Flore vegan restaurant

I like to experience different kind of food but sometime I get shy to walk into a restaurant if the menu seems a little too different from what I know or from what I like. It's what happened with "Flore Vegan Restaurant" in Silverlake on Sunset. David and I looked at the menu posted on their front window many times and every time decided to go somewhere else. We both like bacon, sausages and rich food so the vegan menu always seemed boring to us. So I asked my friend Sheva if she tried "Flore" and as the hip vegan girl that she is, she did had few meals there and highly recommended few dishes from the menu.
So last Sunday David and I decided to be brave and just walk thru the door and have the vegan experience.
So here I am reading the menu and being completely indecisive and of course I cannot remember one dish that Sheva recommended so I am on my own.
The first item that caught my interest was the list of juices. I picked the carrot, ginger and apple juice called "Refresh". Let me tell you that this was a tasty juice.
I also picked the potato/fennel soup and avocado/cheese sandwich. For dessert we had the vanilla and chocolate cupcake and the strawberry shortcake.
David had the quinoa tabouli wrap that was big in size and taste. In the middle of eating it David looked at me and said:" I wish I could add a slice of bacon in it"
Well, I am glad I faced my fear of vegan restaurants. The food was good and tasty. Our waitress was fast and nice, that is a rare combination in L.A.
The decor is not what I actually call a decor, it's some stuff that someone with questionable taste put on the walls. I am not sure why there is so many mirrors. Do they want their clients to feel good about the way they look and keep checking themselves.
" Mirror, oh mirror on the wall who is the skinniest of Los Angeles county?"
Thank you Sheva for recommending the place. It is at a walking distance from David's so on the top of eating healthy we had a nice walk back home.
I recommend the place and will go back soon to try all the scary healthy vegan food on the menu.

Farmers Market and ratatouille

I recently rediscovered the pleasure of going to the Farmers Market in LA. I usually go to the one in Larchmont Village on Sunday Morning or the one in Plummer Park on Mondays. I also like the one in Silverlake on Sunset Blvd on Saturdays. I like to go early in the morning because it is less crowded and people are still waking up and more melo.
The Saturday morning farmers market in Silverlake is small with only few vendors that makes it perfect for an in and out shopping and make it easy to compare quality of the products and prices.

I like to cook ratatouille because it's a mix of different vegetables and I can change the recipe depending of what I find at the market. Last time I found some baby eggplants that were really flavorful and gave a great flavor to the dish.

Ratatouille :
Olive oil
Onion
Garlic
Eggplants cut in 1/2 inch chunks
Zucchinis cut in 1/2 inch chunks
Tomatoes or cherry tomatoes cut in 1/2 inch chunks
Herbes de Provence
Salt and pepper

In olive oil cook onion and garlic then add the zucchinis and eggplants. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes depending on how much ratatouille you are preparing.
Add the tomatoes. I like the cherry tomatoes better but that's just a personal taste. Add the Herbes de Provence, cover and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes.
You can add some peppers if you like.

Serve with grilled chicken or a nice juicy grilled steak.
Yummy.

David Pascucci: "Imitation Of Life"

After 3 years of hard work and dedication my boyfriend David Pascucci just released his new album: "Imitation of Life".
It was definitely worth the wait, it is a great, professionally done album.

David is a perfectionist, he pays attention to details and has a passion for music that he got from his father who was a music teacher. It's why he chose to be accompanied by a 13 piece orchestra conducted by Tim Gill, a harp player and a String Quartet.
The choice of the orchestra was wise as it highlights David's voice and talent.

The album has a happy, life is worth living feeling.
The mix of French and English, low key and upbeat songs creates a nice flow and will make you want to listen to them again and again.
David wrote the music and lyrics of the song "On The Horizon" that is about his experience with his dad in his final days.

The 32 page booklet looks great with pictures taken by Olivier Riquelme who likes to play with lights and a strong color palette, definitely have a close look at it.

I am having a hard time deciding which one of the 18 songs is my favorite. I think I am leaning toward " Chere Amie".

When someone is passionate about what he does as David is and focusing on quality, the result is a well put together, timeless album. So make some room on your iPod and enjoy the ride.

David will have a CD release party at The Other Side in Silverlake on September 26th from 8:30PM to midnight. Come and join us for a well deserved celebration.