Alana

Today’s “Day in the Life” subject might look familiar to you. In addition to being the founder of creative agency Field Guide Los Angeles, Andrea Hawken has modeled for Storq (among other brands). And on top of it all, the Philippines-born, SoCal dweller is also a mother to three kiddos—Gabriel, 9, Raphael, 3, and Anya, 4 months. Below, Andrea shares what her current day in the life looks like—toddler meltdowns, pantless Zoom calls, and everything in between!

For more Day in the Life profiles, check out our features on Idaho-based Laura Tully, and Bay Area mamas Dr. Kat De Jong and Juvilynn Arbuthnot.

The post Day In The Life: Andrea Hawken, Creative Director & Mother Of 3 appeared first on MOTHER.

Whole grain pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies in partnership with Coach’s Oats. These cookies are packed with cozy pumpkin flavor + plenty of chocolate chips. Made with coconut oil instead of butter! It’s HERE! Welcome to Pumpkin Week 2017! Dear LAWD I love pumpkin. Once I hit 70 years old my goal is to eat [...]

The post Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies appeared first on Ambitious Kitchen.

Read More... from Tomatillo Avocado Salsa

A reader writes:

You’ve written before about how NOT to behave in an informational interview (i.e. use it to try to get a job), but I wonder what you recommend to get the most out of them when you’re approaching the meeting with the proper mindset.

I’m about six months away from getting a masters degree, and another student in my program recently arranged for me to have lunch with her and a family friend. She organized the lunch because the family friend works in an industry related to the particular niche of our field I’d like to work in. This was an incredibly kind thing of her to do, but it was rather short notice, and I scrambled to come up with questions.

I asked a few specific things about the direction the industry is going in, and a few questions about a new side project her company has that’s of particular interest to me, but I fear that beyond that she was left to lead the conversation more than I would have liked. She did so wonderfully, giving us a tour of the building, asking me about myself, showing me the software she uses, etc. I wonder though, how I might have made more of this networking opportunity. Obviously some questions are specific to industry and situation, but do you have any across-the-board recommendations (beyond being prepared) for making the most of informational interviews, particularly ones you didn’t seek out?

Like with asking questions in interviews, my advice on this is to spend some time really thinking about what you genuinely want to know from this person who has experience in your field. That’s probably going to lead you to questions I’d never think of, like or “how do you handle the frustration of X?” or “how have the new regulations on Y played out in your work?”

In other words, don’t just focus on being impressive (which is the pitfall a lot of people fall into), but think seriously about what you’re really wondering about. I can promise you that this person doesn’t want to spend their time answering questions that you’re asking because you saw a list that suggested asking them; they want to answer the stuff you’re really dying to know. (I’m not saying that’s where you’re coming from — I just see it so much that I need to raise it.)

Now that that disclaimer is out there, here are some questions that I think are great to ask in informational interviews:

• What do you wish you’d known about the field before starting in it? Do you think there are common misperceptions people have about this work as they’re looking to get into it?
• What types of people do you think really succeed in this field? What types have more trouble?
• One thing I’m worried about is ___. Do you think that has any merit?
• Do you have thoughts on the best things I can do to stay current in the field — things to read, organizations to join, people to talk to?
• Who do you feel are the best employers in the field? Why? Are there any you’d caution me to stay away from?
• Are you able to give me a sense of what kind of starting salaries you see for roles like X and Y?
• What are your/most people’s hours like? Are you able to leave work behind when you leave, or do you need to stay pretty connected in the evenings and on weekends?
• Anything you see job candidates around my level doing that you think really hurts them? Or that you wish people would do differently?
• Can I tell you a little about my background and experience so far, and see if you have any suggestions for things I might do to strengthen myself as a candidate?
• Do you think I’m being realistic about the roles I’m aiming for in this next step?

What other suggestions do people have?

actually useful questions to ask in informational interviews was originally published by Alison Green on Ask a Manager.

Dee & Drew
Santa Barbara Historical Museum
Photography: Lavender & Twine Photography

It's always more fun to DIY. Every week, we'll spare you a trip to the grocery store and show you how to make small batches of great foods at home.

Today: Mandy from Lady and Pups replicates a Taiwanese street snack at home: crispy scallion pancakes, with plenty of layers.

