Lulu's Winter Wonderland. Happy Holidays!

Lulu's Cauliflower Soup Cauliflower Soup

1 head cauliflower 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 small onion, chopped 1 tablespoon honey 1/4 tsp allspice 1/2 tsp Tabasco 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional) 1 tablespoon truffle oil 2 cloves garlic minced 1 quart low-sodium chicken stock 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

Remove the leaves and thick core from the cauliflower, coarsely chop, and reserve. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat and add the onion and garlic. Cook until softened, but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the cauliflowers and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the cauliflower is very soft and falling apart. About 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from heat, puree using a hand held immersion blender or puree the soup in small batches in a blender and return it to the pot. Stir in the cream, Parmesan, truffle oil, honey, allspice and Tabasco. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Garnish with pomegranate seeds, Brussels sprout leaves brushed with olive oil and Stackhouse Bros. Cajun Spice Almonds (available at Santa Monica’s Farmers market)

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta

1 cup whole milk 1 tablespoon unflavored powdered gelatin 3 cups heavy or whipping cream 1/2 cup honey 1 vanilla bean split length wise Pinch salt sliced strawberries julienned basil edible gold flakes (optional)

Place the milk in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over. Let stand for 10 minutes to soften the gelatin. Pour milk mixture into a sauce pan and stir over medium heat just until the gelatin dissolves. Scrape out the vanilla bean with a knife into the milk mixture. Also add the vanilla pod About 5 to 7 minutes. Do not let it boil. Add the cream, honey and salt. Stir 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and discard pod. Cool slightly and divide among 8 glasses, ramekins or shot glasses. Refrigerate until set, at least 6 hours When serving garnish with the basil, strawberries and edible gold (optional)

Kir Royale and Chocolate Pudding. A great holiday combo

Lulu's Apple Tart

For one 8 inch crust: 1 cup all purpose flour 1 stick butter 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar 1 tsp chopped rosemary

Filling: 5 medium apples, peeled and chopped ¼ cup fresh lemon juice ½ cup apricot jam 4 tablespoons of butter (1/2 stick) 1/8 cup rum 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

To make the crust, in the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, butter, sugar and rosemary. Pulse 8 times until combined then run processor for 30 seconds, until a ball of dough forms. Press dough into the sides of an 8-inch tart pan. Prick bottom of the crust with a fork and bake 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Put all of the filling ingredients in a pan and cook on medium heat until the apples start to resemble applesauce. About 15 minutes. Put filling into your baked tart crust and bake for 40 minutes at 375 degrees. It is great served with vanilla bean ice cream or cinnamon whipped cream.

Tip 1: you can slice up an extra apple to put on the top of the tart after cooking for 20 minutes. Pull it out of the oven and arrange on top. Put it back in the oven for the remaining 20 minutes. It just makes it look pretty.

Tip 2: When my husband and I were shooting this picture he wanted me to put a little glaze on top to make it look “prettier”. I took out the apricot jam from the fridge and put a spoonful in a small skillet with a spoonful of water and stirred on low until it was mixed together. I strained it through a tea strainer and then brushed it on top of the tart. It really will make your tart look beautiful.

Tip 3: Another way to keep apples from turning brown besides lemon juice is to mix them with 7up, drain and your good to go. The 7 up trick I learned from my chef friend Lisa Masuda.

Tip 4: Red and green apples sliced up look great in a bowl on a cheese board. Use tips above when you do this.

Lulu's Easy Ice Cream Cake

Whole Foods Cotton Candy

My god child Jazzie loves red velvet cupcakes, salty caramel ice cream and any kind of candy she can get her hands on. So for her birthday I wanted to include all of the above for her cake. I had about 20 left over red velvet cupcakes from a dinner party I held at my house which I decided to crumble and freeze. I bought Malton salt, caramel ice cream and cotton candy from whole foods. I used an 8 inch spring form pan which I covered entirely with plastic wrap. I then layered the bottom of the pan with the red velvet crumbles, on top of that I added the caramel ice cream and sprinkled it with the Malton salt and then repeated the process. Next put in the freezer for about 2 hours or until frozen. When you are ready to serve the cake, take it out of the freezer, turn it over on to the plate you will be using to serve the cake. Adorn with cotton candy. Jazzie and her friends went crazy for this cake. They couldn't believe you could put cotton candy on top of cake. Goes to show you can do anything you want!

Lulu's Scrumptious Ice Cream Sandwich

1 cup light brown¾ cup granulated sugar 2 sticks softened butter 2 whole eggs 1 egg yolk 1 tsp vanilla ½ tsp salt 1 tsp baking soda 2 cups flour 2 cups small Pretzels 1 cup “chunked” reese’s peanut butter cups 1 cup hershey kisses

Optional: Malton salt for sprinkling Pre heat oven:350 degrees

Cream together sugars and butter. Gradually add eggs. Next vanilla,salt, baking soda and flour. When everything is mixed together slowly add the pretzels and chocolates. As soon as they are incorporated stop your machine. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. bake: 7-10 minutes depending on oven.

