Bullet). Using on/off turns, process until nuts are finely chopped (we recommend doing this in small batches). Transfer to bowl. Mix in melted butter, horseradish and mustard.  Stir in cheese and parsley. Gently press crumb mixture onto fillets. Drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil over each. Bake until fillets are cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Adjust oven setting to broil.  Broil fish for about 2 minutes until crust is golden, watching closely to avoid burning. Transfer to plates and serve with Lemon-Dill Sauce.

Lemon Dill Sauce

(original recipe here)

Ingredients

3/4 cup dry white wine

3 tablespoons chopped shallot

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Directions

Boil wine, shallot and lemon juice in medium saucepan over high heat until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 6 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add butter, 1 piece at a time, whisking until melted before adding more. Remove from heat. Stir in dill. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Knotted and pleated

I love pleats, whether they come in a structured fabric as previously seen here or in a soft, sheer micro-pleat as I'm wearing today.  They provide textural interest to an otherwise plain skirt.  Sometimes they can add a bit too much volume to unwanted areas, but when the pleats are narrow and come in a floaty material, they can still create a clean line.

  

Can you tell that I like Anthropologie?  Or should I say, obsessed?  I wear an item of clothing from that store almost every day, and here I'm wearing three!  I can always count on them for a good quirky print, and I manage to find some great basics there as well.  I've been known to stalk their sale section with a keen eye.  Their home section is equally adorable.  If only I had more cabinet space to stock up on some more of their pretty plates!   

 

Tri-blend T shirt: American Apparel.  Pleated skirt: Fanfold midi pencil skirt from Anthropologie (similar here).  
Rancher denim jacket: Artisan de Luxe from Anthropologie (this one is cute too).  Black ankle strap heels: Zara.  
Handmade alpaca Cordillera clutch: Huanu from Anthropologie.

Catalina Weekend

Mr. J planned a trip for us to Catalina Island last weekend as a belated Christmas present.  It was the first visit for the both of us and we had an absolute blast.  It took about an hour by boat to get to the island and once we got there, we felt like we were worlds away.  It's still early in the season so the main town of Avalon was bustling but not overly crowded.  Luckily for us, the weather was absolutely gorgeous and we spent the weekend in summery outfits exploring the island on golf carts, zip-lining, and lounging on the beach.

Print Shift Dress: Collective Concepts. Belt: J. Crew (old). Sandals: Zara (old). 

Printed fedora: Target (old). Purse: Lancel (old).

Sunday was spent lounging on Descanso Beach with my beach essentials - SPF 100+ sunscreen, a hat to protect my face, cold wine and beer, and lots of girly magazines.  The trip was the perfect weekend getaway and definitely one of my favorite presents from Mr. J.

White crochet sweater: H&M (Drool-worthy option here). Printed denim shorts: 7 For All Mankind (on sale here). 

Bracelets: Stella & Dot and J. Crew.

Meyer Lemon Budino

Sarah's parents have a Meyer lemon tree in their backyard so we have a never-ending supply all year round.  If you're unfamiliar with Meyer lemons, they are thought to be a cross between a regular lemon and an orange.  They have all the delicious lemony flavor without the lip-puckering sourness.  They are also bigger and juicier and have a thinner peel.

With the abundance of Meyer lemons, we are always looking for ways to incorporate these into our daily cooking and baking projects.  Nearly every salad is dressed with a Meyer lemon vinaigrette, and we've made a variety of lemon pound cakes and lemon tarts.  This budino recipe, however, may just be our favorite recipe yet!  

Meyer Lemon Budino
(adapted from this recipe)

Ingredients
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

• 3 large eggs, separated
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh regular lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons finely grated Meyer lemon peel
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk

• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Whipped cream (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Butter six ramekins.  Combine 1/2 cup sugar, egg yolks, flour, lemon juice, and lemon peel in large bowl and whisk until well blended.  Whisk in milk.

Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt in a medium bowl until frothy. Gradually add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and beat until soft peaks form. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the lemon mixture in 2 additions. 

Divide the mixture among the buttered ramekins.  Place them in a roasting pan and pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides.  Bake puddings until tops are golden and spring back when lightly touched, about 30 minutes.  Remove from the water. Serve warm or cold with whipped cream.

We served this as a dessert for the dinner first described here.

Turkey Travels

Dr. S and I just came back from a 9 day trip to Turkey with one of our favorite fellow-physician couples.  We spent a couple days in Cappadocia in central Turkey, then ventured off to Istanbul for the rest of our trip.  One of the highlights of our trip was a fantastic food tour via Istanbul Eats.  We literally ate our way through the food markets and delicious hidden gems within Sultanhamet, the historic part of the bustling city. 

We found the best baklava at Karakoy Gulluoglu.  

Perfectly cripsy with lots of pistachio and honey goodness. 

The majestic Blue Mosque.

The Basilica Cistern, a subterranean water filtration system from the 6th century.  Anybody recognize it from the romantic dinner on The Bachelorette with Ali and Frank?

Sadly the weather did not cooperate, and instead of a balmy 65 degrees that weather.com predicted, it ended up being a much chiller 50. Hence, I bought a long sleeved black t-shirt, and a red sweater from Mango because I had brought mostly short sleeved shirts.  I loaded on lots of layers on top to keep warm daily.  Thank goodness for my trusty leather motorcycle jacket and my cozy drape sweater that I wore almost every day. 

One of the many cups of Turkish coffee we drank at Ziggy Cafe in the city Urgup in the Cappadocia region.  The restaurant is dedicated to the owner's adorable late terrier, Ziggy.

Awe-inspiring view of the fairy chimneys in Cappadocia on our hot air balloon ride.

 

I loved the Turkish coffee, but we had a craving for a latte and popped into Starbucks.  We were shocked by the breathtaking view from this Starbucks in the Bebek area of Istanbul.  If you're not familiar with Turkish geography, Istanbul sits partly in Europe and partly in Asia.  Here we were on the Europe side, and across the Bosphorus River is the Asia side.  We did venture over to the Asia side, where we sampled the deliciously decadent Kup Griye at Baylan Patisserie in Katakoy.  It was a mix of vanilla and caramel ice cream, topped with caramel sauce, crushed pistachio, almonds, crunchy brittle, and whipped cream.  Whoa. 

 

Random exercise equipment was found on the sidewalk in Bebek.  
If I had an elliptical machine with this view, I'd exercise every day! 

Antique Turkish coffee decanters at the Grand Bazaar.

A sweet little rose gold ring I purchased at the Grand Bazaar.

We stayed in an awesome two bedroom apartment right off of Istiklal Avenue, a fun pedestrian street full of coffee shops, restaurants, clothing stores, and bars.  We walked this street nightly and were particularly impressed by how late the Turks stayed out, even on weeknights.

Sunset over Istanbul, on our last night.  A beautiful end to our beautiful trip!

Leather motorcycle jacket: S.W.O.R.D. (similar here). Denim shirt: Bella Dahl.  Light wash jeans: Current/Elliott.  Espadrilles: Toms.  Red heart sweater: Mango (cardigan version here).  Black jeans: unknown.  Sweater: Sparrow from Anthropologie.  Black smoking loafers: Nicole (fun yellow version here).  White and black leopard silk dress: Rogan for Target (love this).  Leggings: Lululemon.  Shoes: Ash.  Handbag: Longchamp Le Pliage Cuir in medium.