I can't tell you how many times I've tried and failed to make scallion pancakes over the past few years. They're one of my favorite street snacks in Taiwan: a thinly rolled out soft dough with layers of finely diced scallions, pan-fried to golden brown yumminess. It was a challenge to make a home-friendly version that tasted just as good -- not to mention the fact that the idea of replicating all of those layers was extremely daunting.

Did I mention the street-version is almost always fried in lard?

Luckily (or perhaps dangerously) for you, I think I did it. After years of harassing street vendors and a number of my mother's friends who allegedly make them, a love child was born. This scallion flatbread has a dough that's made with both all-purpose and bread flours, plus both hot water and cold water (a Chinese technique that creates both softness and body). Scallion oil with a pinch of baking soda puffs up the layers during cooking and boosts the overall flavor. 

These can even make a hearty meal if you toss a golden brown flatbread on top of an egg that's still frying in the pan, and let them "stick" together, then brush some chili sauce over the top.

Multi-Layered Scallion Pancakes

Makes 4 large flatbreads

For the dough:

1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour
1 cup (140 grams) bread flour
2 teaspoons of sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (120 grams) hot water (150° F)
1/4 cup of cold/room temperature water
1/4 cup (50 grams) vegetable oil

For the scallion oil and fillings:

2 cups (105 grams) diced scallions, divided
1/2 cup (100 grams) vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground white pepper, divided into 1/2 teaspoon each
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
Coarse sea salt, to taste

See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.

Photos by Mandy from Lady and Pups

[Photograph: Bobby Fisher]

Roy Choi's recipe for brussels sprouts and kimchi in his new cookbook/memoir, L.A. Son, is a prime example of his effortless expertise in Korean fusion. He throws sprouts, butter, kimchi, lemon, and shiso all together in a hot pan for a dish that looks like a miss-mashed stir-fry but tastes like a dish that's been made by countless cooks for generations. The heat of the kimchi is tempered ever-so-slightly by the butter and the sweetness of the caramelized brussels. Shiso and lemon are a fine finish to the dish, adding bright herbaceousness to the vegetables.

Why I picked this recipe: Brussels sprouts are a staple vegetable for me this time of year, and cooking them with kimchi offered a nice break from more typical preparations.

What worked: I loved the fact that this flavor-packed side dish was so easy and fast to prepare.

What didn't: No problems here.

Suggested tweaks: To make this dish a full meal, consider adding fried tofu or a poached egg on top, and serve with rice.

Reprinted with permission from L.A. Son: My Life, My City, My Food by Roy Choi with Tien Nguyen and Natasha Phan. Copyright 2013. Published by Anthony Bourdain/Ecco, an imprint of Harper Collins. All rights reserved. Available wherever books are sold.

Ingredients

serves Serves 1 to 2, active time 25 minutes, total time 25 minutes

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 8 ounces brussels sprouts, halved
• 1 cup minced kimchi 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons minced shiso leaves

Procedures

1. Heat a pan over medium heat until it’s smoking. Add the oil and the brussels sprouts.

2. Move the pan around, caramelizing the sprouts, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the kimchi and toss.

3. Get some good color on everything, about 7 to 10 minutes, then add the butter. Swirl and season everything with salt, pepper, a squeeze of the lemon, and a sprinkle of the shiso leaves. Enjoy immediately.
   

[Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]

About the author: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is the Chief Creative Officer of Serious Eats where he likes to explore the science of home cooking in his weekly column The Food Lab. You can follow him at @thefoodlab on Twitter, or at The Food Lab on Facebook.

Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!

Special equipment: .3-ounce half sphere silicone mold, 1.5 ounce half sphere silicone mold, chinois or fine mesh strainer, food processor or box grater, and a wok or Dutch oven for deep frying

Ingredients

serves Makes about 12 stuffing fritters, active time 2 hours, total time 3 hours

• 6 ounces fresh cranberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 quart Classic Sage and Sausage Stuffing, made with turkey sausage if desired
• 3 eggs, divided
• 2 large yukon gold potatoes
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1/2 cup flour, plus more as necessary
• 1/4 cup finely sliced chives, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 quarts peanut or canola oil
• 1 recipe Dead Simple Turkey Gravy, preferably made with turkey fat in place of butter

Procedures

1. Combine cranberries, sugar, and water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up cranberries with a wooden spoon or spatula until cranberries have all popped, about 10 minutes. Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Fill 24 cavities in a .3-ounce half sphere silicone mold with cranberry mixture. Refrigerate until set, then remove half of the hemispheres and place them on top of the other half to create full spheres. Press gently on each one to stick two halves together. Cover with plastic and transfer to freezer until frozen.