Assembly:

Place one scoop vanilla ice cream on top of cookie. Mash down with spoon. Chunk up whatever candy or topping you like, my personal favorite is Ghiradelli milk chocolate and caramel squares. Optional: Sprinkle malton salt on top. I LOVE the chocolate, caramel and salt combo!!! Top with cookie. Enjoy!

Tip:

Make these ahead of time and freeze. This way you will be ready for last minute summer bbq's or unexpected guests.

Lulu's Chocolate Caramel Matzoh

Makes about 2 pounds4-6 unsalted matzoh crackers 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 1/4 cup chopped nuts (optional) 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional) 1 tablespoon flavored salt (such as tangerine or lavender) or plain ol' sea salt, the bigger the grain the better

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12 1/2 x 17 1/2 inch jelly roll pan completely with tinfoil. Place a silpat baking mat or parchment paper on top of foil. 2. Place the matzohs in a single layer on the baking sheet, cutting or breaking them to fit if necessary. Be sure to cover the entire cookie sheet with matzoh. 3. In a saucepan, combine the butter and brown sugar. Cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove the caramel from the heat and pour over the matzohs. (Be careful: the mixture becomes very hot. Don't even try to lick the spoon- you'll burn your tongue!) 4. Bake for 15 minutes, checking every few minutes to make sure the matzoh isn't burning, especially in the corners of the pan. If the edges are getting to dark, remove the pan from the oven for the remaining time. 5. Place the pan on a cooling rack. Let sit for 2 minutes, then sprinkle the chocolate chips over the baked matzoh. 6. Let stand until the chips have melted-about 5 minutes- and then spread the melted chocolate over the caramel with an offset spatula. 7. While still warm, break the bark into pieces using a pizza cutter. Sprinkle the nuts, cayenne, and salt over the top if desired. 8. Chill the matzoh in the freezer, still in the baking sheet, until set, 30 to 60 minutes. Store matzoh in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days, although you wont have to because it will be eaten! Happy passover!

Crack Pie

This recipe came from David Changs restaurant Momofuku in NYC. You don't need a mixer to make this recipe. Use a little elbow grease like Mattie and I did, we used our hands. The kitchen we used was devoid of any kitchen utensils and it still came out great! Try it with melted bittersweet chocolate on top. Its just plain decadent. Next time I'm going to mix unsweetened coconut flakes and dark chocolate in to the filling. Hopefully it will make it taste like a mounds bar.

Momofuku's Crack Pie

Total time: 1 1/2 hours, plus cooling and chilling times

Servings: Makes 2 pies (6 to 8 servings each)

Note: Adapted from Momofuku. This pie calls for 2 (10-inch) pie tins. You can substitute 9-inch pie tins, but note that the pies will require additional baking time, about 5 minutes, due to the increased thickness of the filling.

Cookie for crust

2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (3 ounces) flour

Scant 1/8 teaspoon baking powder

Scant 1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter

1/3 cup (2 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar

3 tablespoons (1 1/4 ounces) sugar

1 egg

Scant 1 cup (3 1/2 ounces) rolled oats

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar and sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Whisk the egg into the butter mixture until fully incorporated.

5. With the mixer running, beat in the flour mixture, a little at a time, until fully combined. Stir in the oats until incorporated.

6. Spread the mixture onto a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking sheet and bake until golden brown and set, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to the touch on a rack. Crumble the cooled cookie to use in the crust.

Crust

Crumbled cookie for crust

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1 1/2 tablespoons (3/4 ounce) brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

Combine the crumbled cookie, butter, brown sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse until evenly combined and blended (a little of the mixture clumped between your fingers should hold together). Divide the crust between 2 (10-inch) pie tins. Press the crust into each shell to form a thin, even layer along the bottom and sides of the tins. Set the prepared crusts aside while you prepare the filling.

Filling

1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) sugar

3/4 cup plus a scant 3 tablespoons (7 ounces) light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon (3/4 ounce) milk powder

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted

3/4 cup plus a scant 2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 egg yolks

2 prepared crusts

Powdered sugar, garnish

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, salt and milk powder. Whisk in the melted butter, then whisk in the heavy cream and vanilla.

3. Gently whisk in the egg yolks, being careful not to add too much air.

4. Divide the filling evenly between the 2 prepared pie shells.

5. Bake the pies, one at a time, for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325 degrees and bake until the filling is slightly jiggly and golden brown (similar to a pecan pie), about 10 minutes. Remove the pies and cool on a rack.

