Chomping Ground // Chichen Itza: Agua de Chaya

Chichen Itza Restaurant

(inside the Mercado La Paloma)

3655 S. Grand Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 90007

http://www.chichenitzarestaurant.com/

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I wanted to share the most incredible drink that I tried over the summer that I've never heard of before. Chichen Itza is the only restaurant that I've ever seen this drink, derived from the Chaya plant that is native to Mexico and Central America. Chaya, also known as "tree spinach" was a main staple of the Mayan diet, which can be juiced and strained to make a very refreshing and nutritious juice. I would say the flavor is much less potent than spinach; it's a leafy green that is as versatile as spinach, but the flavor is sweeter and less bitter than spinach. It has the most interesting citrus flavor, reminiscent of orange zest and lime juice. It's a little hard to explain, but the best drink I could compare it to is a natural version of good, old fashioned Sunny Delight. 

Chaya plant
© Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization, 2009 

I don't think I've ever found a market that sells fresh Chaya, so if anyone knows where I can get it, please share! Otherwise, it's definitely worth the trek over to USC as the food at Chichen Itza is some of the best Mayan food I've ever tasted. It would be unfair to compare this to Mexican food, because it's on a completely different flavor level than other contemporary Mexican food truck, stand, cantina, or restaurant you find around town. And if not for the food, the Agua de Chaya is worth it alone! 

Frozen Peanut Butter Pie w/ Coconut Cream

  

Ingredients: organic unsalted peanut butter, organic silken tofu, chocolate wafer cookies, unsalted butter, coconut milk (canned), powdered sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, milk chocolate shavings

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My best friend has a newborn at home and in my attempt to provide a sweet escape for the new mom, I also wanted to give something baby-friendly. I knew that dairy-free foods helped with preventing colic for nursing babies, so I was up for the challenge of making a sweet dessert for a happy mom and a gas-free baby. 

The peanut butter + chocolate combo is a favorite in her household, which provided further inspiration for the pie. I was on the hunt for vegan peanut butter pie recipes when I stumbled upon a very non-vegan Oreo pie crust which I knew would make a perfect combo. I removed the fillings from the Oreos and tossed the cookies in the food processor and made about 1 1/2 cups of chocolaty crumbs. The melted butter was added and the mixture was fluffed with a fork and pressed in a well-grease pie mold. Freeze to set for about 30 mins.

The frozen pie filling was genius: silken tofu was combined with a jar of peanut butter and combined in a blender. Most other peanut butter pies called for at least two packages of cream cheese, meant for consistency and flavor. But the use of tofu yielded a lighter, smoother consistency of the filling and you honestly couldn't taste the tofu whatsoever as the peanut butter overwhelmed the flavor completely.

The cream topping was a first for me as well; I've never made whipped cream without using cream. Using a hand blender and (very) cold canned coconut milk, it puffed up in no time and worked perfectly. It was very necessary to add powdered sugar, to taste; some of the other recipes called for some vanilla extract or other flavors, but the coconut is quite strong, so adding anything else might have clashed. I was worried the peanut butter wouldn't work with the coconut whipped cream, but it actually surprised me and went well together.

One thing to note, however, is that the pie tasted better once the whipped topping froze completely, along with the rest of the pie. On a hot day, you should allow the whole pie to set in the freezer for at least 3-4 hours. Top with shaved dark chocolate and serve!

Basil Pesto Capellini

Ingredients: Capellini pasta, fresh organic basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan cheese, extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt

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My parents' garden has been overrun by beautiful basil this summer and they generously gave me huge bunches recently. Worried it would spoil too soon in this insanely humid heat we are having in Los Angeles, I quickly threw together a pesto. I've done a pesto in two different ways before, but for a quick and simple lunch, my food processor did the trick.

The key to a great pesto is really fresh, high quality ingredients. Since you're not cooking any of it (barely), the flavor of the raw basil really needs to shine. The other key to a great pesto is freshly toasted pine nuts which I gently toast in a sauce pan on the stove (a friend in Berkeley swore by roasting the pine nuts first in the oven on a baking sheet before putting it into his food processor).

This pesto is great with any pasta, really. But I was in the mood for a light Capellini, almost like Angel Hair, but a bit thicker. As with Angel Hair, it's necessary to half-cook the Capellini in boiling water and finish it in the saucepan with a bit of the pasta water and a dollop of the pesto. 

Apple + Ruby Pluot Pie / KCRW Good Food Pie Contest

 

 Ingredients

Pie crust: all-purpose flour, unsalted sweet cream butter, vegetable shortening, ice water

Filling: Granny Smith apples, Ruby pluots, vanilla bean, cornstarch, brown sugar, cane sugar, cinnamon

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A good friend told me about this year's KCRW Good Food Pie Contest a couple weeks ago and immediately I was propelled into full pie mode.

Everyone knows that the key to a good pie is the crust, so my main focus was perfecting the right balance of ingredients and method(s) for the perfect dough. I was still undecided on the filling up to the last minute, having gone to the farmer's market the day before to gather inspiration for the filling. Apples are of course appearing all over the market, with stone fruit season just starting to come to an end. All of the plums, peaches, and pluots were looking overly ripe and sweet, so I wanted to take advantage of them while it lasted. After a few taste tests, I opted for the pluots - a beautifully sweet stone fruit which is a blend of a plum and an apricot with a smooth skin and a tangy finish. The flesh is heartier than a plum, but juicer than an apricot, with a small, pale-colored stone/seed of an apricot.

I won't give away the secret to my crust, but the main thing to remember is cold, cold, cold ingredients! Of course, it's best to set the dough in the fridge and chill it for 2-12 hours before rolling it out, chilling it once more after you've placed it in your pie mold. I stuck to the glass Pyrex molds which yield a more evenly baked crust, especially on the bottom crust which needed to stay put underneath a fruity filling. I also found that artisinal ingredients are the best way to go, changing up my butter for those fancy European butters (in the gold foil!) that go for a pretty penny. In times of competition (and when you want your pie to shine), this butter is the way to go. The crust was incredibly fragrant and flaky and complimented the sweet, cinnamon-y tang of the filling perfectly.

I sampled several apples and pluots at the farmer's market, looking for the perfect balance of  both the flavors. I opted for a very tangy, low-starch, juicy green apple (the exact variety I forget) with a very sweet Ruby pluot (which tasted like a watermelon Jolly Rancher). I hate apples that turn mealy and flavorless upon cooking and no one wants a mushy piece of pluot - so tasting them raw was key to finding the great combo.

It's important to peel the apples first, slicing them about 1/4" thick and kept them in cold water until I was ready to combine with the pluots (to prevent browning). I was almost going to skin the pluots as well, but seeing that they were so ripe, I kept the skins on so they would keep their shape and provide a bit of color to the filling. Combining all the ingredients for the filling, I allowed it to set while I rolled out the crust, letting all the flavors and juices meld together. Cornstarch is a key ingredient for the filling, which prevents it from becoming super watery! Other recipes and chefs suggest a quick-cook tapioca powder as a thickening agent, but I haven't tried this yet (think it would be good for a berry pie which tend to get super soggy). 

Pouring the filling into the pie mold, I dotted it with butter before I placed the top-crust over and sealed it off. I finished with an egg wash and a sprinkling of Turbinado sugar (which is brilliant when biting into the crust, for a sugary and crunchy texture).

Alas, my pie didn't win a blue ribbon this year, but loved serving it up to all the tasters who wanted a bite. The best part though, of course, was getting to taste everyone else's pies and trading baking/cooking tips with a bunch of L.A.'s finest home cooks. There were 278 entries this year and competition was stiff! See you next year...