2. Combine stuffing with 1 egg and fold with hands until combined. Fill 12 wells in a 1.5 ounce half sphere silicone mold with stuffing mixture, then press a frozen cranberry sphere into the center of each one. Top with more stuffing mixture, sculpting it to create as perfect a sphere as possible and ensuring that the cranberry sphere does not show. Transfer to freezer until completely frozen, about 1 hour.

3. Peel potato and grate using the grating attachment of a food processor or the large holes of a box grater. Transfer to a large bowl. Grate onion and add to potatoes. Add remaining two eggs, flour, 3 tablespoons chives, 2 teaspoons salt, and a generous grind of black pepper. Mix with hands, adding more flour as necessary until mixture holds together.

4. Heat oil to 400°F in a large wok or Dutch oven. Adjust flame to maintain temperature. Preheat oven to 300°F. Working one at a time, remove a stuffing ball from the silicone mold and transfer to potato mixture. Use your hands to carefully mold a thin layer of potato mixture around the ball, then gently lower into hot oil. Repeat until you have four balls in the oil. Oil temperature will drop to about 300°F. Increase heat and adjust the flame to maintain a temperature of 325°F for the duration of the cooking time.

5. Fry balls, agitating oil and turning occasionally until deep golden brown and hot throughout (use a cake tester or thermometer to test internal temperature), about 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined bowl using a slotted spatula, season with salt, and transfer to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet. Hold in oven while you fry the remaining balls in 2 more batches, reheating oil to 400°F before adding each new batch.

6. When all balls are fried, season with salt in a large bowl, toss with remaining chives, and serve with hot gravy.

In Food History 101, we're hitting the books -- to explore the who, what, when, where, and why of what we eat today.

Today: Turns out Passover isn't the only Jewish holiday with a seder plate.

Most people associate a seder plate with the Passover holiday -- and they associate apples dipped in honey with Rosh Hashanah. But well before apples entered the scene, there was a seder plate on the Rosh Hashanah table. Rosh Hashanah is one of the few Jewish holidays that focuses not on an event -- like Passover's celebration of the exodus from Egypt -- but rather on self-reflection and prayers. Each item on the seder plate represents a prayer for the year to come. 

According to Jewish food historian Gil Marks who (literally) wrote the book on Jewish Food, the original five simanim, or symbolic foods on the seder plate -- gourds, fenugreek or black-eyed peas, leeks, chard or beet greens, and dates -- were first documented the Talmud (the book of Jewish rabbinic law) in 400-500 CE. The impetus for using each of these five fruits and vegetables was to make puns -- that’s right, puns in Hebrew or Aramaic! For example, the Hebrew word for gourd is related to the word for "called out," suggesting a blessing that one's merits be called out and recognized. These word plays are continually updated; some eat dates while praying for romantic connections in the coming year. The exact make-up of the Rosh Hashanah seder plate varies by community, geographic location, and ancestry. And families who don’t start their meal with a seder plate nonetheless incorporate some of the symbolic foods into the dishes they serve. 

Now let’s get back to those apples, which were first associated with Rosh Hashanah in France circa 1100 CE. Soon, German and other Eastern European Ashkenazi Jews began the tradition of dipping apple slices into honey for a sweet year. However, among Sephardim (Jews who trace their family roots back to pre-Inquisition Spain and Portugal, the Babylonian Era, or Northern Africa), the quince is the quintessential Rosh Hashanah fruit. You may only know of quince as the main component in the membrillo on your cheese plate, but around Rosh Hashanah, this fruit is incorporated into syrups, preserves, stews, and cakes. 

Over the years, other symbolic foods have entered the Rosh Hashanah lexicon: sweet carrots, pomegranates, and sesame seeds to increase one's merits, challahs studded with raisins and braided into circles to represent the continuity of life, and the head of a fish or lamb with the hope to be a head (rosh in Hebrew means head) -- a leader instead of a follower. If you're squeamish and don't want an entire lamb head on your table, serve lamb as a main course. 

To coin an original Rosh Hashanah-style salutation: This year, may your seder plate prayers be answered, may your merits increase like the seeds of a pomegranate, and may you eat well. Very very well.

Photos by James Ransom, Emiko Davies, and Cookie and Kate