6. Refrigerate the cooled pies until well chilled. The pies are meant to be served cold, and the filling will be gooey. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Lela's Buttermilk Pralines

Lela is a childhood friend of mine as well as an incredible designer. Not only is she a talented designer but she is also a great cook. Below is a recipe passed down from her grandfather. Grandpa John’s Buttermilk Pralines:

• 2 Cups granulated sugar
• ¾ cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped (you can also use almonds, walnuts or your nut of choice-or a combination)

What to do: Mix sugar, buttermilk, cream and baking soda in a heavy, medium size sauce pan. Cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally to keep mixture from burning when thickens. When a candy thermometer placed in the mixture reaches 236 degrees, remove saucepan from heat and stir with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula. Add vanilla and butter and beat until thick and creamy. Quickly add a cup of chopped nuts and return pan to low heat to keep the mixture from seizing up. Using a spoon, drop small cookie-size portions onto a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Allow to cool completely. Wrap each praline in plastic. Grandpa John’s Buttermilk Pralines

Yields: 25-30 small pralines

JOHNNY's RECIPES

Steak and Green Curried Soba Noodles GREEN CURRIED SOBA NOODLES 1 Tablespoon ground fennel seeds 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds 1.5 teaspoon mustard powder 2 teaspoons cumin powder 1 Tablespoon madras curry powder 5 cloves fresh garlic, chopped 2 Tablespoons green or red curry paste 1 serrano chili, seeded and chopped (discard seeds) 1 bunch cilantro, chopped (stems too) 1 bunch fresh mint, chopped (stems too) 1/2 bunch scallions, chopped juice of 2 limes juice of 2 lemons 1/2 Cup fresh prepared green tea, chilled 1/2 Cup Extra virgin olive oil 2 Tablespoons wheat-free Tamari puree all ingredients in a food processor, thin with more green tea or water if it's too spicy for your taste. serve tossed with buckwheat or soba noodles. STEAK MARINADE: 1/2 cup olive oil 1 head or eight cloves roasted garlic, smashed 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh thyme 1 Tablespoons chopped fresh ginger Juice of 1 lemon 2 Tablespoons braggs liquid aminos Sea salt & fresh ground black pepper your meat Mix all ingredients together and marinate your meat. It is also a good chicken marinade too. You can marinate anywhere from 1 hour to 24 hrs.

TUNA TARTARE 8 oz sushi grade tuna 8 oz yellowtail hamachi (pacific yellowtail amberjack) 1/2 a fresh mango, finely diced 1 firm avocado, diced Pinch black sesame seeds 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh chives 4 Tablespoons miso dressing (equal parts yellow miso paste, mayonnaise, and water) Sea salt & fresh black pepper Quenelle or scoop mixture into spoons or on a rice cracker to serve. Top with a small piece of candied tangerine rind. Recipe below CANDIED TANGERINE RIND Make 1 cup simple syrup (1/2 C gran. sugar & 1/2 cup water) Bring combined ingredients to a boil & then remove from heat. With a knife, remove the rind from 2 tangerines or oranges carefully removing most of the white part from the skin as well. Thinly slice the skin into pieces no longer than 1/2 inch. Add all of the thin slices to the simple syrup, over medium heat simmer for 3 minutes and then allow the rind to cool in the syrup. FYI: quenelle |kəˈnel| noun (usu. quenelles) a small seasoned ball of pounded fish or meat. ORIGIN French, probably from Alsatian German knödel

JOHNNY’S OATMEAL RAISIN FLORENTINES 3 Cups oats 1 ½ cups all purpose flour 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 ½ teaspoons nutmeg 2 Cup raisins (I like mixing 1/2 golden, 1/2 regular) 3 sticks butter 11/2 cups brown sugar 1 ½ cups granulated sugar 3 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Preheat oven to 325 degrees Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Then add in the oats and raisins and set aside. Cream together the butter and sugars in an electric mixer: start on speed 1, move to a faster speed. Turn the mixer speed back down to 1 and add in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract. Slowly add in the dry ingredients. Scoop cookie dough into approximately 2 Tablespoon balls. Put these in the freezer for one hour. Then arrange them on a prepared cookie sheet, allowing plenty of room in between them (they will spread out!). Bake 13 to 14 minutes or until the edges of the cookies start to brown. Allow them to cool on the cookie sheet before removing. Enjoy!

Lulu's ROSEMARY POPCORN

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary 12 cups hot plain popcorn. Salt and pepper to taste. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add rosemary. Drizzle butter mixture over hot popcorn in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat.

Tips:

This is a great snack and its super easy to make. You can add whatever you have on hand from old bay seasoning to truffle oil. I personally love adding 2 tablespoons of truffle oil to this recipe but the options are endless, you be the chef! It also acts as a quick and delicious snack for when company stops by. Keep a box of microwaveable popcorn on hand, its a great pantry staple. You can display it on the counter in vases, wax paper bags, or even just a simple bowl!