On the last day of our road trip, we said good-bye to
San Luis Obispo and hello Los Angeles. Before
we left SLO, we stopped for brunch at Honeymoon Café, a casual beach spot
recognizable by the huge barbeque on the outdoor patio. Seeing humanely-raised pork on the
menu, Lisa went straight for the pork tacos served with black beans. Not having had a proper breakfast all
week, McKenzie chose eggs and avocado. Sitting
in a sunny spot outside, neither one of us was disappointed.
We had planned to do some wine tasting that afternoon
with McKenzie’s friend, Holly, but were quickly running out of time. Note to selves: Next road trip, we spend a minimum of
two days in each town.
We decided to visit Holly at her home instead. We headed south on Route 101, making a
quick detour in the sleepy little town of Los Alamos to check out a pizza place
we heard about, Full of
Life Flatbread. It
was closed (luckily for us, since we were still full from brunch), but we added
it to our wish list.
We continued through the Santa Ynez Valley wine
country toward Solvang, a quaint picturesque Danish-style
village complete with a Hans
Christian Andersen Museum. We
arrived at Holly’s home, a sprawling Spanish colonial-style ranch house filled
with her parents’ antiques from their furniture import business. She greeted us with a smile and hugs
at the door, before leading us to the kitchen where she was just putting the
finishing touches on McKenzie’s favorite
dessert—carrot cake, complete with cream cheese frosting. We took slices of the (delicious!)
cake outside to sit and talk on the patio, under an arbor draped with
wisteria. Perfect
serenity.
After catching up with Holly, and still wishing for
time to slow down, we continued toward L.A. where we had made plans to meet two
friends for dinner. What
better place to end our exploration of the California coast than in Wolfgang
Puck’s flagship restaurant, Spago
Beverly Hills?
Anyone who saw the Wolfgang Puck episode from Season
7 of The Next Food Network Star, knows the chef is passionate about
good food. He coined the
phrase, “Eat, Love, Live,” and was a pioneer in introducing the American palate
to exotic flavors and luxurious foods. In
the ‘80’s, his smoked salmon pizza with caviar became a symbol of California
cuisine (see Lisa’s scaled-down interpretation of this pizza, below).
First of all, the restaurant feels like Beverly Hills, with impeccably
dressed beautiful people sipping cocktails under twinkling lights, including a
few celebrities. It’s fun
people watching.
Second of all, it’s not cheap. But there are strategies to dining at
an expensive restaurant without breaking the bank. Go with people who like to share (this
also has other benefits, as you’ll read below!) and choose mostly from the
appetizer or small plate side of the menu. We usually find these items are more
interesting anyway. Finally,
go light on the alcohol—those $14 glasses of wine add up quickly.
Lastly, it’s totally worth it. Spago may have opened in 1982, but
it’s no antique relic still reliving the glory days. The finely curated menu is current and
the vibe swanky, albeit a bit loud. We
chose four small plates, two entrées and two desserts—with quite a few
standouts. A small plate with Adriatic figs, burrata and
prosciutto and another featuring heirloom tomatoes both highlighted the
beauty of simply-presented, perfect ingredients.
And the pan-roasted chicken with wild morel mushrooms
won the prize for Best. Chicken. Ever. Period. It was crazy-good. (Sorry, we were so excited to eat it,
we didn’t take a picture.)
But here we are with our friend, Elie, very happy.
Well, there you have it – a week of our travels
documented and dictated by the food along the way. Just to clarify (and in case
you haven’t noticed): we love
food & we love to eat.
While it may seem counterintuitive that two dietitians love food so much, we believe it makes perfect
sense. You may be asking yourself, “Shouldn’t dietitians promote dieting?” Not us. Instead, we
take a more realistic, achievable, and healthier approach. Eating well, feeling
fabulous and looking great isn’t about what you can’t eat. It’s about what you can eat. We want you (and others) to focus
on the benefits of eating healthy foods and all the wonderful things they can
do for you and your body…
And now, for our Top 3 (non)Diet Tips…
#1. Listen
and trust. Honor and listen
to your biological hunger cues. As we mentioned before, it’s best to nourish
your body every 3-5 hours. It’s also equally important to feel your fullness as
you eat. After you finish a meal or snack, ask yourself, “Am I still hungry, do
I feel satisfied, or am I stuffed?” These cues can tell you more than you
think. Trust us. Listen to
these cues and learn from them.
#2. Share. A recent study conducted by Tufts University and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed calorie counts provided on
restaurant menus and websites can actually be underestimated by quite a bit.
While calorie counts and nutrition information can be a helpful tool in
providing a frame of reference, they are not always 100% accurate. One thing we
know for sure is that portion sizes are growing – and we don’t need nutrition
information to tell us that. As a general rule when eating out, share your meal
with a friend or take home half your meal for leftovers. It’s all about
moderation.
#3. Be
real. According to a 2010
article from the Yale Journal
of Biology and Medicine, consuming artificial sweeteners may actually be
counterproductive in regards to weight loss. The study suggests eating
artificial sweeteners further fuels food seeking behavior. Why? Because the
brain is unable to receive the message the body has been given food and we
remain unsatisfied until we receive adequate nourishment. We recommend when
you’re craving something sweet after your meal, allow yourself to have a small portion
of the real thing. You’ll end up being more satisfied and less likely to
overeat on something later.
1 prepared pizza dough
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoon shallot, minced
White pepper, to taste
Sea salt, to taste
Dash of hot sauce, to taste
1/2 cup sour cream or crème frâiche
10 oz. thinly sliced smoked salmon
4 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped, divided
2 tablespoons capers, well drained
Zest of one lemon
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Spread pizza dough on pizza stone or baking
sheet. Drizzle with olive
oil and spread red onions over pizza. Place
in oven and bake 6 – 8 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed. Remove from oven and let cool
slightly.
In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, shallot, pepper,
salt and hot sauce. Let shallot
mixture sit for 2 – 3 minutes, to allow the flavor of the shallot to
distribute. Stir in sour
cream and dill.
Spread sour cream mixture over cooked pizza
dough. Top with smoked
salmon, dill, capers and lemon zest. Serve
immediately.
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